NAMM TEC Awards 2020

We review the nominations selected this year for the 35th NAMM TEC Awards. We will soon know the winners in each category, covering products as well as technical achievements and the industry's top professionals. In their 35th edition, the famous awards will once again pay tribute to the professional audio and recording industry. In addition to recognizing the industry's most outstanding products, the awards will honor the musical contributions of artists such as Les Paul, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Joe Perry, Pete Townshend and Stevie Wonder.

The awards will honor the top nominees in 23 technical achievement categories and another 8 creative achievement categories

The NAMM TEC Awards will take place on Saturday, January 18, at the Hilton Pacific Ballroom in Anaheim, California. The event is part of The NAMM Show, which will also be held from January 16 to 19.

The team behind the 35th NAMM TEC Awards:

Pete Johnston: Executive Producer
Karen Dunn: Event Director and Director of Nominees and Sponsors
David Schwartz: Chair of the TEC Advisory Board
Eric Geer: Director and Supervisor of Pro Audio Relations/Entries and Nominations
David Leaf: Script Director
Lisha Baer: NAMM Operations and Special Events Manager
Jeanne O'Keefe: NAMM PR and Media Contact, and Vice President of The Lippin Group

Nominees for Outstanding Technical Achievement

Amplification – Sound Reinforcement and Studio

  • Auratone A2-30
  • Lab.gruppen FAD2402
  • Linea Research 48M20
  • Powersoft T-Series
  • QSC MP-A Series
  • XTA Electronics DPA Series

Smartphone and Tablet Peripherals

Apogee HypeMiC Avid Link Genelec Aural ID< RolandGO: MIXERPRO Shure MV88+ Video Kit Steinberg Cubasis

Audio Education

  • Drumeo App
  • iZotope Pro Audio Essentials
  • Mix With the Masters 2019 Edition
  • Sennheiser Pro Talk Series - Season 2
  • SoundGym The Gym for Your Ears
  • Universal Audio Apollo Artist Sessions Volume XIII

Computer Audio Hardware

Apogee Symphony I/O Mk II

Flock Audio The PATCH System

Merging Technologies Anubis

PreSonus Studio c-Series

RME M-32 Pro

Universal Audio Apollo x16

DJ Production

  • Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP - Turntable
  • Audionamix XTRAX Stems 2
  • Denon DJ SC5000M Prime
  • KORG miniloguexd
  • Numark Scratch
  • Roland Serato TR-SYNC

Headphones and Earpieces

  • 64 Audio N8
  • ADAM Audio Studio Pro SP-5
  • Clear Tune Monitors Da Vinci X
  • InEarz Audio Zen Universal IEM With ADEL Technology
  • Neumann NDH 20
  • Sennheiser IE PRO Series

Large-Format Consoles

  • Allen & Heath dLive Mixing System Firmware V1.8
  • API 2448 Console
  • Avid VENUE S6L-24C Control Surface
  • DiGiCo SD Series KLANG Integration
  • Solid State Logic L550
  • Yamaha Rivage V3.0

Mic Preamps

  • API 312 50th Anniversary
  • Black Lion Audio B173Quad
  • Metric Halo ULN-8/3d
  • Royer Labs dBooster In-Line Preamplifier
  • Rupert Neve Designs 5211 Dual Mic Pre
  • Useful Arts Audio SFP-30

Microphones - Recording

  • AEA KU5A
  • Chandler Limited TG Microphone
  • sEElectronics sE2300
  • TELEFUNKEN Alchemy Microphone Series
  • Townsend Labs Sphere L22 v1.3
  • Vanguard Audio Labs V1S+LOLLI

Workstation / Recording Devices

  • Avid Pro Tools 2019
  • Magix ACID Pro Next
  • Merging Technologies Pyramix 12.0
  • MOTU Digital Performer 10
  • PreSonus Studio One 4.5 Professional
  • Steinberg Cubase Pro 10

Wireless Technology

  • Audio-Technica 5000 Series (Third Generation)
  • Electro-Voice RE3 UHF Wireless
  • Lectrosonics D Squared System
  • Line 6 Relay G10S
  • Sennheiser XS Wireless Digital
  • Shure Axient Digital ADX Transmitter

Studio Monitors

  • ATC Loudspeaker Technology SCM12i Pro
  • Augspurger Monitors Treo 1015-V
  • Focal Trio11 Be
  • Genelec S360A SAM
  • IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
  • Neumann KH 750 DSP

Microphones - Sound Reinforcement

  • Aston Microphones Stealth
  • Audio-Technica ATM350GL - Mic With Guitar Mount
  • DPA d:fine 6066 Headset Mic
  • Earthworks SR314
  • Electro-Voice RE520
  • Shure TwinPlex

Amplification and Effects

  • Blackstar HT20R MkII
  • BOSS Nextone Guitar Amps
  • Eventide Rose
  • Line 6 HX Stomp
  • Strymon Engineering Volante
  • VOX VX50 GTV

Musical Instrument Hardware

  • Akai Professional Force
  • Erica Synths Sample Drum
  • Moog Music Moog One
  • Nord Grand
  • PreSonus ATOM: Pad Controller

Musical Instrument Software

  • Bitwig Studio 3: The Grid
  • EastWest Sounds Hollywood Pop Brass
  • PreSonus Notion 6.5
  • Softube MonomentBass
  • SoundMagic Neo Piano
  • Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2.5
  • Waves Inspire Virtual Instruments Collection

Production Products

  • Cable Wrangler
  • Carl Tatz Design PhantomFocus Master Engineer Series eChair
  • Drawmer CMC7 Surround Monitor Controller
  • Fredenstein meterHUB
  • Triad-Orbit Starbird SB-1 Large Format Stand
  • Sound Credit Publisher/Tracker

Signal Processing Hardware

  • Bettermaker Mastering Compressor
  • Gyraf Audio G23-S Ambler Tilt Equalizer
  • Roland VT-4 Voice Transformer
  • Solid State Logic Fusion
  • Thermionic Culture The Kite - Stereo EQ with Attitude
  • Whitestone Audio P331 Tube Loading Amplifier

Signal Processing Hardware (500 Series Modules)

  • API 550A 50th Anniversary Edition
  • Black Lion Audio PBR8
  • Phoenix Audio Gyrator EQ/500
  • Pulse Techniques Pultec EQP-500X Equalizer
  • WesAudio_dione
  • WesAudio_prometheus

Signal Processing Software

  • Apogee FX Native Plugins
  • FabFilter Pro-Q 3
  • iZotope Neutron 3
  • iZotope RX 7
  • Kazrog True Iron 7
  • Sonarworks Reference 4.3

Signal Processing Software (Effects)

  • Acon Digital Verberate 2
  • Eventide SP2016 Reverb
  • iZotope Nectar 3
  • Leapwing Audio StageOne
  • Universal Audio Capitol Chambers
  • Valhalla DSP ValhallaDelay

Small-Format Consoles

  • Allen & Heath SQ Digital Mixer Series V1.3
  • API THE BOX 2
  • PreSonus StudioLive 64S
  • Solid State Logic SiX
  • Tree Audio Roots 500 Console
  • Yamaha TF Console V4.0

Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers

  • Clair Brothers C10
  • d&b audiotechnik KSL Line Array
  • JBL Professional VTX A8 Line Array
  • L-Acoustics ARCS A Series
  • Meyer Sound ULTRA-X40
  • PreSonus CDL12
Nominees for Outstanding Creative Achievement

Film Sound Production

  • “Bohemian Rhapsody”
  • “A Star Is Born”
  • “Avengers: Endgame”
  • “Roma”
  • “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production

  • Apex Legends
  • Assassin's Creed Odyssey
  • Battlefield V
  • Call of Duty - Black Ops 4
  • Marvel Spider-Man
  • Tom Clancy's The Division 2

Record Production / Album

  • A Star Is Born (Soundtrack), Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
  • Begin Again, Norah Jones
  • Egypt Station, Paul McCartney
  • Electric Lady Sessions, LCD Soundsystem
  • It's About Time, Chic

Record Production / Single or Track

  • Always Remember Us This Way, Lady Gaga
  • Bad Guy, Billie Eilish
  • Back in Brazil, Paul McCartney
  • Be Nice, Black Eyed Peas ft. Snoop Dogg
  • Talk, Khalid

Remote Production / Recording or Broadcast

  • 34th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
  • 2018 CMT Music Awards
  • 61st Annual Grammy Awards
  • Sir Paul McCartney Live at ACL 2018

Television Sound Production

  • “Better Call Saul”
  • “Black Mirror”
  • “Game of Thrones”
  • “The Orville”
  • “Saturday Night Live”

Tour / Event Sound Production

  • An Evening With Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
  • Farewell Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
  • Freshen Up, Paul McCartney
  • Pink World Tour, Pink
  • This Is America Tour, Childish Gambino

Studio Design Project

  • Battery Lane Music, Steven Durr Designs, LLC
  • Old Mill Road Recording, Francis Manzella Design Ltd.
  • One Union Recording Studios, Yanchar Design & Consulting Group/Carl J. Yanchar
  • Noise Match Studios, Horacio Malvicino - Malvicino Design Group
  • Stitcher Studios, Walters-Storyk Design Group
  • Zhejiang Conservatory Of Music (ZJCM), Walters-Storyk Design Group