MPG Unsung Hero Award for Chris Jenkins <img class="image_right" src="/editor_images/0000/0779/010210_chrisjenkins_120px.jpg" border="0" alt="Chris Jenkins" title="Chris Jenkins" width="120" height="128" />On 11 February, the Music Producers Guild will once again honour the audio professionals whose skill and talents help shape the music that we all enjoy. Producers, engineers, mixers and remixers will all have their chance to shine as they bask in the accolades of their peers at an awards ceremony at the Café de Paris in London. Among the gongs handed out will be the Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by Alchemea College, which rewards the contributions made by people who work tirelessly for our industry but don't necessarily get the recognition they deserve. This year 12 people were nominated and the final decision was handed over to PSNE readers who took part in an online vote. We can now reveal that the winner is Chris Jenkins, SSL's director of commercial applications. Born in 1950 and educated at Westminster School, London, Jenkins was always "mad about music": in fact he dropped out of an electronics degree at Kent University to pursue his dream of being a guitarist. Despite ending up in a Greek band and recording a single at EMI Studios in Athens, Jenkins' music career didn't work out and by 1974 he was back in the UK embarking on a career at the BBC. He spent a year as a technical operator (Radio) in the Broadcasting House control room, before moving to the BBC Transcription Recording Unit in Shepherds Bush where he worked as an engineer on a variety of programmes, including drama, live classical and live rock music. In 1978 Chris became maintenance engineer at the new Town House complex in London. His first task was to put together Studio 2, which was renowned for its famous stone room and for being the first studio in London to install an SSL console. The installation brought Chris into contact with SSL and in 1981 he joined the company as service/commissioning engineer. Jenkins' SSL career has had a number of phases. Initially he worked with all the early adopters of the console on installation and training; then he moved into product development, helping to specify the 5000 Broadcast series and 5000 Film Series console in conjunction with the LucasFilm mixers at Skywalker Ranch, who installed the first of these systems. In 2000, Jenkins moved full time into SSL's engineering department to focus on product design and specification for the C series digital console range, the AWS 900, Duality and the Matrix analogue consoles. In parallel with his SSL role, he has continued to play guitar and has engineered a number of projects using the SSL demo studios, the most recent being a new album for Andy Bade, originally from punk band Eater. "Chris's inventive mind and passion for sound has, time after time, delivered magic," said musician and innovator Peter Gabriel when hearing of Jenkins' award. "He understands, as well as anyone I know, how musicians and producers actually work in the studios, and he can design equipment that enables their musical dreams to slide effortlessly into reality." "I first met Chris when we interviewed him for the job of chief maintenance engineer at Town House Studios, back in 1978," remarked producer and MPG director Mick Glossop. "As well as counting Chris as a long-time friend and colleague, I must express my tremendous respect for his talents in the field of professional audio design. There are very few people in pro-audio who I regard as possessing real creativity and imagination in their work." "Chris perfectly sums up what this award is for. Although his name is probably unfamiliar to many record companies and publishers, some of the greatest songs ever recorded were made using designs pioneered by him," revealed producer and MPG chairman Steve Levine. "I am thrilled that Chris has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Unsung Hero Award." "Chris is not an avid self-promoter, and so it is particularly encouraging that he has been recognised," added Glossop. Jenkins will receive his award at the Café de Paris event on 11 February, where, among other prizes being distributed, the best producer will be named from a shortlist of Jim Abbiss, Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns and Steve Lillywhite. <a href="http://www.mpgawards.co.uk" target="_blank">www.mpgawards.co.uk</a> (original article: <a href="http://prosoundnewseurope.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1524&Itemid=75" target="_blank">http://prosoundnewseurope.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1524&Itemid=75</a>)   2010-02-08T11:58:06+00:00 2010-02-08 187 MPG Unsung Hero Award for Chris Jenkins

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On 11 February, the Music Producers Guild will once again honour the audio professionals whose skill and talents help shape the music that we all enjoy.

2010-02-08T12:01:23+00:00