RightOutTV Music & Video Awards 2014 • Jamie Anderson

The winners of the 2014 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards were announced recently, proving what great music is being made by LGBT artists. Well, that was obvious when I saw the list of nominees, coming from all around the world. RightOutTV was founded by Marlee Walchuk and Tully Callender, devoted to the promotion of LGBT artists and their music all across the globe. The submissions are from many genre, from Rock to Country to Electronica. Once again this year, I was proud to be asked to be a judge, hearing some more great music and discovering a few new artists. But enough with all that. It is time to showcase some very deserving artists. Today I am thrilled to feature Jamie Anderson, who earned two awards this year!

The first win I feature is 'Best Spiritual/Blues/Jazz/Instrumental Song', a category that spans several genres, all of which you can find in my music collection. There were several incredible submissions, and giving us five outstanding nominees. The list included Shawn Thomas with "Still Speaking", Anna Gutmanis and her single "Lately It's Cold", Norine Braun's "Lightning Strikes Twice", and Shawn Thomas' second nominated performance, "I'm Alive". I am pleased to announce the award went to Jamie Anderson and her ethereal, "Black and White". Anderson released the album 'Dare' in 2013, which included the winning song, which was named 'Best Spiritual/Blues/Jazz/Instrumental Song'. Please enjoy Jamie Anderson's "Black and White".

You can find "Black and White" on the 2013 release, 'Dare'. You can purchase the album from iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon.

The second award was given for 'Best Performance in a Live Video'. This was tough competition, with many strong submissions. After the judging, the list was winnowed down to great nominations from FlyKINGi for "At the Roxbury", Avi Wisnia with his lovely "Sky Blue Sky - Live at The Michener", Andrew Suvalsky performing in "Live at Jazz @ Kitano in New York", and Rev. Yolanda with a great turn in "@The Duplex". I am pleased to report Jamie Anderson picked up her second win of the competition with "Her Problem Now", a great performance which also featured musician Mark Russell. The song manages to combine just the right mount of humor, bluesy grit, and honesty to make it a sure winner. And it also makes you think twice about ever dating a singer/songwriter, if you know what I mean. After all, who really wants a break up to earn your ex an award? While that might be true, it is my honor to introduce you to "Her Problem Now".

You can find "Her Problem Now" on the EP 'Better Than Chocolate'. Jamie is an American who now makes Ottawa her home base. 'Better Than Chocolate' can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. If you need a bit more temptation, you can get a FREE DOWNLOAD of "Her Problem Now" by visiting her website, and clicking on the song, one of many available courtesy of the kind artist. To learn more about Jamie, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook.

Marlee and Tully developed RightOutTV to help LGBT artists with promotion, as a way of giving back to the community. The couple are also a musical duo, making up Sugarbeach. They were kind enough to ask me to participate in the awards for the last few years as a judge. To learn more about RightOutTV, visit the RightOutTV website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook.

2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards • Best Performance In A Live Video & Best Comedy Video

I am pleased to showcase the recent winners of the 2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards, pointing a spotlight on a few of the many talented members of the LGBT community making music. This year, awards were given in 18 different categories, with 17 different acts receiving them. The awards are given by RightOutTV, a website founded by Marlee Walchuck and Tully Callender. The website promotes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender artists, allowing a platform for their voices to be heard, and a place for those wanting to support them to visit on a regular basis. “If you watch the awards show you’ll see that we don’t just promote and award these artists because they’re gay. These are high-level, multi-talented, professionals with star quality,” says Marlee Walchuk, co-producer of the awards. “Even though most of these artists are not being heard on mainstream radio yet, they deserve every success enjoyed by their straight counterparts."

I continue this series by offering you some more great videos, the first of which is the one that was named Best Live Video. That honor went to Summer Osborne's "Grace". I first learned of Summer's music when she was nominated for a RightOutTV Music & Video Award in 2011, as well as 2012. I instantly loved her voice, so rich and sure, I had to check out more of her music. I now have a couple of her albums in my collection, including her latest, 'As I Am'. One of the tracks off the album, "Grace" is the source of Summer's 2013 nomination and win when she submitted a video of the singer/songwriter performing it live. The song shows a strength of craft, for it is a beautifully written song that is performed to perfection. This is Summer Osborne with her award-winning video for "Grace".

"Grace" can be found on the album 'As I Am', which can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. The album is truly wonderful, and I would highly recommend it. To learn more about Summer Osborne, visit the official website. You can also 'follow' her on Twitter, and 'like' her on Facebook.

I have to be honest and say that when I saw the sinner of the category for Best Comedy Video, I had no idea who it was. I didn't judge any of the videos, and wasn't familiar with I'Wante, so I had to do a little bit of research. I'Wante is a comic rapper born in North Carolina who counts among his influences Chris Rock, Nicki Minaj, Weird Al Yankovic, Queen, and Lauryn Hill. He loves combining comedy and Hip-Hop, conveying his comedy through musical stories. And such is the case with his wining entry, "Niggah Please I Want Tiffany's & Co." I will mention that some might see his language as explicit or just wrong, but others will se it for the humor it is meant to be. So this is I'Wante with "Niggah Please I Want Tiffany's & Co.".

"Niggah Please I Want Tiffany's & Co." can be found on the album 'Fifty Shades of Gay', which can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. To learn more about I'Wante, visit the official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.