26th Annual TEC Awards to Be Held at the 2011 NAMM Show

The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio has announced that for the first time its 26th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards® will be held at the NAMM Show on Friday Jan. 14, 2011, in Anaheim, California. Presented annually by NAMM since 1902, the NAMM Show is the largest trade show for the international music products industry and draws close to 90,000 attendees to its exhibits and educational programs annually.

The TEC Awards®, founded in 1985, is the most prestigious awards event for the professional audio and sound production industry. Consisting of two dozen awards for achievement in audio products and projects, the TEC Awards is attended by manufacturers of audio equipment and software and the world’s top music producers, engineers, sound mixers and musical artists. A highpoint of the show is the Les Paul Award, sponsored by Gibson Guitar, presented to musical artists and others whose careers have exemplified the creative application of audio technology.

“The continuing advances in technology for all areas of sound and music production have vastly expanded the universe of both manufacturers and users,” said Hillel Resner, president of the TEC Foundation. “We are sure those attending NAMM will enjoy sharing in the recognition of technical and creative achievement that the TEC Awards bestow.”

“Since the days of NAMM Member Thomas Edison, nearly every major musical technology product that you can name was first shown at the NAMM Show,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “Our members are excited to welcome the TEC Awards to NAMM and celebrate the visionary people, companies and products that have filled the world with music.”

Resner also announced that the eligibility period for 26th Annual TEC Awards nominations will be extended to June 30, 2010 from its traditional March 31 date. Online voting by various professional organizations—including eligible NAMM members—will take place in November.

About The TEC Foundation

The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to its own educational programs, funds derived from the TEC Awards have been donated over the years to organizations that educate both sound professionals and consumers about hearing health. The Foundation has also funded scholarship endowments at numerous colleges and universities for students of the audio arts and sciences. For more information about the TEC Foundation and the TEC Awards, visit www.tecfoundation.com.

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

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