The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) announces that the TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio has formally entered into an agreement to become part of NAMM, in order strengthen the important work of both non-profits and the NAMM Show. All TEC activities, including the Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards, will join other marquee activities, events and efforts within the NAMM Foundation portfolio, including the Museum of Making Music, research projects, the SupportMusic Coalition and global public service campaigns.
The NAMM Foundation will present the annual TEC Awards event starting in 2014. The Awards, which honor outstanding achievement in audio technology and production, were founded in 1985 and have been held at the NAMM Show since 2011, with NAMM as the presenting sponsor. NAMM states that this arrangement strengthens the pro audio, live sound and recording segments of the NAMM Show, to the benefit of NAMM Show exhibitors.
“The inclusion of TEC within the NAMM Foundation further unites the important technical and creative communities within the music industry in a way that authentically showcases both worlds,” says Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “This relationship will strengthen the NAMM Show by bringing more of the key stakeholders from pro audio, live sound and recording together with other segments of the music industry every January.”
In addition to the TEC Awards, the NAMM Foundation will oversee TEC Foundation activities including the Les Paul Award and other philanthropic activities designed to support and grow the pro audio, live sound and recording world.
“TEC’s partnership with NAMM has not only raised the bar artistically for the TEC Awards, but also highlighted the importance of audio technology to music-making in the 21st century,” says TEC Foundation president, Hillel Resner. “TEC is committed to continuing to support the pro audio world and related constituencies as part of the dynamic NAMM environment throughout the years to come.”
Highlights of the TEC Awards include the TEC Awards Hall of Fame recognizing producers, engineers and other technical professionals; the Les Paul Award honoring famed musical artists, including past winners Pete Townshend, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen; and the TECnology Hall of Fame, which recognizes inventors, audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology.
Visit the NAMM Foundation at www.nammfoundation.org and the TEC Foundation at tecfoundation.com.
