mtvU's Woodie Awards Cater To College-Aged Music Lovers

As the name indicates, mtvU's Woodie Awards were created to appeal to the sensibilities (and sense of humor) of college-aged music listeners. And with a glut of traditional music awards, it's hard not to love an award ceremony where winners are presented not with gold or bronze or some hefty trophy, but with wood.

This year's show -- which taped last night at New York City's Roseland and will air November 2nd on mtvU -- did a bang-up job of recognizing artists who resonate with younger listeners. Nominees ranged from alt-country indie favorite Jenny Lewis and Canadian chanteuse Feist, to more mainstream acts like System of a Down and 30 Seconds to Mars (who bested both Feist and Lewis in the "Live Action Woodie" category). This, in a nutshell, explains the relative diversity of the college-band moniker, a label that spans genres and includes both worthy, creative bands and relatively uninspiring rock & roll outfits (names withheld).

Ethereal British songstress Imogen Heap kicked off the night with an a capella rendition of her single "Hide and Seek," layering and looping her vocals over live self-imposed harmonies. Heap's pared-down performance stood in sharp contrast to her loud get-up: feathers in her towering upswept hair and a clingy frock. Her unguarded performance set a hushed and reverent tone for an award ceremony that was relatively buttoned up.

Other performers added some more sizzle to the efficient, even tame event. Brooklyn psych-rockers TV on the Radio closed out the show with two blaring, complicated tunes that blended the band's penchant for soulful harmonies with avant-garde dissonance, bebop, rock and funk. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe's effervescent stage personality -- lots of urgent bouncing and pogoing -- injected his band's short performance with the urgency that rendered it memorable.

Beck delivered another striking performance with a full band and a retinue of puppets whose actions uncannily mirrored the bands' moves in absolute miniature. With its infectious "na-na" chorus and bouncing copycat puppets, the Guero hit "E-Pro" was one of the highlights of the evening.

Winners in the ten categories ranged from newbies Plain White T's (who took home the best new artist award, called the "Breaking Woodie"), to Gnarls Barkley, who picked up the "Left Field Woodie" for "Crazy." And like many award shows, mtvU geared the festivities into more musical realms, playing up the performances over presenters and awards.

Wearing sunglasses and a T-shirt that read "Biggest Midget in the Game," vertically challenged rapper Lady Sovereign did her best to shake things up, noting that she had been drinking and was "not reading the script." No wonder people dig her. That spontaneity. That verve! It was a refreshing conclusion to the otherwise staid proceedings.