SonicNet.com, Bowie win highest honors at Yahoo music awards

"God bless the Internet, because it's the only way that independent artists like me can make a living."
— Aimee MannAimee Mann

Bowie, whose recordings in the 1970s were thought by many to be ahead of their time, won the "online pioneer" acclaim by helping design a Web site with exclusive features like previously unreleased versions of songs, updates on his projects and online chats with the singer himself. The site received the "best artist site" award.

Bowie was also one of the first major artists to distribute digital copies of his albums over the Internet.

Winners of the Online Music Awards, which took place at the Studio 54 nightclub in New York, were selected by an "academy" of artists, technology and media executives and other glitterati.

The "best Internet-only album," an album that was released exclusively over the Internet, was awarded to Aimee Mann, who released the album Bachelor No. 2 on her Web site and at her concerts.

Mann once belonged to a band called 'Til Tuesday, which had a best-selling hit in the 1980s -- "Voices Carry." After a string of critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums in the 1990s, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her song "Save Me," which was featured in the film Magnolia and resurrected her career.

Bachelor No. 2 has since been released through traditional retail channels.

"God bless the Internet, because it's the only way that independent artists like me can make a living," she said accepting the award.

Other winners included former Beatle Paul McCartney, who won the "best live event online" award for a concert that took place at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, U.K., the club in which the Beatles got their start. The event was produced by online music site MCY.com.

Matthew Brink was awarded "best fan site," a site designed by a fan to honor an established act. Brink's site, called ""Painful Convictions," is an extensive homage to the band Nine Inch Nails, featuring lyrics, analysis, discussion groups and news.

Other winners included:

Best music news: Billboard Online, the Web extension of the music industry trade publication.

Best online record label: Astralwerks

Best music reference site: Ultimate Band List, which is owned by ArtistDirect Inc.

Best unsigned artist online: Red Delicious, whose music is available on MP3.com.

Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

For more MUSIC news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

See related sites about MUSIC

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.