New York Music Awards

The New York Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony and live concert, established in 1986 with its first sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States. It ran for six years with annual sold-out shows at the Beacon Theater, and then four years through 1996 with awards announced but not presented at one specific ceremony and venue.

The New York Music Awards was established by Robbie Woliver and Marilyn Lash to celebrate New York City and its music after they lost the lease to their legendary and influential Greenwich Village music venue Folk City. The concerts were produced by Chip Quigley and Overland Entertainment.

The New York Music Awards celebrates New York-born-and-raised and NY-based/NY-identified artists and their recordings. Nominees include major label and indie label artists as well as unsigned and rising artists. The NYMAs introduced "new" artists such as Whitney Houston, Madonna, L.L. Cool J, Vanessa Williams, Joan Osborne, Mary J. Blige, and has been credited for first introducing rap & hip hop to the mainstream.

Up-and-coming and established artists in more than 50 different musical categories were honored each year in exciting award presentations featuring unforgettable performances by the best in the industry. Nominations and voting are done by a process that includes open nominations and finalist voting by music journalists and music industry representatives, along with a public vote. Critically acclaimed, the prestigious New York Music Awards was called "Better than the Grammys" by The New York Times and the "best" and "most trendsetting" awards show by the New York Daily News.

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