Seven winners received accolades at the seventh edition of the Bay Music Awards, held at the Bay Arena on Sunday 12 December, one of two events in Malta that celebrate the local pop, rock and RnB music scene. The show is organized by 89.7 Bay radio.

The event featured an impressively large stage, special effects, including a huge projector screen behind the performing artists, while the performers all went to great lengths to emphasize their slot with dancers, choreography, acrobatics, outlandish costumes and other eye-catching gimmicks. A sizeable crowd turned up to enjoy the spectacle, which was hosted by 89.7 Bay presenters, the charming Drew and the confident Nathan and Talitha, with Talitha herself performing one of her musical numbers during the show. Bay weekend presenter and Fresh and Funky TV programme host Clayton J did some interviews to camera with the performers and nominees backstage.

From where I was standing, the sound came across extremely well, so well done to the sound engineers on the night – it’s not the first time spectacular events in Malta have contained all the right ingredients except a crisp sound quality for those in the auditorium.

Airport Impressions took home three awards winning the Best Band, Best Song and the Presenters` choice Award. The band’s debut album, ‘Minutes of a Lifetime’, was released a few weeks ago to great acclaim and the band seems well on the way to being the toast of 2011 with their middle of the road but effective, introspective rock, heavily influenced, in my opinion, by the likes of Coldplay and Snow Patrol.

The best newcomer award went to alternative rockers Bletchley Park, complete with distinctively-voiced singer with dramatic haircut and make-up, while Kristina Casolani and DJ Ruby took the trophy for the best dance tune/remix with ‘Get Out’.

Muxu was voted the best solo artist. I enjoyed the highly stylized choreographed routine to his new song featuring a Latino beat. One of the reasons I like this artist is the way he seems to be exploring different styles of pop that other locals shy away from venturing into: every one of his singles so far has featured something unique. Another band I thought showed great energy and promise on stage were Dolls for Idols.

The Bay Bands trophy was awarded to Cruz, who had also won a Bay competition earlier this year to support Winter Moods at their big Fosos concert in summer. Their performance of their infectious tune ‘Red Tape’ was given the burlesque treatment with singer Marilyn being unraveled of what looked like five metres of red cloth tape tightly wound around her body by a small army of excellent dancers from the Brigitte Gauci Borda Academy.

The annual Bay Awards charity CD compilation featuring all the songs of nominees and performers was launched at the show, with proceeds from the sale of the CDs going to the very worthy cause of Dar il-Kaptan, a respite centre for people with a disability.

The awards show will be aired on TVM on Christmas Day at 4pm with repeats scheduled for 2011. The 2009 BMAs broadcast had won the best one-off TV programme award at the Malta Television Awards. Filmed with 12 cameras and promising state of the art graphics, the 2011 edition broadcast should translate very well to TV and may follow in its predecessor’s footsteps.

During the broadcast, viewers will be asked to vote for the viewers’ choice award – their favourite performer of the show. The winner will be announced on the radio station’s breakfast show.