MUMBAI: Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM in association with TATA Indicom has launched the first music awards called the Mirchi Music Awards.

The first Mirchi Music Awards will be held on 28 March, 2009 and will witness the best of the music talent getting crowned. The selection of the winners has been done by a jury led by the chairman Javed Akhtar.

The other jury members include Prasoon Joshi, Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kunal Kohli, Lalit Pandit, Louiz Banks, Ramesh Sippy, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Shankar Mahadevan, Sadhana Sargam, Suresh Wadkar and Sonu Niigaam.

Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL) CEO Prashant Panday said, “Many Music Awards are organised every year in different parts of the world to recognise the contributions of the music fraternity. This has been missing in India. Mirchi being synonymous with radio and music, we wanted to give back to the music industry. Hence, the Tata Indicom Mirchi Music Awards.”

Javed Akhtar added, “Tata Indicom Mirchi Music Awards – Music ko Mirchi ka salaam. These words are important because it’s the first of its kind awards. The jury comprises of eminent people from the Indian Film Industry – top music composers, singers and lyricists. And when the jury is so established, when they choose the winners – it goes without saying that the winners of these Awards will be the best in the country.”

While the awards will felicitate musicians across various categories, Radio Mirchi listeners will also get a chance to vote for their favourite artists and songs in the year 2008.