SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — As hundreds of local musicians walk the red carpet for this year’s SAMMY Awards, the ceremony’s long-time leader is stepping away.
Liz Nowak has been a part of the SAMMYs board for 35 years, serving as the director of the 2-day event for over two decades. And after 20-plus years of service, she looks back at the growth of the awards since its inception. “It started from nothing, it was a postcard, an idea, and to see how its grown,” Nowak says. She goes on to say that the original director planted the seed, and she’s been watering it.
Nowak will be replaced by James Austin, a current board member for nearly a decade. On top of serving on the board, Austin used to run a radio show highlighting local musicians. He said he even attended the SAMMYs in the past to conduct interviews with people within the local music scene to use on the show…