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Winery Music Awards Judges & Show Hosts

Look Who’s Judging This Year’s Winery Music Awards
The Winery Music Awards is not a popularity contest—it is a true competition that recognizes and rewards real music talent. That’s why we’ve collected a panel of knowledgeable people in the fields of music, entertainment and wine marketing. They know talent when they see it and hear it and understand the meaning, and power, of the word “marketability.”

Judging Music—Not an Easy Task. That’s Why We Break It Down.
Who’s to say one person’s art is better than another’s. It’s all in the eye, or ear, of the beholder. But since we enjoy a good competition and want to reward what is generally acknowledged among experts to be outstanding work, we created the fairest system of music judging that we can think of. No popularity contest, no audience voting that can be biased by who has more fans in the seats, no long-distance television voting—only the measured opinions from people who know music, entertainment, and the wine-consuming market.

Artists are judged and measured in the categories of Originality, Musicianship and Marketability to the wine-consuming market. Each Judge awards points in the three categories, a total of 30 points each in originality and musicianship, and 40 for marketability. Each Judge submits his or her own point score in confidence to the Scoring Compiler and the top scoring artist of the Round moves on to the Final concert competition in October. The winner is announced on stage within minutes after the end of the Round.

The Hosts

Meet The Co-Hosts of the 2007 Winery Music Awards: Andrew Firestone and Janie Terrazas

Andrew Firestone Andrew Firestone is the son of pioneering Santa Barbara vintner Brooks Firestone and helps lead one of California’s most successful winery and brewery enterprises. In January of 2007, Andrew opened Firestone Vineyard in Paso Robles, making him the newest member of the Paso Robles wine making community. “Andrew has the right combination of talent and experience for hosting the 2007 Winery Music Awards,” says Kathy Kelly, Winery Music Awards producer. “His hands-on work in his family’s Central Coast vineyard and winery and a unique experience as a contestant in TV’s “The Bachelor” competition make him the perfect choice to host our show. Andrew can relate to being in the spotlight on a national stage, which will be appreciated by both our artists and audience.” Today, Andrew represents Firestone Family Estates in a spectrum of sales and marketing-related activities, a role that enables him to work closely with his older brother Adam in managing the family enterprise. “I am excited about being an integral part of the 2007 Winery Music Awards competition. I am passionate about both music and wine and, being a member of the Paso Robles wine community, it is a great way to introduce a whole new audience to the wine country lifestyle! Food, wine, music, a chance for an undiscovered band to gain national recognition, all set in one of the most beautiful places in the world...... what could be better?”

Janie Terrazas Janie Terrazas is a Los Angeles-based model and professional TV host and an experienced actress who hosted her first television show in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 15. She has hosted a wide range of professional events and presentations--from television shows to charity events--getting opportunities to interview high-profile celebrities, professional athletes, and musicians. Janie has also worked as a professional dancer / choreographer and continues to work as a fitness model. “I am thrilled to be involved in the next Winery Music Awards competition. The idea of creating a showcase for original music talent inside a beautiful winery atmosphere is a winning combination. I also like the possibility of discovering the next Platinum-selling artist!,” “Janie has accomplished quite a bit in the short amount of time she’s been in Los Angeles,” says Kathy Kelly, Producer of the Winery Music Awards competition. “Her charisma, quick-wit, work ethic, and down-to earth personality have all attributed to her success as an on-air personality. I chose Janie also because I see her personality matching well with her co-host, Andrew Firestone.”

The Judges

	Jon Anderson Best known for over three decades as lead singer for the legendary super-group YES, there can be no doubt that Jon Anderson has one of the most instantly recognizable voices in popular music. With his angelic vocals and unique brand of cosmic/spiritual lyrics at the fore, YES produced Classics such as "I've Seen All Good People", "Roundabout", "Close to the Edge", "Awaken" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart". The band's well-earned Reputation for musical excellence propelled millions of album sales and countless sold-out concerts worldwide, and to this day a huge fan base remains deeply passionate about YES music. Outside of YES, Jon has teamed up for successful collaborations with Vangelis and Kitaro. He has also released over a dozen groundbreaking solo albums that have allowed him to explore his own brand of rock, new- age and world music. In recent years, Jon Anderson has taken his acclaimed one-man solo "Tour of the Universe" around the globe. In 2007, he performed a series of concerts with students of The Paul Green School of Rock. An artist of seemingly endless energy, Jon often ventures beyond rock music to express himself. His many projects include storytelling, multimedia, and composing for dance theatre. Jon is also an accomplished painter and has frequently sold original art to support charities around the world Including UNICEF.
	Chris Andrews Chris Andrews is an entrepreneur, producer, consultant, and author. He's an internationally recognized pioneer in digital media and internet publishing, and combines it with his love of music. He worked with the Grammy Awards for 10 years, including being the head of business development and executive producer of the Grammy Webcast. He managed Jazz artist Taylor Eigsti, who recently got nominated for two Grammy Awards. He was the Personal Coach for R&B singer Vickie Natale, when she was crowned "Champion of Champion" of Star Search. He is the author of the widely-read book "The Education of a CD-ROM Publisher - An Insiders History of Electronic Publishing." Mr. Andrews will soon be releasing his next project, IdeaFreak.com, a website for people who are passionate about their ideas.
	Antonia Bennett Since the age of four, Antonia Bennett has been gracing the stage and serenading audiences internationally alongside her world-renowned father, Tony Bennett. In fact, some of those early performances were with the legendary American jazz icon Count Basie. Having spent most of her life in Los Angeles and New York City and coming from a show business family, Antonia Bennett was surrounded by and received praise from such greats as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Rosemary Clooney, Les Paul and Ella Fitzgerald, so it was inevitable that she would be infected with a passion for the arts. Antonia Bennett has performed in opera houses, casinos, jazz clubs and amphitheaters worldwide. Her beauty, sweetness and timeless qualities are reminiscent of the great female jazz vocalists of the twentieth century. A rising star, she continues to dazzle crowds around the globe time and time again with her unique and ever-alluring voice.
	John Braheny Is a top consultant/coach for songwriters and music industry entrepreneurs and a music journalist. His best selling book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting, has sold over 70,000 copies and is widely recognized as the songwriters “bible.” John’s music career has taken him from classical violinst to solo folk performer to songwriter and recording artist and commercial jingle composer/producer. He and Len Chandler founded the legendary Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase, a national non-profit songwriters organization that, until 1996, provided education and discovery opportunities for thousands of songwriters including Warren Zevon, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsay Buckingham, Stephen Bishop and Diane Warren, the most successful contemporary songwriter, John co-hosted Samm Brown’s For the Record, the Los Angeles music industry radio talk show on KPFK-FM, for several years. He’s been president of the California Copyright Conference and has served on the boards of the Recording Academy (The Grammy Organization), National Academy of Songwriters and the Songwriters Guild. He’s taught songwriting and music business classes at a variety of schools including Musicians Institute and UCLA Extension and conducts seminars for colleges and organizations throughout the country From 1998-2005 he interviewed 55 hit songwriters and producers for United Airlines In-flight Entertainment audio channels. He’s also a screener and consultant for TAXI.com, the world’s top independent A&R company.
	Roy Braverman Roy Braverman’s life revolves around the world of music and sound, and he has attained creative and technical excellence in a number of diverse disciplines. Besides having expertise in the latest sound technologies, Roy is also a brilliantly talented musician. He has played keyboards for a number of bands, including a tour with The Captain & Tennille. Combining his many talents, Mr. Braverman has also written, performed and produced a number of his own songs, receiving outstanding critical acclaim. In various media, Roy’s efforts have garnered him numerous awards including a Silver Microphone, several Golden Reels, multiple Emmy awards and a host of nominations. His present company, “Bravermania,” features a compilation of his talents and a prestigious network of industry experts, capable of taking on any facet of sound, music, video and multimedia projects.
	Elizabeth Brooks Elizabeth Brooks began her career as a club DJ in Boston, NYC, and Paris, eventually becoming a senior A&R and marketing executive at UK and US labels including Virgin Records and Sony Music. In these roles Elizabeth had the privilege of working with artists including Moby, David Gray, Bon Jovi, Michelle Shocked, Fiona Apple, John Mellencamp, and many talented others both known and unknown. In the late 1990's, she was bitten by the digital music bug and accepted a position as Vice President, Marketing, at a then fledgling software company called Napster, Inc. Elizabeth remained at Napster, overseeing a brand and product which grew from one million to seventy million registered users in nine months, until moments before the lights went out; she then joined Bertelsmann's publishing division, BMG Songs,Inc., as Vice President, Creative. After BMG, Elizabeth went to Buy.com as Senior Vice President, Business Development, overseeing all content development and licensing across the Buy network of companies. As the mobile content market began to explode, Elizabeth was instrumental in the launch and branding of GoTV Networks, the primary provider of original video content to US wireless carriers, as Executive Vice President, Marketing. Ms. Brooks is now a senior marketing executive and consultant, currently acting as interim CMO to a Lightspeed-backed wireless networking start-up in Mountain View, California.
	Tom Cartwright Tom Cartwright, President of record label RNB Entertainment, is a twenty-plus-year veteran of Capitol Recordsand EMI Music. A current NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) member and former vice president of marketing, Tom has worked with a variety of artists and projects including the Beach Boys, Pat Benatar, David Bowie, Al Green, Ronnie Laws, Nils Lofgren, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, Leon Russell, George Thorogood, Bobby Womack, and many others. Tom was most recently co-executive producer of Al Green’s latest “comeback” albums.
	Michael Caruso Michael Caruso studied both music and theatre at the world renowned American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. Since then, he has scored three gold records, one each for publishers Homegrown Music, Sony Music Publishing and The Geffen Music Group. "Love Is" recorded by Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight, was nominated for a Grammy in the best of R & B vocal category and recently earned Michael a special citation of achievement from BMI for garnering two million broadcast performances. Caruso also landed three cuts on the Rita Coolidge album "Thinkin' About You" and the hit single "Runaway Love" for Chris LeDoux's Capitol Records /CD "One Road Man". Michael resides in Los Angeles, CA where he continues to work as a producer, songwriter and music consultant for Mark Friedman of the Chrysalis Music Group. He is collaborating with rising stars, Aubrey Collins, Still Standing and Bill Champlin (lead singer and keyboard player of Chicago). Michael co-wrote 2 songs on Bill's solo record coming out later this year. Michael also co-wrote 1 song for Sons of Champlin, Hip 'Lil Dreams CD. His songs have been recorded by Joan Jett Terri Nunn of Berlin, Lita Ford, Maura O'Connell, Pam Rose, and The Dells Michael also co-writes and works with Paul Williams and Eric Bazilian and has cuts with Randy Sharp.
	Timothy Drury Born and raised in Los Angeles, Timothy has been heard as a composer or player on countless TV shows including productions on PBS, A&E, VH-1, MTV, E!, The Leno Show, ESPN, The Letterman Show, KCET, Saturday Night Live, and ABC In Concert. He began playing the piano at age six. He grew up in an atmosphere of creativity and the arts (his father, James Drury, played "The Virginian" on the popular NBC television series in the Sixties) and was constantly on the set or traveling on promotional tours with his father at a very young age. Timothy got his first big break when Don Henley hired him to play keyboards on his End of the Innocence tour in 1989. Since then, he's been on non-stop tour of the world as a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist for bands such as the Eagles, Bryan Adams, Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks and now, the legendary Whitesnake. In 2000 Don Henley released a single from his "Inside Job" CD which was co-written with Timothy, "Everything Is Different Now", and in 2001, Stevie Nicks released another co-write, "That Made Me Stronger", which was produced by Sheryl Crow (Timothy's old touring friend from the Don Henley band).
	Bob Engel Bob is President of Variety Artists International. Bob started in the music industry as a booking agent 30 years ago in Minneapolis and moved to LA in l977 to open up the west coast office of Variety Artists International. Fifteen years ago, the company left LA to set up headquarters in the Central Coast. Bob, now President of the Company, has represented big name artists over the years such as Tom Waits, John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, Pure Prairie League, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and now some of the hottest smooth jazz artists in the country.
	Jake Hooker Jake’s companies, Edge Management & Hook Entertainment, produce records, television shows, movies, videos and are heavily involved in licensing. Branding, marketing and special live events. Since 1980, the companies have also been involved in personal management and music consulting, after being originally formed to manage publishing and songwriting. Besides being a respected executive, Jake Hooker is also an Oscar and Grammy award winning songwriter having written “I Love Rock N Roll,” one of the greatest hits of all time, according to both Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines. The song has been covered by many artists, including Joan Jett and Britney Spears creating worldwide sales in excess of 30 million records. Jake also has written and produced many hits for various soundtracks, including, Flashdance, Top Gun, Rocky 4, Iron Eagle, Wayne’s World, Charlie’s Angels (The Movie), Ghost World, Story Telling, etc. In all, Jake’s songs have sold well over 100 million records, or a staggering $1.6 Billion in retail sales. Past and present management clients include Rick Derringer, Eddie Money, Edgar Winter, The Knack and Al Jardine, among others.
	David Hunt Winemaker and owner of Hunt Cellars in Paso Robles, David was playing in show bands, recording music, and writing on piano in his early teens. He has played with accomplished artist David Benoit, recorded with rock group Ambrosia and was twice a Finalist in the American Songwriting Festival. Demonstrating his passion for both music and wine, many of David’s wines are appropriately given music-inspired names, such as Rhapsody in Red, Good Vibrations and Moonlight Sonata. Hunt Cellars was founded on the philosophy of producing wines that you will look forward to simply sipping by a cozy fireplace or pairing with your favorite meals to enhance that special event or moment in time.
	Stacie Jacob Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA), Stacie Jacob is a communications professional whose focus is on industry programs that create greater awareness for the Paso Robles Wine Country. Previously, Jacob served nearly four years as the public relations director for the Washington Wine Commission. She was instrumental in helping build awareness for Washington State wines in national and international markets by focusing on communications and branding programs while working alongside Washington State’s vintners and wine grape growers. Jacob served as an industry spokesperson, developed regional and national communication programs and guided a variety of promotional programs. As executive director, Stacie oversees a million dollar budget, incorporating programs in member relations, marketing and public relations.
	Adam LaZarre Adam is VP and Winemaker at Hahn Estates/Smith & Hook Winery of Monterey. He has spent most of his 14 years in the wine industry on the Central Coast and is currently featured on a new television show on wine. Prior to his current vocation, Adam spent a number of years in the Upstate New York club scene as a musician.
	Kenny Lee Lewis Kenny has been a regular touring member, producer and writer for The Steve Miller Band since 1982. An accomplished studio guitarist and bassist for over 30 years, a few of Kenny's credits include B.B. King, Eddie Money, Dave Mason, Billy Preston, Meatloaf, Boz Scaggs, Brian Wilson, and Steve Stills. Credited as one of the songwriters who gave Steve Miller "personality,"* Kenny Lee Lewis chose to stay in the background by composing for other artists. His "Cool Magic" on the Steve Miller Band's Abracadabra album reached Billboard's Hot 100 chart and his co-produced "Shangri-La" on Italian X-Rays was described as "the LP's standout track." More recently, Kenny's co-produced "Why Can't I Fall in Love" has become a college cult favorite off the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack album and his "Midnight Train" was picked as a single on The Steve Miller Band's 1993 Wide River album. Numerous songwriting credits appear on such labels as A&M, Capitol, Elektra, ABC/MCA, BMG, Sony, Warner, and UA/EMI. Other movie soundtrack credits include Protocol, Spring Break, Iron Eagle, and Night of the Comet.
	Cynthia Lohr An experienced ethnic vocalist, Cynthia has performed in 19 languages and released several recordings of Eastern European Women’s Folk Music with Bay Area musical groups Kitka, Savina, and Jou Jou, and her music has appeared in the movie Jacob’s Ladder. She is currently recording an album of diverse acapella music with her group Flying Without Instruments. Cynthia has devoted herself to Eastern European and African music and beyond, performing with noted Bay Area ensembles KITKA and Savina, as well as Afro-funk band Wazobia. Forever drawn to dissonant, emotive harmonies and myriad languages and their customs, Cynthia has in recent years performed with Jou Jou ("plaything" in French), D'Yara ("daughters of the sun" in the Slavic language), global favorite Irina Mikhailova and celebrated Arabic violinist, singer and composer Georges Lammam. At J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Cynthia works with a devoted marketing and sales team to maximize visibility for J. Lohr’s highly-regarded wine portfolio through advertising, public relations, editorial, promotional, Web marketing and other strategic efforts. Prior to joining the family business five years ago, Cynthia devoted the bulk of her professional career to the development of strategic marketing programs for technology and Internet tools companies. As vice president at AlexanderOgilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Cynthia’s division served clients including Covad Communications, TurboLinux, HomePNA, iPIX, Preview Systems, and led the launch of ‘neighborhood automation’ pioneer Vicinium Systems. In 1997, Cynthia helped launch data analysis tool Alexa Internet and directed all communications efforts through the company’s acquisition by Amazon.com in 1999.
	Ruth McCartney CEO of McCartney Music and Multimedia Inc., Ruth is a respected music industry veteran, communications expert and strategist with a strong marketing, cross-promotions, and entrepreneurial background. As co-founder of McCartney Multimedia, Inc, Ruth has developed working relationships with significant leisure industry leaders around the world including Capitol Records, MGM/ Mirage, American Express Travel, Morey Management, Dodge, Warner Bros and British Telecom. MMI is a creative solutions provider which has designed custom Flash, HTML , eCRM and e-commerce presences for clients such as Clint Black, Richie Sambora, David Cassidy, Paula Abdul, America, Andrew Gold, Steve Tyrell, Oleta Adams, REO Speedwagon, Jessica Biel and others. Ruth's brainchild is the online Customer / Fan acquisition and retention, tool iFANZ.com. iFANZ.com technology provides online data management, eCRM, and email broadcasting and compliance. In her formative years in Liverpool, UK, she assisted at home in sorting, filing and replying to fan correspondence addressed to her step-brother Sir Paul, as well as helping her mother Angie create The Wings Fun Club in 1972.
	Gary Portnoy Gary is best known for co-writing and singing “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”, the theme from the hit television series “Cheers”. Thanks to that song (as well as the themes to “Punky Brewster” and “Mr. Belvedere” among others) Gary was honored by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) for having composed the most performed television themes for six consecutive years. Gary is a two-time Emmy nominee, for the Cheers theme and for “I Still Believe In Me”, a song he co-wrote for an episode of “Fame”. His songs have been recorded and performed by a diverse group of notables including Dolly Parton, Air Supply, Phish and Leon Redbone. In addition, Gary’s self-titled album on Columbia Records was recently re-issued on CD by Sony Japan. Over the years Gary has made occasional television appearances, including one on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and, most recently, on the 2006 TV LAND Awards.
	Marc Rashba Marc Rashba jumped into the business early on in his career by helping produce one major children's act known for their high pitch vocals. They were Alvin and the Chipmunks and Marc was a driving force behind the platinum hit CD Chipmunks in Low Places. Marc also worked with such artists as Billy Ray Cyrus, Alan Jackson and Tanya Tucker. He ran the catalog marketing area for EMI Music Group and oversaw the release of everything from Beatles 1 to Beach Boys Pet Sounds to Poison's Greatest Hits. Currently, Marc is Vice President of Marketing at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and has used his music background to work on movie specials and soundtrack re-issues of Easy Rider, Stand By Me, among others. Marc is partial to Syrah wine.
	Diane Steinberg-Lewis In a career that spans over two decades, she has starred in both feature films and hit television shows including Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, NBC-TV's variety series "Top Ten" hosted by nationally syndicated radio personality Rick Dees, Don Kirschner's "Midnight Special" and the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. She has also appeared with or sang back up for A-list recording artists including Rod Stewart, Lalo Shifrin, Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Paul McCartney and the Steve Miller band. A platinum album recipient, Steinberg Lewis has also been a recording artist for Atlantic Records, ABC, RSO and Word Records, A&M Rejoice Label. As a composer, her musical credits include "Secrets," recorded by Natalie Cole, "The Wish" and "The Merchant Song" for jazz great Cleo Lane, and the theme for A&E's long-running standup comedy show "An Evening at the Improv. In 1990, she won the Kodak Award for Songwriting.
	Jeffrey Weber Jeffrey Weber is a twenty-eight year music industry professional. He has produced over 150 CDs with releases on just about every major label as well as a host of independent labels. Along the way, his projects have yielded two Grammys, seven Grammy nominations, at least seventeen top ten albums, two number one albums and an assortment of other honors. He has founded, ran or participated in various label capacities from A&R, Music Supervision for film and TV, Production, Interactive Programming, Marketing, Sales, International Relations, Business Affairs and Art Director for independent labels such as Discwasher Records, Prima Records, Beach Jazz, Agenda Records, Denon Records, Handshake Records, Audio Source Records, Voss Records, Video Arts, Clear Audio, Pony Canyon, P.C.H. Records, En Pointe Records, Cameron Records as well as his own labels, Weberworks and Stark Raving Records. Jeff is a former member of the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) as well as a former National Trustee and Chapter Vice President.