2009 Japan Record Awards

[Uemarasan]

Supposedly, the most "prestigious" awards in Japanese music. But, really, how many damn times are they going to nominate W-inds year after year? And, how lovely, presenting the Japan Record Awards-nominated "LICK ME"! It just doesn't sound right, I tell you. Some class, please. Some class.

I predict another EXILE win. Kaori Mizumori, Ryoichi Higuchi, and Kiyoshi Hikawa deserve it more. GReeeeN should have been nominated for Best Song. I am GLAD to see more Japanese enka music getting nominated! J-pop just didn't do it for me this year.

In case you're wondering, Ayu removed herself from consideration after she won her third Grand Prize.

Best Song (Grand Prize) nominees:
"Aki no Miyajima" - Kaori Mizumori
"Infinity" - GIRL NEXT DOOR
"YELL" - Ikimono Gakari
"Omae wo Tsurete" - Daisuke Kitagawa
"Someday" - EXILE
"Stand by U" - TVXQ
"Tegami ~Shinai Naru Kodomotachi e~" - Ryoichi Higuchi
"Tokimeki no Rumba" - Kiyoshi Hikawa
"Mata Kimi ni Koi Shiteru" - Fuyumi Sakamoto
"Lick me" - Kumi Koda
"Rain Is Fallin'" - w-inds. x G-DRAGON (BIG BANG)

New Artist nominees:
Maya Sakura
SCANDAL
BIG BANG
Hilchryme

Album Award nominees:
"Ainowa" - Hanaregumi
"Sayuri IV" - Sayuri Ishikawa
"Shio, Kosho" - GReeeeN
"Box Emotions" - Superfly
"my Classics!" - Ayaka Hirahara

Best Album:
"Shio, Kosho" - GReeeeN

Best Singer:
Hiroshi Itsuki

Special Awards:
Alice
AKB48 / Yasushi Akimoto
Nobuyuki Tsujii

Source: Tokyograph

[Aditmi Krisnasaki ~II~]

aw...
too bad ayu isn't there...
why did he remove herself?
didn't she think if it's really good for her popularity..??
or maybe she wanted to give opportunity to other singers??
she's very kind...^^

[KarenPang]

Originally Posted by Aditmi Krisnasaki ~II~

aw...
too bad ayu isn't there...
why did he remove herself?
didn't she think if it's really good for her popularity..??
or maybe she wanted to give opportunity to other singers??
she's very kind...^^

she did that to give other artistes a chance if not she will be winning the same award over & over & over & over again

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by KarenPang

she did that to give other artistes a chance if not she will be winning the same award over & over & over & over again

This was just something that fans kind of assumed and ran with. But in actuality, there were political reasons behind the decision.

But anyways, this award really has become a joke the last several years.

[KarenPang]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

This was just something that fans kind of assumed and ran with. But in actuality, there were political reasons behind the decision.

But anyways, this award really has become a joke the last several years.

oh really so ? I didn't know about it

you have any clue as to how the nominees are determined for the Japan Record Awards ?

[*Petit*]

I looked up the artists I didn't know and WOW:

Sakura Maya, the 10 year old enka singer!?! Apparently she's really talented!



article from http://www.rokkyuu.com/reviews/music...n-sakura-maya/


A LITTLE BIT OF ENKA A LITTLE BIT OF LOLICON

Spoiler:

Enka. It seems every gent over a certain age in Japan responds to these soulful ballads of lost love and lingering pain: “You’ll understand with age, young man,” the wise, older salaryman advises.

But apparently girls mature faster—a lot faster. Meet Sakura Maya, 10, one of the most talked about new stars in the world of Japanese enka.

The “Enka Shojo” made her debut in 2008 with “Tairyo Matsuri,” and immediately there was talk of how this fiery Hokkaido girl had such a mature voice. She counts among her inspirations Misora Hibari, whose rich, sultry tones made her “Queen of Enka” until her death in 1989.

There is no doubt that Sakura Maya is insanely talented. The kid can sing. That, and she has such a sweet face. The discrepancy between her youthful appearance and the adult nature of her lyrics—songs about jilted love and hard luck—made her an instant media sensation.

In February 2009, she appeared on “Music Fair 21″ and sang a duet with a twenty-seven-year-old American enka singer (of Japanese and African American descent) named Jero, who was dubbed the “black ship” after his debut in 2008. Jero and Sakura sang “Moshikashite, Part II,” a song about budding romance. Staring into each other’s eyes, Jero sang what translates to, “You are so selfish, like a child! You are so cute!” (Jero was apparently embarrassed by this, but for the most part the audience loved it.)

Even though enka in the form of pop-ballad really only came into existence after WWII, some saw Jero and Sakura’s performance as the end of the genre of traditional enka music. The genre seems to be in deep decline, and the industry is grasping at gimmicks. Even Teichiku Entertainment, an agency renowned for its traditional enka lineup, has debuted DoHatsuTen, a bizarre enka-rock fusion group.

Sakura has found a niche for herself by marketing her youth. Media outlet Yomiuri Hochi rather unflatteringly referred to her as “loli enka.” Online, she appears on sites also promoting “junior idols,” a euphemism for girls aged two to twelve who appear in swimsuit videos and photo albums.

Perhaps Sakura is unsettling because she is a mainstream media star and also a lolicon idol. In all fairness, she isn’t the only one. The Japanese broadcasting corporation, NHK, is airing a show called “Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!” that features a cute little girl chef, who also stars in anime segments. Her tendency to look at the camera as she eats has earned the show a dedicated viewership among certain sectors.

But Sakura’s audience isn’t made up of only older enka fans or lolicon men. As her performance at Kiddy Land in Harajuku on April 30 demonstrates, she is drawing in a fair number of young girls who praise her and are inspired by her talent.

Being a young girl is a mixed blessing for Sakura. In 2000, Hikawa Kiyoshi swept the enka world with his incredible vocals, youthful energy, and good looks. He was 23, and scorned by many fans for being too young to sing enka. For better or worse, Sakura is instead praised for being young and female. Time will tell if talent alone can sustain her.

For all those fans out there, Sakura’s birthday is July 26, and there will be much revelry in Japan.

[jiarongisme]

Originally Posted by Aditmi Krisnasaki ~II~

aw...
too bad ayu isn't there...
why did he remove herself?
didn't she think if it's really good for her popularity..??
or maybe she wanted to give opportunity to other singers??
she's very kind...^^

Wasn't there a conflict back then with Max Matsuura and someone else? That's why she backed out from all the music awards?

[mcluva420]

BIG BANG is nominated!!

[hearted]

Originally Posted by mcluva420

BIG BANG is nominated!!

OMG i didnt even notice i have never lsitened to that w-inds song,, is it good?
edit: OH WAIT!!!! they are also nominated for new artist!!!! im still sleeping v____v OMG!!!! i hope they win!! they are pretty popular in japan now!

i really hope dbsk wins!!! they totally deserve something good

[TITANIC]

agree about w-inds but I love rain is falling out from all nominated songs.

[hpg23]

Japan Record Awards, yeah... I would really like to know how they get the winners and nominees, c'mon, Licke me? I smell Avex, baby.

There are some videos up on Youtube, but does anyone know how to download the whole show? At least the stage and presentations look awesome as always, and there's interesting performances to see. And apart from her horrid song, Kumi looked the best she's been that year.

Did anyone notice the Perfume moment, when one of them (don't know her name -_-) loost her shoe? She was sooooo cute, I love those fails xD

And SunshineSlayer, what do you mean by political reasons?

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by hpg23

Japan Record Awards, yeah... I would really like to know how they get the winners and nominees, c'mon, Licke me? I smell Avex, baby.

There are some videos up on Youtube, but does anyone know how to download the whole show? At least the stage and presentations look awesome as always, and there's interesting performances to see. And apart from her horrid song, Kumi looked the best she's been that year.

Did anyone notice the Perfume moment, when one of them (don't know her name -_-) loost her shoe? She was sooooo cute, I love those fails xD

And SunshineSlayer, what do you mean by political reasons?

I don't remember all the details - I would have to go and look up the original Japanese articles on the matter. But this was when Max and Ayu supposedly held up Avex's board of directors - Max and the president of the board were in conflict and either Max or that guy had to go. Ayu said that if Max went, she would leave with him. At that time Ayu made too much of Avex's money and so the board chose to oust the President. That is how Max became the President of Avex. In the aftermath of that, Ayu announced she would not accept anymore awards. Likely because no one would deem them legitimate anymore with Max now the President of Avex. I mean just look at the nominee list - could you imagine half these songs getting nominated at say the Grammy's or something? It's long been strongly rumored that the record labels have a hand in who gets nominated. Most award shows have become a public display of who the record companies are trying to promote and less of a real competition.

[Uemarasan]

^True, if you concentrate on the major awards and J-pop nominees ALONE, the awards look like a joke. But I will argue for the importance of an award show that tries to give equal weight to J-pop and enka as both relevant to the overall make-up of Japanese music even today. "Tries" being the operative word here, as it was thirteen years before they awarded the Grand Prize once more to an enka artist (Kiyoshi Hikawa in 2006). It's pretty shortsighted to imply that J-pop = Japanese music. What about enka? That's like pretending country music doesn't exist.

And look at the nominees for the album award! Sayuri Ishikawa! A classical album! It's a great list!

Anyway, I usually don't have a problem with the ultimate winner. They have a pretty good track record as the choice for the Grand Prize is usually deserving. It's the other J-pop nominess that boggles the mind. Compare the nominees this year to the nominees ten years ago. Now that was a year of quality!

"Ano kamihikoki kumori-zora watte" - 19
"Winter, again" - Glay
"Automatic" - Hikaru Utada
"Kita kaigan" - Toshimi Tagawa
"Suzuran" - Miyuki Kawanaka
"Dango san kyoudai" - Kentaro Hayami and Ayumi Shigenori
"Tsugaru no hana" - Yuri Harada
"Boys & Girls" - Ayumi Hamasaki
"Last Chance" - Something ELse
"Love Machine" - Morning Musume

Winner: "Winter, again" - Glay

Best Singer: Hiromi Go
Best Album: "First Love" - Hikaru Utada

Not to mention the less "newsworthy" awards that they hand out. Over the past few years, GREAT artists such as Rimi Natsukawa, Chitose Hajime, Kaori Mizumori, Kyogo Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Itsuki, Miyuki Nakajima, and Yo Hitoto have won the "smaller" awards.

It all depends on your perspective.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I don't remember all the details - I would have to go and look up the original Japanese articles on the matter. But this was when Max and Ayu supposedly held up Avex's board of directors - Max and the president of the board were in conflict and either Max or that guy had to go. Ayu said that if Max went, she would leave with him. At that time Ayu made too much of Avex's money and so the board chose to oust the President. That is how Max became the President of Avex. In the aftermath of that, Ayu announced she would not accept anymore awards. Likely because no one would deem them legitimate anymore with Max now the President of Avex. I mean just look at the nominee list - could you imagine half these songs getting nominated at say the Grammy's or something? It's long been strongly rumored that the record labels have a hand in who gets nominated. Most award shows have become a public display of who the record companies are trying to promote and less of a real competition.

thank you very much for this post.

[Ayumiko]

I'm really surprised to see lick me there...o_O

[AyUta]

Wait, did this start yet or is it coming up?

[Bigtop]

Yeah, I'm just wondering - when will the awards ceremony occur? And what TV channel?

[SunshineSlayer]

@Uemarasan I'm with you all the way. I have no problem with the Enka nominees. But the pop ones have looked pretty dubious for a number of years now. Notice also that despite how popular and well liked Johnny's groups are in Japan, they are never nominated. The reason, is probably because Johnny's aren't allowed to accept awards. SMAPs Sekai Hitotsu Dake no Hana would have definitely won, but just the fact that they are never part of the nominees shows that these awards aren't exactly the most comprehensive of things shall we say.

[Uemarasan]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

@Uemarasan I'm with you all the way. I have no problem with the Enka nominees. But the pop ones have looked pretty dubious for a number of years now. Notice also that despite how popular and well liked Johnny's groups are in Japan, they are never nominated. The reason, is probably because Johnny's aren't allowed to accept awards. SMAPs Sekai Hitotsu Dake no Hana would have definitely won, but just the fact that they are never part of the nominees shows that these awards aren't exactly the most comprehensive of things shall we say.

I agree. I think SMAP should have won or been nominated that year at the very least (although that would mean Ayu might not have won for No Way to Say, a song I will stick up for). And I'm glad we see eye-to-eye on the enka nominees But, yeah, the pop nominees have been very lackluster the past few years. The last good batch was probably 2002. But at least they manage to sneak in a couple of deserving nominees. Last year they had Thelma Aoyama and, well, Exile (it was definitely their year). This year they have Ikimono Gakari and, well, DBSK.

The first thing they should do is stop nominating w-inds! Why? And, sorry fans, Koda Kumi every single year (she didn't deserve a nomination last year or this year). Where are Kobukuro and GReeeeN? And the Johnny's, for that matter.

[Crystal_Ageha]

Originally Posted by Uemarasan

I agree. I think SMAP should have won or been nominated that year at the very least (although that would mean Ayu might not have won for No Way to Say, a song I will stick up for). And I'm glad we see eye-to-eye on the enka nominees But, yeah, the pop nominees have been very lackluster the past few years. The last good batch was probably 2002. But at least they manage to sneak in a couple of deserving nominees. Last year they had Thelma Aoyama and, well, Exile (it was definitely their year). This year they have Ikimono Gakari and, well, DBSK.

The first thing they should do is stop nominating w-inds! Why? And, sorry fans, Koda Kumi every single year (she didn't deserve a nomination last year or this year). Where are Kobukuro and GReeeeN? And the Johnny's, for that matter.

I agree with everything you said, except for the Johnny's thing (well, and SMAP....but I won't even go there, lol! ). Why do you think they deserve it so much more than, say, Kumi? Not trying to start a fight, I'm just wondering... Because to me, at least 90% of everything that comes out of Johnny's is....well, crap, to be overly simple and blunt. :\ Not that Kumi Koda, to continue with the example, has had an amazing year or two, but I very much believe that everything from Johnny's was certainly no better, at least not what I've seen (maybe there was a hidden gem that wasn't well advertised?).