Lehigh Valley Music Awards #19
By Alexxis Steele
I can’t believe that 19 years have gone by since the first Lehigh Valley Music Awards ceremony!
In 2001 I was asked to become the Executive Director of the organization by a comrade in the
industry.
I had just spent 3 years working with Ian Bruce at local record label BIE Records in Allentown,
Pa, and had known him since the 80’s in the days of The Airport Music Hall and Club Pascal
where my bands had performed.
The idea was to give back credit to all of the hardworking musicians in the area, by nominating
them for various awards and a ceremony to honor their accomplishments. I continued my po-
sition for 5 years until 2006 when I stepped down to my successor- Gloria Domina. Gloria took
the annual event to much greater heights that I had wished to see them attain, and the event got
bigger every year.
The venues where the ceremonies were previously held moved from places like The Scottish
Rite Cathedral, and the Symphony Hall, both in Allentown. In 2009 at the Symphony Hall there
was a horse drawn carriage for guests to arrive, and I myself, got an award for over 20 years of
musical service to The Lehigh Valley.
Since then, the organization has moved the ceremony to Musikfest Café in Bethlehem Pa
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