MUMBAI: For the five years of its existence, Artist Aloud engaged determinedly towards the growth and promotion of independent musicians of the country, and the support also extends through the annual awards event celebrating these artistes’ contribution and efforts. Artist Aloud – Hungama’s digital distribution platform – raised the bar at the 5th AAMA (Artist Aloud Music Awards) held in blueFROG Mumbai on 20 April with a night full of stalwarts and scintillating performances. The event was streamed live for music fans across the globe, on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the Hungama App.
Hosted by the irrepressible Luke Kenny, the night began with Hungama managing director Neeraj Roy addressing the packed-house venue about the evolution of Artist Aloud and the success enjoyed so far reflected through the sheer magnitude of the turnout at the awards show. Powered by VIBE British Audio, AAMA rightly boasts of being the only digital awards focused on independent music. With well-established faces like Aftab Shivadasani, Sushant Singh and legends like Pankaj Udhas and Kabir Bedi as the presenters, the industry continues to acknowledge AAMA’s cause.
Noted playback singer Kavita Seth’s devotional single ‘Gajananam’ won the award for the ‘Best Genre’. The ‘Best Album’ award went to singe/composer Deepa Nair Rasiya’s ‘Destination’ – a collection of sufi verses released under Bombay-based ‘Asli Music’. Neerja Pandit’s kashmiri folk song featuring Bollywood actor Anupam Kher earned her the ‘Best Lyrics’, written by Saghar Sehrai. Hip-hop crew Mumbai’s Finest had an eventful 2015, and with multiple awards under the belt already, the act took away ‘Best Single’ for ‘The Mumbai Cypher – #Shudhdesi’. And that was not it for Mumbai Cypher as the act also deservedly received the ‘Pepsi MTV Indies- Best Emerging Act’.
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Pakistan-based Nusrat Hussain was awarded with ‘Best International Artist’, and one of the neighbouring country’s influential producers – Strings won the ‘Most Outstanding Producer’ for the popular initiative ‘Coke Studio Pakistan’.Groove Yatra provided an ideal musical introduction to the night with some of the classic renditions, and the band, who also won ‘Best Live Act’ at the event, justified the recognition with its versatility. For ‘Best Sound’, ‘Chaap Tilak’ from the second season of Studios Sound Garage series was the clear winner.
Here’s the list of the rest of the winners –
Best Composition: Ronkini Gupta Collective – Ritu Basant Ki
Best Video: Dream Alive – Don’t Say No
Best Song: Prajoth Dsa ft. Adil Nadaf – Vaada Karo
Best Female Artist: Prarthana Choudhury – Kaisi Khudgarzi
Best Male Artist: Prajoth Dsa ft. Adil Nadaf – Vaada Karo
Best Group: Twist To Break Seal – Fallin’
Best Live Venue: Café Infinito
The flag bearer of Punjabi Sufi-Rock, Rabbi Shergill, took over the stage with his acoustic guitar and opened his setlist with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock n Roll’, followed by the much-awaited and crowd’s favourite ‘Bulla Ki Jaana’The night also included a beautiful and soul-stirring anthem ‘Jashn-e-Hungama’, created by the 20 nominees, written by pop-rock duo Abhishek Bhhardwaj and Arsh Bashar (a.k.a AMEYA).
