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17.10.01

Welsh Record Industry Awards 2001

The Welsh Record Industry Awards, or the writs, will showcase and celebrate the wealth of creativity and talent in the ever-expanding Welsh music industry.

The ceremony will recognise and highlight the achievements of Welsh acts and provide an unprecedented and unique performance platform for developing Welsh talent.

the writs will be held on November 27th at the Cardiff International Arena. It will have the biggest array of welsh talent at a music event ever hosted within the Principality.

The announcement of the Writ Awards nominations took place at a launch party in the Cardiff Hilton today, presented by Lucy Cohen. Writs Organisor, Peter Phillips said, "From its Rock and Roll roots to Shirley and Tom, on to The Manics, The Stereophonics, through Cool Cymru and beyond, Welsh popular music has always done more than just hold its own on the World stage, and now we are going to shout about it."

the writs will raise funds for The Dyscovery Trust - a charity that assists children with learning difficulties such as Dyspraxia. A number of high profile acts and personalities will be attending to perform and present awards at the ceremony. A few surprise faces will also be there on the night.

Production unlimited, with experience of the Brit Awards, Party in the Park, and Tour Managers for some of the Worlds leading rock Bands, have been commissioned to transfer their talents and undoubted experience to this event. Gary Walliss responsible for many of Tom Jones leading events has been appointed as Musical Director.

The nominations for the writs categories are:

BEST LIVE ACT
Feeder
Super Furry Animals
Stereophonics
Tom Jones

BEST MALE SOLO ARTIST
Michael Ball
Matthew Jay
Tom Jones
Christopher Rees

BEST FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Charlotte Church
Sian James
Cerys Matthews
Bonnie Tyler

Wales on Sunday BEST GROUP AWARD
(voted for by the readers of Wales on Sunday)
Feeder
Stereophonics
Super Furry Animals
Manic Street Preachers

Red Dragon FM BEST SINGLE AWARD
(Voted for by the listeners of Red Dragon FM)
'Stone by Stone' by Catatonia
'Ocean Spray' by Manic Street Preachers
'Have a Nice Day' by Stereophonics
'Juxtaposed With U' by Super Furry Animals

Listeners can vote up to the 31 October via the www.reddragonfm.co.uk

BEST ALBUM (sponsored by Swansea Sound and The Wave)
'How I long to Feel that Summer in My Heart', Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
'Know Your Enemy', Manic Street Preachers
'Just enough Education to Perform', Stereophonics
'Rings Around the World' Super Furry Animals

(Voted for by listeners of Swansea Sound and The Wave)

And now something a bit unusual. In the late fifties and early sixties Rock and Roll had stronger roots in Wales than anywhere else in the UK. When traditional Rock and Roll was struggling to survive in the seventies, even in places like Memphis, it kept going strong here in Wales, and still does. the writs are reflecting this with:

THE 20th CENTURY ROOTS AWARD
Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers
Rockin Louie
The Class of '58
John Lewis

BEST DANCE AWARD
Hybrid
Jean Jacques Smoothie
The Urban Poets
Tystion

BEST WELSH PRODUCER
Dave Edmunds
Greg Haver
Richard Jackson
Owen Morris

BEST WELSH LANGUAGE ACT
Melys
Pep le Pew
Tystion
Zabrinski

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT

To be announced at the writ Award Ceremony

BEST EMERGING ACT
The Lost Phophets
Matthew Jay
MC Mabon
Terris

BEST UNSIGNED ACT (In conjunction with HTV's 'Shotgun Slideshow' programme).

On 1 November, the judges will announce 6 nominees who will all have been invited to play at a separate event at The Barfly, Cardiff on the night before the writs. Entry is free if you have a ticket for The Writs. The winner will be picked at that event and go on and play live at the writs to a worldwide audience via a webcast, another first for an award event. Celtic Underground Music and Jump Start Recordings are also supporting this award. The Winner will be offered a recording contract and the runners-up will be given distribution deals via their website and web radio.

The general public are welcome to attend the event and tickets are on sale at Cardiff Box Office on 029 2022 4488. You could be sat with amongst the stars and have a VIP table at the event.

There are also some remaining sponsorship opportunities available with Whitbread Walker.