Music of the year

Ivri Lieder is Israeli music channel's singer of the year. Beit Habubot, the evening's big surprise, won two awards, but hip-hop, Mideast music came away empty-handed

Hagai Krauss|Published: 02.05.06 , 13:07

Pay attention to these names, you're going to see a lot of them at the top charts, and they're bound to show up at the CD stand at your local supermarket and file sharing websites: Local band Beit Habubot (House of Dolls) and popular singer Ivri Lieder were the night's big winners at last week's Israeli music channel awards ceremony in Tel Aviv.

Beit Habubot won two awards – this year's breakthrough and band of the year awards– as did Ivri Lieder, taking home the best show of the year and singer of the year prizes.

New in Israel, not to Israelis

Beit Habubot broke into the Israeli music scene only this year, after becoming standard fare for Israeli backpackers throughout South America and the Far East. The group arrived late at the ceremony after coming straight from a concert before IDF soldiers from the Golani brigade.

In the great battle over best female singer of the year, Miri Mesika beat Shiri Maimon to the finish line.

"Wow! Mommy!!!" reacted the obviously-excited Mesika, and thanked her fans "that continue to buy music records even during this age of ripped CD's."

"Metropolin," the premiere album by producer Ofer Meiri, won album of the year award.

Best songs of the year went to "Him" by Izabou and Shotei Hanevuah, beating out Eviatar Banai, Beit Habubot, Miri Mesika, Daniel Solomon and Dana Adini.

Thank God

On stage, the group first thanked "God, because it's all thanks to God". Another unusual choice surfaced in the Best Music Video category, when the relatively unknown band My Second Surprise won with the song "Perfect Cure".

Arik Einstein, who couldn't attend the ceremony, won the lifetime achievement award for his special contribution to Israeli music, presented by Channel 24 managing editor, Yoav Kutner. Yehudit Ravitz and Peter Roth performed one of Einstein's songs in his honor.

Also, movie classics Lool and Shablul shared the best DVD of the year award.

The ceremony was devoid of Middle Eastern music, which is widely played by the music channel, as well of Israel's flourishing hip-hop scene.

And the winners are:

Male Singer of the Year: Ivri Lieder

Female Singer of the Year: Miri Mesika

Band of the Year: Beit Habubot

Album of the Year: Metropolin – "Metropolin"

Song of the Year: Shotei Hanevuah and Izabou – "Him"

Breakthrough of the Year: Beit Habubot

Leap of the Year: Shiri Maimon

Music Video of the Year: My Second Surprise – "Perfect Cure"

Director of the Year: Amit Einav and Kobi Fleschman