there were Bambir 2, Empyray, Oaksenham, Hexen, Gor Mkhitaryan, Red Snow (band) and others. In 2009 Lebanese Armenian, Eileen Khatchadourian's album Midan received the award of the Best Rock Album of the year. Another ceremony is Armenia's National Music Awards showcase of the Armenian Television 1st Channel, which claims best performers of the year in Armenia. At the 6th ceremony, which took place on March 27, 2010, the best rock group was announced Dorians, a group featuring a singer Gor Sujyan. Unfortunately both awards has not gained authority, and are often boycotted by more intransigent Armenian rock musicians. Rock Festivals In the late 1990s and early 2000s, festivals organized by the ACCEA (Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art) signaled a rebirth of the Armenian rock music scene, with many new bands and musicians coming from the heartland region of Vanadzor. Among the most popular bands at that time there were "Vostan Hayots", "Angels", and punk rockers "Ass Kissers". There was a splash of interest in very heavy acts such as "Beerdigungs Läuten" playing quality grindcore metal. In September 2007 Rock4Peace festival concerts organized with participation of Germans from Kultur Aktiv e.V. and Vibrographus were held in Yerevan, Gyumri and Stepanakert. The reunion of Ayas took place after the meeting of the band's core musicians in Moscow, whilst Vostan Hayots continued irregularly appear with club concerts in Yerevan. Armenian rock started to live another wave of revival and yet local rock music does not have an industrial sense, though Armenian rock musicians started to participate in the commercially and politically biased projects such as two "Rock-and-Dram" festivals were held, on April 13 and November 23, 2007. Tigran Mousoian, president of The Armenian Musicians & Artists Center, organized two festivals in Yerevan, and planned Armenian Rock Festival in Glendale, California. Also in early 2006, Armenian-American band System Of A Down's song B.Y.O.B. won a grammy for best hard rock song. Concerts by outside groups A range of top-class concerts featuring legendary rock groups has been organized in Armenia by Vibrgraphus in 2009 and 2010 including visits of Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, John McLaughlin and Deep Purple. Other activity Harutyun Ayvazyan (Artyom) was the first Armenian journalist, who published a rock encyclopedia in St. Petersburg in Russian language at Avgust Publishing House. References Armenian music Armenian rock music Music scenes Rock music genres