The NAMM Foundation has finalized nominees for the 29th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards. Nominees across 30 technical and creative categories include production teams for artists such as Adele, Bruno Mars, and Daft Punk, as well as for television and film projects such as Game of Thrones and Argo, and for interactive games such as Assassin’s Creed. The awards ceremony is set for Friday, January 24, during the NAMM Show, one of the world’s largest global music industry trade shows, held annually in Anaheim, Calif.
As the longest-running awards show that specifically recognizes outstanding achievement in product innovation and sound production, the TEC Awards are the professional audio industry’s most prestigious show. Produced by the NAMM Foundation, the show recognizes Outstanding Technical Achievement in Product Design across 22 categories and Outstanding Creative Achievement in Sound Production in eight categories. Each technical category includes six nominees; each creative category recognizes five nominees.
The Outstanding Technical Achievement category encompasses everything from recording devices and headphones, to musical instrument technology and sound reinforcement loudspeaker technology. The category for Outstanding Creative Achievement highlights producers and engineers who have played significant roles in the audio production of hit songs, concert tours, films, television, and interactive entertainment.
A carefully selected panel of sound and music industry professionals chose the nominees from hundreds of entries. Products and projects released and in commercial use during the period of September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013 were eligible for nomination. Online voting by members of professional audio industry organizations begins in December.
A precursor to the Grammy Awards, which are held on the same weekend, the 29th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards ceremony takes place the second night of the Winter NAMM Show. The TEC Awards ceremony will include a presentation of the Les Paul Award to recording artist Todd Rundgren. Legendary audio engineer John Meyer and renowned session drummer Hal Blaine will be inducted into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame.
Tickets for this event will be made available in November.
