By Larry Nager
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It's time for the "best of 2002": your list of Tristate musicians who made the best sounds.

The ballot for The Cincinnati Enquirer's seventh annual Cincinnati Area Pop Music Awards (the Cammys) is on here.

CAMMYS BALLOT

• Cast your Cammys vote

2002 WINNERS

JAZZ Band: Blue Wisp Big Band Instrumentalist: Cal Collins, guitar Vocalist: Eugene Goss BLUES/R&B Band: Kelly Richey Band Instrumentalist: Ricky Nye, piano Vocalist: Sonny Moorman ROCK Roots Rock Band: Pike 27 World Beat Band: Salsa Caliente Hard Rock Band: Jackass Instrumentalist: Newky Stapleton Vocalist: Ryan Adcock COUNTRY Band: StarDevils Instrumentalist: Ed Vardiman, guitar (StarDevils) Vocalist: Dallas Moore (Dallas Moore Band) FOLK/BLUEGRASS Band: Comet Bluegrass All Stars Instrumentalist: Ed Cunningham, mandolin, fiddle (Comet All Stars) Vocalist: Chris Collier URBAN/HIP-HOP Band: FreekBass Instrumentalist: Beta-17 (FreekBass) Vocalist: Chris Sherman (FreekBass) Songwriter: Mark Messerly and Brian Ewing Producer: Ric Hordinski Live musical event: Queen City Blues Fest (Bicentennial Commons) Favorite Band: Buckra

We've made some changes for 2003. After a year that saw a major punk revival and a garage-band boom, we've added two new awards to the Rock category: Garage-Rock/Power-Pop Band of the Year and Punk Band of the Year.

Another change: No one can win the same award two years in a row. The 2002 winners won't be eligible until 2004 in that particular category. This will allow new acts to break into the winner's circle.

The rest of the process remains the same. Readers may nominate anyone they choose. If that artist or band gets enough nominations, they become one of the three finalists in that category.

From those finalists, a broad committee of music, entertainment and media professionals vote on the winners.

To make the judging easier, nominees will be invited to perform at a finalists' showcase in February (details to be announced).

The Cammy Awards ceremony, March 9 at Jillian's in Covington, is an all-ages show. Tickets ($12.50 in advance) will go on sale in January.

Proceeds from ticket sales go to the Michael W. Bany Memorial Scholarship Fund, which aids area music students in pursuing their college educations. Grants are made to individual musicians as well as an annual $5,000 endowment to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music jazz studies program. The fund was organized by the family and friends of Mr. Bany, a popular local musician who was killed in a 1995 robbery.

The 2003 Cammy Awards will feature another new award, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Legacy Award, to be presented by Rock Hall president Terry Stewart.

E-mail lnager@enquirer.com