Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Producer, Manager- Peter Asher
The 2022 NAMM Technical Excellence and Creativity Awards (TEC) were held on Saturday, June 4, at the Hilton Hotel in Anaheim, California.
Because of the pandemic, this year was a reunion as we returned to the live, in-person NAMM show. It was brought back to life with an emphasis on safety and security.
Actor, comedian, and musician Fred Armisen returned as the host of the awards. He was witty and funny, especially when playing a selection of world musical styles on guitar. He’s a gifted performer and kept us all laughing.
Well-known producer, manager, and musician Peter Asher was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, while legendary Bassist Carol Kaye received the Les Paul Innovation Award.
Peter Asher has been in the music industry since the 1960s, first as one-half of the singing duo Peter and Gordon, then as a manager and producer of many entertainers. He has worked with The Beatles, Chad and Jeremy, James Taylor, and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few. He also recently toured with Jeremy Clyde, from Chad and Jeremy, in a duo named Peter and Jeremy.
Asher, the recipient of three Grammy Awards, talked about the creative innovations of tonight’s winners and how they would have seemed like “pure science fiction” back in the 1960s.
He spoke fondly of the artists he had worked with and ended his address with an audience participation song: “A World Without Love,” which was a number one hit in 1968. He played his guitar and sang and asked the audience to sing along, leading to enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation.
Telefunken Elecktroakustik-winners of the Microphones – Recording category
When it came time to give Carol Kaye her Innovation Award, it was announced that Ms. Kaye could not attend tonight’s ceremony. Many of us were very disappointed. A film describing her career was shown. She is one of the most recorded artists, appearing on over 10,000 recordings.
The Beat Goes On, Good Vibrations, Wichita Lineman, These Boots are Made for Walking. These are just a few of the many hit recordings that carry Carol Kaye’s distinctive bass sound. She started session work as a guitarist, a talented performer, and a teacher, switching to bass when the studio needed to fill a spot. She has worked with Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, and even Les Paul. Carol helped pave the way for women in the music industry, a business that was then largely male-dominated. She became a legend and worked with artists Herb Alpert, Glen Campbell, the Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, and The Monkees.
During the 60’s ad ’70s, Carol began recording for television and movies. She can be heard on the soundtracks of Mission Impossible, Shaft, and Quincy Jones movies. She has authored more than 27 bass instructional books and videos.
Congratulations to Peter Asher and Carol Kaye on their prestigious awards.
For the actual TEC Awards, there are 28 categories and winners. This year, three companies received two awards each. They were Genelec, Presonus, and Universal Audio.
Actor, Comedian and Musician – Fred Armisen
Other winners in Processing Software were iZotope’s Rx8, and in Microphones – Recording, Telefunken Elektroakustik’s TF11 FET.
Our congratulations to the finalists and winners of the 2022 TEC Awards.
BackStage360 would like to thank NAMM and its Board of Directors for graciously allowing our presence and for its dedication to music.
View a complete list of the 2022 TEC Award Winners
Cammazz / BackStage360
Actor, Comedian and Musician – Fred Armisen