Thirty-year veteran songwriter Jimmy White of Brant Beach is already having an immense year in 2012 as songs and videos from his 2011 release, Two Cities, continue to garner awards and nominations on the independent music scene.

The 26-song double album on 828 Records was recently nominated for eight 2011 Independent Music Network Awards, setting an all-time record for nominations at the network. White picked up three: Best Male Mainstream Artist, Favorite Crossover Artist of the Year, and Favorite Mainstream Video for the song “Forever and a Day,” making him the most awarded artist in the IMN’s history.
White’s son, cinematographer/director Joel Pfeiffer, helped put together the video for “Forever and a Day,” making it “extra special” for White and earning Pfeiffer his first national award. “That was a big thrill – and a little bit of a surprise,” said White.

“Jimmy White was the ‘Man of the Evening’!” said presenter Buck McCoy at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Jan. 13. Winners were determined by fan votes, a radio poll and Independent Music Network editor picks, though White assures he has never pleaded for anyone to vote for him.

White encourages songwriters to take advantage of newer opportunities out there, such as the Independent Music Network. “It’s a syndicated radio show that goes internationally, so you get a huge amount of interests from other countries just as much as you do America. There are people listening to you from all over the world. I think that’s what makes it work.”

White also looks forward to the upcoming New Music Weekly Awards. He has been nominated for five, including Best Male Artist, Breakthrough Artist and, in the Crossover category, Artist of the Year. 

“I’m excited about it because they’re totally mainstream awards,” said White. “You’re up against really famous artists,” such as Michael Buble and Steven Tyler nominated for Best Male Artist.
Besides award nods, White is seeing success in the “song for a cause” category as his animal awareness-themed video for “Good Friends Are Hard to Find” has “gone viral,” reaching more than 75,000 views since it was posted in October. The song was written for the Bella Moss Foundation and was included on its Bands for Bella project.

“What I like to do now (is) songs that mean a lot to me personally and also have a theme. I’ll continue to do videos for songs like that.”

Still, no matter how many awards the Top 40/adult contemporary/country crossover songwriter wins, he still has hopes for another respected award, arguably the most so. That is the Grammy.
“That would be the ultimate. I don’t want to diminish these, though. They’re important. I’m very proud of it and very grateful.”

— Michael Molinaro