Jammys

The Jammy Award (also known as the Jammys) are an awards show for bands typically called jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro. The Jammys are sponsored by Relix magazine, Jambands.com, and Shapiro. The Jammy Awards returned in 2008 to the WAMU Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The First Annual Jammy Awards were held on June 22, 2000 at Irving Plaza in New York City. The event was presented by Jambands.com and executive producers Peter Shapiro and Dean Budnick. Shapiro, who owns the Wetlands Preserve, is the publisher of Jambands.com. Budnick is editor in chief of Jambands.com and also co-hosted The Jammys with Peter Prince of Moon Boot Lover. The evening had two basic components: awards were presented in various categories and the scene's best bands performed sets of blistering music with special guests. The idea was originated nearly 10 months prior, with a conversation between Budnick and managers for various bands. John Topper from moe., Bob Kennedy from Deep Banana Blackout, and Darren Cohen from The Slip all mentioned doing something called "The Jammys" as an obvious play on "The Grammys."

Presenters included: Steve Bloom (High Times), Richard Gehr (The Village Voice), Lee Crumpton (Home Grown Music Network founder), Sam Kopper (first program director at WBCN in Boston, Phoenix Presents live engineer), John Scofield, Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone, VH1), Kirk West (The Allman Brothers Band archivist), and Jambands.com staff members.

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