Highlighting the varied talents of the Appalachian region is the goal of the first-ever Appalachian Arts & Entertainment Awards which will be broadcast in March.

But the public can have a choice in deciding the winners of the competition by tuning in to macarts.com on Feb. 2 to have a say in choosing the top performers and artists in eight categories.

Jill Hamlin, assistant director of Fine Arts for the Mountain Arts Center, was in London last week to promote the talent competition and encourage residents in the area to participate in voting for the winners in each category.

She was featured on Forcht Broadcasting (SAM 103.9 FM and WNAV 96.7 FM) to explain the awards program and encourage other artisans in the Appalachian region to enter their selections for next year’s event.

“The award program is like the Grammy’s – we have musicians, dancers, singers, and amazing presenters,” Hamlin explained. “We have picked the top 5 in each category and that range from the Best Radio D. J. to Best Tattoo Artist.”

The top 5 finalists in each category will be revealed on Feb. 2 and those tuning in can vote for their favorite participant for the People’s Choice award.

Those finalists submitted their entries, with the winners picked by popular vote. They will then go before a panel of judges who are experts in their different fields. Judges are chosen from Boston, Los Angeles, Florida and other areas. The fields were narrowed down from 1,200 submissions. Other categories include photography, painting, sculpture, dance education, music educator, male and female vocalists, authors, original songwriter, short films, radio and TV personalities, high school bands and college bands. Musical selection varies from bluegrass to punk, Americana to country and rock, gospel and reggae.

“We have categories for all kinds of music, art, writing, photography, music educators, and video production,” she added. “We just want to really shine the light on ourselves and our heritage.”

Hamlin said the awards were the partnership of the Mountain Arts Center and Big Sandy Community and Technical College and tickets to watch the awards program could be purchased by visiting the mountain arts center or macarts.com.

“We have so much talent here and so often we have this stigma as being uneducated and unrefined,” Hamlin said. “We want to showcase the talents of the people of this region – Appalachia is so often associated with Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, but the Appalachian Mountains actually extend from New York to Mississippi and Alabama.”

The Appalachian Mountains actually extend into 13 states, starting in southern New York into Pennsylvania, into western and southern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, eastern Virginia, into middle Tennessee, eastern North Carolina, northeast South Carolina, northern Georgia and into middle Alabama and northwest Mississippi.

“Appalachia is only one of many cultures but the purpose of the awards – called the APPY’s – is for us to be proud of who we are and proud of our artistry,” Hamlin continued. “Often we feel like we don’t have a voice and we’re hoping this will inspire artists in the region to be proud of their heritage.”

Hamlin said the stereotype often placed on people in the region is negative.

“Movies like ‘Deliverance’ and ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’ don’t do us any favours,” she said. “The documentaries some years ago that labelled people in the region with ‘Mountain Dew Mouth’ didn’t help either. What we want to do is highlight our heritage. We have so many resources here – we make our own clothes, we raise our own food. If technology shut down, we would survive.”

That strength, she said, is what makes the people in this region resilient and resourceful.

“We have always taken care of each other, even our worst enemy. We’d help them if they were hurting,” she added. “Appalachia feeds the heart and soul. We are givers, we are nurturers and we want to highlight who we are.”

Hamlin added that organizers are hoping to expand the categories even more next year and encouraged artisans to submit their work.