The Charlotte Music Awards’ Advisory Council includes a diverse cross-section of the local music community. These advisers assist in the planning and governance of the Charlotte Music Awards and make the final decisions concerning the award recipients.

Roger Cullis
Micah Davidson
Julia Dixon
Kyle Donaghy
Erik Haviland
Duncan Hines
Neel Jadeja
Robert McRary
Sarah Reinhart
Frank Robertson
Larry Sprinkle
Walter Stewart
Donell Stines
Ricky Tolbert
Bill Walker
Cindy Young

Jeffrey Cheen

Jeffrey Cheen has spent more than 40 years in the music business. He started his career as national promotion director for Bill Cosby’s Tetragrammaton Records, with a list of clients that included Deep Purple, Joan Rivers and Tiny Tim. He then helmed Mercury Records’ Hollywood office before managing Capitol Records’ Rock A&R Department. Subsequently, he headed Far Out Music and Publishing’s management division where he guided the careers of War, Ronnie Laws, Funkadelic and Rick James.

Jeffrey partnered with Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Forum, to present concerts and TV productions. He also produced all the entertainment at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City for three years. Jeffrey then moved his focus to the emerging Asian market, producing the Pacific Rim Festival in Los Angeles and serving as a consultant to the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Culture and the Australian government’s Ausmusic. Jeffrey recently served as vice president of business development for B.B. King’s Blues Clubs, overseeing worldwide corporate licensing and heading the company’s record label. Cheen serves on the board of the LA Music Awards and the Hollywood Fame Awards.  Currently, Jeffrey has partnered with BlogWorld and has been appointed as the Executive Producer of the Social Media Music Awards, being held in Las Vegas October 2009.

Michael D. Evans

Michael D. Evans has more than 30 years experience in communications. From the technical side (typography and editing) to the creative side (writing and public relations), he has done it all. Michael has always kept a foot in the music business, from his early 1980s management and booking venture, Broken English Productions, to his current promotional agency, High Timberline Media. His publishing efforts include a founding role in two of Charlotte’s early alternative publications, The First Amendment and Mandrake. Over the years, he has also been a film critic with his reviews published in Tokyo Today and Postscript. He is currently a columnist for Uptown Magazine and CityPolitical magazine, and reviews film as part of the Venus & Mars duo. In addition, he has edited a number of books and journals. 

 The Charlotte Music Awards has a Board of Directors that is directly involved with the direction and promotion of the program’s activities. In addition to co-founders Jeffrey Cheen and Michael D. Evans, the current Board members are as follows:

Nancy Carter
Charlotte City Council District 5 Representative

Nancy Carter is serving her fourth term as a City Council member. Nancy serves as vice chair of the Budget Council Committee and is a member of the Transportation and Economic Development and Planning committees. In addition, she is the Council Representative to the Arts and Science Council. Nancy has earned a Silver Leadership Achievement Certificate from the National League of Cities. In addition to her public service, she serves on the Steering Committee of the Charlotte CROP Walk and the Boards of Smart Start, the Arts & Science Council, ArtsTeach, the Latino Pathways Advisory Committee and the Police Athletic League. A longtime music fan, Nancy is enthusiastic about the potential for the Charlotte Music Awards.

Shirley Fulton
President, Charlotte Jazz Society; former Superior Court Judge

The Honorable Shirley Fulton, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Charlotte School of Law, is currently a partner in the law firm Tin, Fulton, Greene and Owen. Before joining the new firm in November 2004, she was with Helms, Henderson and Fulton, P.A., where she had been practicing since her retirement from the N.C. Superior Court. She served in the court system for more than 20 years. Judge Fulton has received numerous professional and community awards. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners and North Carolina Women Executives. In her spare time, Judge Fulton serves as president of the Charlotte Jazz Society.