Make Your Voice Known

It's an annual event and you, our loyal readers, are what make it special.

Every year Urban Tulsa opens the polls to hear what our constituency considers the Absolute Best of Tulsa (something that we have appropriately called the ABoT awards) in everything from burgers and bars to clothing stores and groceries to arts and music. No category is too big or too small: if it's a part of the fabric of Tulsa, we let you vote on it.

As you'll notice in the next issue, the race for 2010 honors is on, and we're opening the polls next week to let our readers write in their nominations and favorites in every category. The voting goes on for two weeks, and we've got too many categories to even bother counting. For those who have been paying attention, however, will realize that something has changed throughout the past couple of years.

Beginning in 2009, Urban Tulsa picked up the slack to honor the best of Tulsa's local music scene with a separate ABoT Music Awards event.

The inaugural event was so successful that it's back this year (as if there was any question), with the actual awards ceremony planned for Thursday, August 5, at the historic Cain's Ballroom. Before anyone gets too excited, however, we need our nominees -- and that's where you come into play.

Unlike some other, previous, local music awards which shall remain nameless, we let our readers take control from beginning to end. So don't send me a string of nasty e-mails in June asking, "So how does a band get nominated, anyway?" All of our nominees are named by the artists' fans and Urban Tulsa readers. If you want your favorite band to be nominated and honored, the solution is simple: write them in and vote for them.

And for any bands out there that want to be recognized, you know what to do: rally the troops, gather your fans and tell them to vote. It really is that simple. Nominations can be made online at urbantulsa.com between May 6 and May 19. We'll then sort through the nominees and the top five (occasionally four) in each category will graduate to the final ballot with Music Awards voting to commence on June 10.

Make sure that you're sticking true to the categories, too. I mean, really people: Chuk Cooley and the Demon Hammers for best metal/hard rock band? Totally acceptable. But best jazz/new age artist? Let's get real. Write in your boys where they belong, not in every category: make it easy on yourselves and us.

With that issue clarified, it's now time for Tulsa's true music fans to step up and have their say.

The ABoT ballot is coming out and nominations open on May 6. Tell us who you believe is the Absolute Best in every category: from male and female vocalist to pop act, jazz artist or party/cover band to best live performance and best country, Christian and hard rock acts. We also want to know what our readers believe to be the best album, song and single of the year from our local musicians. If you listen to it, there should be a category for it -- from new age to Red Dirt/Americana.

The ABoT music awards are yours to own, Tulsa. The bands can campaign, but only those who know the local music scene and care enough to vote will make a difference. Start now by making your nominations, and we'll let you slug it out to settle who is the absolute best in the final rounds. Now is the time to make a difference, however. If you don't make the effort to nominate your favorite musicians, you can't complain if they are overlooked. Get ready to go to urbantulsa.com now and have your say.