The Donnas received eight California Music Award nominations to lead all acts. The femme foursome have been a West Coast staple for years, but the group's profile has grown recently behind to the success of its major-label debut, Spend the Night, which received a nomination for Outstanding Album. The Donnas were also nominated for Outstanding Group as well as individual honors for each of the four band members -- singer Donna A., guitarist Donna R., bassist Donna F. and drummer Donna C.

Queens of the Stone Age picked up six nods, including Outstanding Album (for Songs for the Deaf) and Outstanding Group, while Beck (whose Sea Change also received an Outstanding Album nom), the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Counting Crows earned three nominations apiece. Santana, Green Day and Ledisi were also among multiple nominees.

The CAMAs, formerly the Bammies, will be held on May 25th at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland; the first time the event has been held outdoors in its twenty-six years. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks, and the show will be free.

The public is invited to vote for the winners starting April 1st through the CAMAs Web site and at select Albertson's locations. More information on the CAMAs is available at californiamusicawards.com.

California Music Award nominees:

Outstanding Album
Beck, Sea Change
The Donnas, Spend the Night
Jurassic 5, Power in Numbers
Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
Weezer, Maladroit

Outstanding Single
Counting Crows, "Big Yellow Taxi"
The Donnas, "Take It Off"
Phantom Planet, "California"
Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"
Santana, "Game of Love"
Weezer, "Gone Fishing"

Outstanding Alternative Hard Rock Album
Audioslave, Audioslave
Boxcar Racer, Boxcar Racer
Linkin Park, Reanimation
Papa Roach, lovehatetragedy
Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
Transplants, Transplants

Outstanding Hip-Hop Album
Awol One and Daddy Kev, Number Three on the Phone
Blackalicious, Blazing Arrow
The Coup, Party Music
Jurassic 5, Power in Numbers
Snoop Dogg, Paid Tha Cost to be da Bo$$

Outstanding Songwriter
Beck
Rivers Cuomo, Weezer
John McRea, Cake
Chuck Prophet
Jennifer Turner
Peter Yorn

Outstanding Female Vocalist
Brody Armstrong, The Distillers
Sheryl Crow
Donna A., The Donnas
Ledisi
Bonnie Raitt
Gwen Stefani, No Doubt

Outstanding Debut Album
Audioslave, Audioslave
Audiovent, Dirty Sexy Knights in Paris
Hoobastank, Hoobastank
Luce, Luce
Chuck Prophet and Stephanie Finch, Go Go Market

Outstanding Rock/Pop Album
Counting Crows, Hard Candy
Los Lobos, Good Morning Atzlan
Mates of State, Our Constant Concern
Phantom Planet, The Guest
Chuck Prophet, No Other Love
Red Hot Chili Peppers, By the Way

Outstanding Punk Album
Boxcar Racer, Boxcar Racer
The Distillers, Sing Sing Death House
The Donnas, Spend the Night
Rocket From the Crypt, Live From Camp X-Ray
Transplants, Transplants

Outstanding R&B Album
Jon B., Greatest Hits . . . Are U Still Down
Goapele, Even Closer
Ledisi, Feeling Orange and Sometimes Blue
Raphael Saadiq, Instant Vintage
Tyrese, I Wanna Go There

Outstanding Group
The Donnas
Green Day
Jurassic 5
Queens of the Stone Age
System of a Down
Weezer

Outstanding Male Vocalist
Beck
Rivers Cuomo, Weezer
Alex Greenwood, Phantom Planet
Josh Homme, Queens of the Stone Age
Anthony Kiedis, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Serj Tankian, System of a Down

Outstanding Drummer
Scott Amendola
Jim Bogios, Counting Crows/Sheryl Crow
John Dolmayan, System of a Down
Donna C., The Donnas
Lars Ulrich, Metallica
BradWilke, Audioslave

Outstanding Guitarist
Will Bernard
Billy Joe Armstrong, Green Day
Donna R., The Donnas
Tom Morello, Audioslave
Carlos Santana
Joe Satriani

Outstanding Bassist
Les Claypool
Donna F., The Donnas
Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Phil Lesh, The Dead
Nick Oliveri, Queens of the Stone Age
Todd Sickafoose

Outstanding DJ
Cut Chemist
D-Styles
Dan the Automator
KutMasta Kurt
DJ Shadow

Outstanding Jazz Album
Ledisi, Feeling Orange and Sometimes Blue
Kitty Margolis, Left Coast Life
Jenna Mammina, Meant to Be
Rova Saxophone Quartet, Resistance
Tin Hat Trio, The Rodeo Eroded
Wadada Leo Smith, The Year of the Elephant

Outstanding Latin Album
Bobi Cespedes, Rezos
Los Lobos, Good Morning Aztlan
Los Tigres Del Norte, Reina del Sur
Quetzal, Sing the Real
John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, S.F. Bay

Outstanding Blues/Roots Album
Dave Alvin, Out in California
Elvin Bishop, Rock My Soul
Tommy Castro, Gratitude
Jackie Greene, Gone Wanderin'
Roy Rogers, Slideways

ANDREW DANSBY
(March 19, 2003)