The Big Easy Entertainment Awards are presented by Gambit Weekly. The sponsors are Absolut Vanilia, Harrah's New Orleans Casino, John Jay, Barefoot Wine, Mardi Gras Productions, and Coleman E. Adler & Sons. The event benefits the Foundation for Entertainment Development and Education, which supports projects that train youth in the performing arts.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Art Neville -- Lifetime Achievement In Music
Harold Evans -- Lifetime Achievement in Theatre
Lionel Ferbos -- Music Heritage Award
Vernel Bagneris -- New Orleans Ambassador Award
Business Recognition Award -- Superfly Productions
Patricia Clarkson -- Entertainer of the year

MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS

BEST TRADITIONAL JAZZ ARTIST
Leroy Jones Quintet

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ARTIST
Edward "Kidd" Jordan

BEST TRADITIONAL BRASS BAND
Tuba Fats & the Chosen Few

BEST CONTEMPORARY BRASS BAND
Dirty Dozen Brass Band

BEST GOSPEL CHOIR
McDonogh 35 High School Gospel Choir

BEST GOSPEL GROUP/INDIVIDUAL
Paulette Wright Davis

BEST FUNK BAND
Galactic

BEST RHYTHM & BLUES ARTIST
Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

BEST RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST
Choppa

BEST BLUES ARTIST
Snooks Eaglin

BEST ROCK BAND
Pleasure Club

BEST ROOTS ROCK ARTIST
Sonny Landreth

BEST ZYDECO ARTIST
Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie

BEST CAJUN ARTIST
The Savoy/Doucet Band

BEST COUNTRY/FOLK ARTIST
John Rankin

BEST LATIN GROUP
Los Vecinos

BEST WORLD MUSIC/REGGAE GROUP
007

BEST MALE ARTIST
Jon Cleary

BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Theresa Andersson

BEST EMERGING ARTIST
Kelly Love Jones

BEST ALBUM
Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Basin Street Records
Produced by John Porter

THEATRE AWARDS WINNERS

BEST MUSICAL
Chicago
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST DRAMA
No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs
Anthony Bean Community Theater

BEST COMEDY
Fully Committed
All Kinds of Theatre

BEST DIRECTOR (COMEDY OR DRAMA)
John Grimsley
Gross Indecency
Dog & Pony Theatre Company and the Contemporary Arts Center

BEST DIRECTOR (MUSICAL)
Sonny Borey and Derek Franklin
Chicago
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Karen Hebert
Chicago and Anything Goes
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST SET DESIGN
Chad Talkington
No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs
Anthony Bean Community Theater

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Martin Sachs
Dirty Blonde
All Kinds of Theatre

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Linda Fried
Anything Goes
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD
(Tie)
Katherine Raymond and Anastacia Scott
No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs
Anthony Bean Community Theater

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY (COMEDY OR DRAMA)
Adriana Bate
Wit
Theatricks

BEST ACTOR IN PLAY (COMEDY OR DRAMA)
Sean Patterson
Fully Committed
All Kinds of Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Karen Hebert
Chicago
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Grimsley
Chicago
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY (COMEDY OR DRAMA)
Lara Grice
The Ritz
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY (COMEDY OR DRAMA)
Bob Edes Jr.
Dirty Blonde
All Kinds of Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lara Grice
Victor/Victoria
Tulane Summer Lyric Theater

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Dane Rhodes
Chicago
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Flo Presti
Crazy for You
Rivertown Repertory Theatre

BEST ORIGINAL WORK IN THEATRE
Earl Long in Purgatory
Written By Jason Berry
Directed by Perry Martin
Produced by the Evangeline Theatre Company

BEST UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRODUCTION
Glengarry Glen Ross
University of New Orleans

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• "Uncle Lionel" Batiste of the Treme Brass Band was in rare form.

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• City of New Orleans Film & Video head Stephanie Dupuy, Ambassador of Entertainment Vernel Bagneris and director Taylor Hackford

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• Double shot: Lara Grice won supporting actress honors for her work in Victor/Victoria and The Ritz.

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• "The only thing Chicago won't win is the National League pennant," emcee Harry Shearer quipped after Le Petit's production of Chicago won its Big Easy Entertainment Award of the night.

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• Kelly Love Jones won for Best Emerging Artist for her blend of R&B, hip-hop and folk.

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• Best Contemporary Jazz Artist winner Edward "Kidd" Jordan

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• Theresa Andersson walked away with Best Female Artist.

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• Nicole Francois, Yolanda Ratcliff and Idella Johnson performed a number from their nominated production of Delgado Community College's Dreamgirls.

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• Music Heritage Award winner Lionel Ferbos (second from left) with Nina Buck (left), granddaughter Lori Schexnayder, and Lars Edegran.

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• Sean Patterson's stunning one-man performance in Fully Committed earned him the award for Best Actor in a Play (Comedy or Drama).

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• Le Petit Theatre's Sonny Borey and Derek Franklin shared the Best Director (Musical) award for Chicago.

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• Bob Edes Jr. played several characters to win Best Supporting Actor in a Play (Comedy or Drama) for Dirty Blonde.

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• Anastacia Scott and Katherine Raymond shared the Best Performance by a Child award for their roles in No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs.

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• Jackson Square fixture Tuba Fats & the Chosen Few won for Best Traditional Brass Band.

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• Ann Savoy accepted the Best Cajun Artist award for The Savoy/Doucet Band.

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• Herman Ernest, Jon Cleary, Henry Butler, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville and John Gros backstage after their tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Art Neville.

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• Best Gospel Group/Individual winner Paulette Wright Davis.

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• Sonny and Cher (aka Gambit Weekly's David Lee Simmons and drag queen/costume designer Bianca Del Rio/Roy Haylock) ham it up onstage.

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• House of Blues general manager Dan Smith and Honorary Music Chairman Eddie Bo.

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• Choppa (second from left) celebrated with others after winning Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist.

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• Jon Cleary (middle), who won three awards, celebrates with Absolute Monster Gentlemen bandmates Cornell Williams (left) and Big D. (Not pictured: Jellybean Alexander.)

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• Jason Berry took home the Best Original Work in Theatre for his Earl Long in Purgatory.

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• Chris Wecklein, Heidi Junius, Russell Hodgkinson and Jessie Terrebonne sing The Black & White Blues.

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• Dr. John with Colleen Wood.

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• The cast performs a number from Crazy for You, which earned Best Musical Director for Flo Presti.

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• Mr. Cellophane: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical winner Dane Rhodes performs the popular tune from Chicago.

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• Gambit Communications Inc. Chairman Clancy DuBos with UNO Chancellor Greg O'Brien (right) and O'Brien's wife, Mary.

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• 2002 Best Country/Folk Artist Spencer Bohren (right) with son Andre, drummer for Best Rock Artist nominee Johnny Sketch & the Notes.

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• Geno Delafose works his magic on his accordion before winning Best Zydeco Artist with his group French Rockin' Boogie.

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• Wendy and George Rodrigue painted the town blue.

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• Allen Toussaint joined in on the piano tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Art Neville.

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• Martin Sachs' work in Dirty Blonde earned him Best Lighting Design.

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• John Jay and Marilyn Monroe.

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• Adella Gauthier and Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatre honoree Harold Evans.