Drexel University’s student-based record label MAD Dragon Records is among a diverse group of independent musicians named as winners of the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. MAD Dragon Records won the first-ever College Record Award for its artists Hoots & Hellmouth. Formed in 2003, and the only college record label to be nationally distributed, through Ryko Distribution /Warner Music Group, MAD Dragon Records is a student-run, faculty-administered record label that focuses on artist development and strategic alliances with music industry professionals. Since its launch, MAD Dragon Records has expanded from recording and producing new releases to becoming a real-world, full-service entertainment entity that includes a publishing company, concert promotion agency, booking agency that books national tours for MAD Dragon and other artists, a music video production company, a music-related graphic design company, five recording studios and a live performance recording team. MAD Dragon Records became the first—and remains the only—university label to be distributed nationally through Ryko Distribution. The label’s artists include Hoots & Hellmouth, Matt Duke, Jules Shear, Andrew Lipke, The Redwalls and The Swimmers. The label is housed in Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design headed by Dean Allen Sabinson. Marcy Rauer Wagman serves as director of the music industry program. When it was established in 2000, the program had eight students; it currently enrolls more than 200 students. As a result of the surge in enrollment, the program now has five state-of-the-art analog/digital recording studios. MAD Dragon Records and the Music Industry Program operate in cooperation with Drexel’s Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies.The IMA winners were determined by a celebrity and industry judging panel that included: Snoop Dogg, Susan Tedeschi, Ray Davies, Suzanne Vega, Charlie Musselwhite, Frank Iero, Judy Collins and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, among an array of other celebrity and industry judges.All IMA winners will receive year-long marketing support to enhance the campaigns for their current projects. They will appear in the updated, 10th anniversary edition of The Musician’s Atlas 2008 – the independent musicians’ and entrepreneurs’ definitive guide to the music business, available on December 26. Developed and coordinated by Music Resource Group, publisher of The Musician’s Atlas, the Independent Music Award program delivers a variety of premiums to winners including: ► Year-long marketing campaigns, partnerships and distribution alliances that will place the winners in front of millions of music fans and industry decision makers around the world. ► Music promotion to college and public radio stations by The Planetary Group, a leading radio promotions company with access to 700 stations throughout the United States and Canada. ► An arrangement with eMusic and Pure Volume that makes their IMA winning tracks available for download to several million consumers.► Winners in the album and song categories will have a song included on the IMA Winners CD compilation Now Hear This, which will be distributed to 5,000 music fans and industry movers and shakers at music conferences and festivals such as SXSW, The Warped Tour, Popkomm, Folk Alliance, London Calling and other events throughout the year.The IMA program awarded more than 50 honors in categories that recognize achievements in music, design, music video and college-run record label releases.Music industry pros that were not part of this year’s judging panel and music fans can cast their vote at the IMA site. Winners of this “Vox Populi” poll will be announced in 2008. For a complete list of winners and categories go to: http://www.independentmusicawards.com/pages/jukebox2008.aspNews Media Contacts: Joelle Caputa, Independent Music Awards joelle@independentmusicawards.com or 973.509.9898 Niki Gianakaris, Assistant Director, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu
