February 8, 1996
Web posted at: 10:05 p.m. EST
From Entertainment Correspondent Dennis Michael
(CNN) -- It's awards season for the entertainment industry. So from Hollywood to New York, stars are gathering to see who'll take home the Grammy, the Emmy, or maybe the Oscar. And now, there's a newcomer to the group, called the OMAs: Online Music Awards.
The first Online Music Awards took place on the America Online computer service. Thomas Dolby, the event's host, was connected to the Internet from the Los Angles House of Blues. Dolby dressed up for the occasion, though few people actually saw him. The host had a lot of fun with the awards show, but says not everyone in the entertainment business likes the idea of giving awards in cyberspace.
"This is a threat that they are going to have to get used to," Dolby says. "Because the Internet is changing the nature of entertainment very fast."
It was a little hard to tell over the phone lines, but country artist Linda Davis was one of the guests in attendance. She was on a computer in Nashville. Jazz group The Rippingtons showed up in person for their chance to take home an award -- but they had the honor of being the first nominees to lose, live and on-line.
While the OMAs did attract some stars, there weren't the limousines and spotlights associated with most awards shows. But organizers of the OMAs are breaking new ground democratically: Nearly 900,000 cast votes for the competition.
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