Best New Artist (Band)

30.20% Shelly Dixon Band* 26.7% Northern Kind* 16.76% Downbreed* 5.89% Spyne 5.16% Master Zod* 3.50% Two Many People 1.47% Abraham 1.29% That Guy 0.74% Gold Room, Homeless J 0.55% Dane Wilkins & The Average Lovers, Heavy Step, Hot Pants!, Rupert Bomb Band 0.37% Buttonhead, Free Time, Go Dog Go, Massokissed Others with Votes: David Todoran & The Mobile Homewreckers, Hoodoo Meatbucket, Industrial Strength, Interfold, The Jury, Label, Light Fingered Five, Misfit Toys, Nash Rambler, Pwince, Rat Pack, Red Heroine, Rosemary Gates, Sarin, Stygma, Sugar & Spice, Third Frame, Three Tall Guys, Tone Junkies 1999 Winner: NA 1998 Winner: NA 1997 Winner: NA * On the ballot

If there is a more appealing and sweet-natured performer in Fort Wayne than Shelly Dixon, her band would like to know about it. During the band’s acceptance of their Whammy, there were some smart-aleck remarks about how hard it is to work with Dixon. No one in the house believed them. "I feel so proud that we won this award. Fort Wayne is a place where bands support each other and people come to see local music. They supported me when I was playing mostly original music as a solo act, and then they came to see me when I joined with this very professional and talented band," Dixon said. After gaining her reputation as a songwriter/singer/guitar player, both solo and with the Celtic rock band Usquebaugh, Dixon and her current band began performing together in June 2000. The Shelly Dixon Band includes Brian Waikel, guitars; Michael Grant, drums; and formerly Jackie Fly bassist Pete Jacobs. A native of Angola who has lived in Fort Wayne for 11 years, Dixon began writing music around the age of 21 "to save my soul. But I didn’t know if anyone would be interested." For a while, she also worked and supported herself as a visual artist. As a singer, she found audiences were indeed interested, but it was not always easy for Dixon to perform in the days before she shared the stage with other talented musicians. "I used to venture out to coffee houses. I have a problem with stage fright, and I did not know if anyone would appreciate my voice or where I was coming from. Playing in coffee houses really built my confidence. Despite my stage fright, I had a desire to express myself. I’m not that good at communcaiton, so I could only do it through song," Dixon said. Supported by the strong talents within the Shelly Dixon Band, Dixon has begun a new phase of performing