MAD Dragon Records Earns Nine IMA Nominations

MAD Dragon Records earned nine IMA nominations for their promotional work, including three for their work with Spinning Leaves & Hezekia Jones.

Music Resource Group has nominated Drexel University’s student-run record label, MAD Dragon Records, for nine Independent Music Awards. MAD Dragon is part of the Music Industry program in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. The group’s nine nominations are the most garnered by the label, which has received 30 nominations since 2007.

The Music Resource Group accepts IMA entries from across the world, including nominations from the U.S., Japan, Cuba, Israel, Russia and the United Kingdom.  The MRG helps to promote independent artists and labels by placing winners and finalists in front of more than 15 million new fans via marketing and distribution. 

“We are thrilled to hear the news that MAD Dragon Records is up for nine IMA awards this year,” said Cyrille Taillandier, Music Industry program director.  “MAD Dragon Records is once again recognized for its efforts.  Our students perform all the functions that would be required in a professional setting under the guidance of our faculty who are all industry veterans.”

The 2012 MAD Dragon Records IMA Nominations follow:

Spinning Leaves & Hezekiah Jones – Alternative Country Album

Spinning Leaves & Hezekiah Jones – College Record Label Release

Kuf Knotz – College Record Label Release

Spinning Leaves & Hezekiah Jones – Acoustic Song “Strange Dream”

Kuf Knotz – Rap/Hip Hop Song “Clock Tickin’”

Kuf Knotz – Concert Photo

Kuf Knotz – Publicity Photo

Spinning Leaves – Band/Venue Poster

MAD Dragon Records – Swag (Waterbottle with USB drive containing Sampler)

Mad Dragon Records has twice been awarded College Label of the Year (Hoots & Hellmouth, ST 2007, The Redwalls, ST 2008). Last year’s College Label of Year winner, Be Frank Records, is owned and operated by two graduates of Drexel’s Music Industry program, Fred Knittle and Matt Klein. In addition to industry-determined winners, music fans from around the world have until Friday, July 20, 2012 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected IMA Winners.

Winners will be determined, in part, by a panel of 77 influential artist and industry judges including Keith Richards, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Suzanne Vega, Joshua Redman, Tori Amos, Michael Franti, Bettye LaVette, Del McCoury, Ozzy Osbourne and Shelby Lynne.

About MAD Dragon Records:

MAD Dragon Records (MDR), which is supported in part by the Kal & Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies, is part of Drexel University’s Music Industry Program and has been featured in several hundred newspapers and magazines in the US including CMJ, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Fortune and The New York Times since its inception in 2004.  The Associated Press (AP) has syndicated two stories about MAD Dragon, including a feature covering The Redwalls appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  MDR was awarded College Label of the Year by The Independent Music Awards in 2007 and 2008 and received over 21 nominations since 2007.  MDR has released over 30 titles including Dreams Don’t Count by critically acclaimed songwriter Jules Shear, the gospel infused roots rock of Hoots & Hellmouth (S/T) and their follow up LP, The Holy Open Secret, Matt Duke’s literate and dynamic debut Winter Child, rockin’ singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke’s The Way Home and sophomore release Motherpearl & Dynamite, The Swimmers indie pop darlings debut Fighting Trees and sophomore effort People Are Soft, Toy Soldiers’ Whisper Down the Lane, hip-hop stylings of Kuf Knotz on Boombox Logic, the majestic folk collaboration between Hezekiah Jones and The Spinning Leaves, Brooklyn electronic duo Pretty Good Dance Moves, the annual Unleashed compilation series (Unleashed 1,2 3, 4, 5, 6 &7) and XYX.  MAD Dragon Records is the nation’s first student-run record label to secure a national distribution deal with Ryko Distribution.  MAD Dragon Records is currently distributed by the Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA/Warner), the largest independent music distributor in the United States.