SPINRECORDS.COM TO SPONSOR L.A. MUSIC AWARDS

SpinRecords.com will be the exclusive sponsor of both L.A. Music 2000 and the L.A. Weekly Music Awards 2000, and Garageband.com is also on board as a sponsor of this year's awards show, scheduled to take place June 29 at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.

L.A. Weekly Music Awards 2000 will honor over 100 L.A.-area bands and musicians in 20 different categories. The organizers wish to clarify that the awards are named after the alternative newspaper L.A. Weekly and are not, as some have feared, an event to be held 52 times a year.

Rapper-actor Ice T is slated to host the event and others confirmed include Ray Manzarek, Michael McClure, John Doe, Johnette Napolitano, Jules Asner, Beachwood Sparks, Streetwalkin' Cheetahs w/ Wayne Kramer, Dukey Flyswatter & Gabby Godhead (from Haunted Garage), Alex Desert (from Hepcat), Mike Watt, Medusa, Steve Wynn and others.

The Pop/Rock Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Hadda Brooks, Dick Dale, Arthur Lee and Big Jay McNeely.

Macy Gray, Buckcherry, Coal Chamber, Motley Crue, Rage Against The Machine, Rollins Band, System Of A Down, the Eels, The Negro Problem, Dr. Dre, Kool Keith, Ben Harper, Etta James and Beck are among those nominated in various categories.

No word as to whether the 40 or so employees let go last week by SpinRecords.com were given complimentary passes to the show in lieu of final pay checks.