The awards program was first envisioned in 2007 by Sonny of Espresso Joe's in Keyport and by Kishore of the non-profit Musicians On A Mission (MOAM). The two brain-stormed for a few years about a way to celebrate the talented original artists that performed at the smaller listening rooms of the state. The concept was then brought to Brenda Wirth of Rosie's Café Concerts and an initial framework was jointly developed for the 1st annual JAM Awards program to celebrate the original acoustic music scene of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and the surrounding areas. The three founders led the effort to produce the program and nominations process with help and collaboration from various individuals including local radio show DJs, open-mic hosts, news media writers, and other respected personalities in the NJ music scene. Cook Smith was instrumental in securing venue, sound and lighting when it was held at the Stage Performance Hall in Asbury Park. The first two years looked to be a hit as participation from fans and artists was rising. The entire effort was non-profit and completely volunteer driven. It was at this time that the JAM Awards 1st seemed to have an uncertain future. Two of the original three founders needed to concentrate on other things and could not continue their participation in the JAM Awards. Sonny moved out of state and Brenda moved on to further develop Rosie's Café Concerts as one the premier acoustic house concert producers.
It was left up to Kishore whether the JAM Awards would continue. Over the next two years Kishore, with the help of respected individuals and entities that care about NJ original music, continued to develop the program into what has become a statewide effort. Official committees were formed for Awards and Nominations processes. An Advisory Board was also created which included individuals with established backgrounds from various areas of the NJ music scene. A social media team was established with the launching of new online promotion channels such as Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. A website was also created for the first time (www.JAMawards.org). The program now included many genres such as Folk, Indie, Country, Bluegrass, Pop/Rock, etc… A quarter of the awards and program now included a place for artists under 18 and 21 years of age. The last year of the awards ceremony was also moved to the historic Jersey Shore Arts Center. This step up in venue seemed to take the entire program to new heights as estimates from the venue staff indicated the attendance was almost 500 with full capacity being 600. (The first year's number of performers and attendance was roughly 20 and 100 respectively.) There were 50 original artists that performed at the seven hour show this year which made it seem more like a music festival rather than an awards show. There was also a red carpet entrance and media backdrops for pictures that made the local artists feel like they were the stars at this star-studded event. However, with all this momentum built for this much appreciated event, it seems the future of the JAM Awards is uncertain.
