Music Crowns are annual online music awards for unsigned musicians in the UK and Ireland promoting originality and creativity through the submission of music through the Music Crowns websites. Only original material is accepted for entry. There are currently two separate awards - the Rock Music Crown and the Urban Music Crown. In 2010 and 2011 there was also a Pop Music Crown.

Each genre has a committee of judges who select a final ten entrants who face a public vote to determine a winner in each category. The 2011 Urban Music Crown judges were named as Levi Roots

Levi Roots

Keith Valentine Graham , better known as Levi Roots, is a British-Jamaican reggae musician, television personality, celebrity chef, businessman and multi-millionaire currently residing in Brixton, South London.-Music:...

, Jamal 'Smokey Barz' Edwards of SB.TV, Justice Williams MBE and Ras Kwame

Ras Kwame

Ras Kwame is a British radio DJ and presenter. He started in the music industry as a club DJ playing hip hop, R&B and reggae in the early 1990s. He then moved on to promoting for Kiss100's groundbreaking Starlight Club night and the Mean Fiddler’s Subterranea Club, bringing over talent from the US...

. The 2011 Rock Music Crown judges consisted of Skin from Skunk Anansie, Jon Morter from the RATM 2009 Christmas Number One Campaign, Jeremy Glover (CEO of the Indy Music Awards) and Adam Ficek

Adam Ficek

Adam Ficek is an English musician who performs under the 'Roses Kings Castles' name, and was a song writer and member of Babyshambles....

. The 2011 Pop Music Crown committee consisted of Samantha Mumba

Samantha Mumba

Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,...

 and Lisa I'Anson

Lisa I'Anson

Lisa I'Anson is an English broadcaster and VJ. Her unusual surname is believed to be of Scandinavian origin.-Radio Broadcaster:...

 once more, who were joined by US group Ahmir and Mis-Teeq's Su-Elise Nash

Su-Elise Nash

Su-Elise Michelle Nash is a British singer that rose to fame in the now-defunct girl group Mis-Teeq.-Career:...

. During the 2011 judging process Lisa I'Anson

Lisa I'Anson

Lisa I'Anson is an English broadcaster and VJ. Her unusual surname is believed to be of Scandinavian origin.-Radio Broadcaster:...

 was forced to drop out being replaced with Liam Bailey

Liam Bailey

Liam Bailey is an English musician who has released two EPs; So Down, Cold and 2am Rough Tracks; Bailey also appeared on the Chase & Status single "Blind Faith" which was released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number five...

.

Notable former judges for the Music Crowns Awards include US platinum R&B star Montell Jordan

Montell Jordan

Montell Jordan is a former American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. Of his live performances it is often regarded that he is a rock oriented musician, with Jordan even going as far as to...

, former UB40 frontman Ali Campbell

Ali Campbell

Ali Campbell, , is a British singer, solo artist and songwriter and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.-Personal...

 and 2009 Mercury Prize

Mercury Prize

The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...

 winner Speech Debelle

Speech Debelle

Corynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...

.

Music Crowns Festival

The Music Crowns Festival took place at Weald Country Park

Weald Country Park

Weald Country Park is a 700-year-old, 500 acre country park in South Weald in the borough of Brentwood in the English county of Essex. It is on the north-east fringe of Greater London....

 in Brentwood

Brentwood, Essex

Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....

, Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

 with headline acts including: Stacey Solomon

Stacey Solomon

Stacey Solomon is a British singer, television presenter, model and reality TV star. She rose to fame during her time on the sixth series of The X Factor, coming third overall on the show...

, Fugative

Fugative

Fugative is a rapper and record producer from Essex, England. He worked with Kirk Burrowes for a week in April 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia the former manager of Mary J. Blige and co-founder of Bad Boy Records after Burrowes was contacted by Byart's mother Gloria who previously managed Marvin Gaye...

, Toploader

Toploader

Toploader are an English band from Eastbourne who formed in 1997, with over two million album sales to their name and a string of top 20 hits both home and abroad. Their debut album, Onka's Big Moka, sold over 1 million units and remained in the Top 5 of the UK album chart for over six months...

, McLean

McLean (singer)

McLean is an English singer from Dagenham, east London. He is currently signed to Asylum Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the US. His debut single "Broken" was released on 26 October 2009...

, Missing Andy

Missing Andy

Missing Andy are a British indie band based in Essex. The group comprises Alex Greaves, Jonathan Sharpe, Rob Jones, Steve Rolls and Elliot Richardson. The band's debut single "The Way We're Made " reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart and number 7 on the UK Indie Chart in September 2010, after...

 (also Rock Music Crown finalists 2010), Egypt and the Headphones and Heels DJs.

Due to adverse weather conditions not all of the acts were able to perform across the festival, with the Music Crowns Festival being called off within a few hours of opening on the second day.

Music Crowns Winners

The very first live presentation of all three Music Crowns trophies took place on 11 October 2010 from Cargo London in Shoreditch. The event was attended by a host of celebrities and headlined by MOBO Awards

MOBO Awards

The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....

 nominee, McLean

McLean

MacLean, McClean, or McLean can refer to:- Places :Australia* Maclean, New South Wales* Maclean Island, TasmaniaCanada* McLean Island , Nunavut* McLean, SaskatchewanUnited States of America...

.

Urban Music Crown

2010 Winner: Leo LeVox (Birmingham),
2011 Winner: Clapz Shizzayne (South London)

Rock Music Crown

2010 Winner: Messiah (Edinburgh),
2011 Winner: My Forever (Thirsk)

Pop Music Crown*

2010 Winner: Maria Marcial (Manchester),
2011 Winner: Ana Free

Ana Free

Ana Free is the stage name of Ana Gomes Ferreira, a singer, musician, songwriter and performer who has had a series of top-five hit singles, including a number one, in Portugal...

(London)

• The pop category has since been removed from the equation so just rock and urban now exist.

External links

• http://www.musiccrowns.co.uk
• http://www.urbanmusiccrown.co.uk
• http://www.rockmusiccrown.co.uk
• http://www.popmusiccrown.co.uk