MUMBAI: The Indian Recording Arts Academy (IRAA) awards today announced that the 2017 entry deadline for submitting nominations has been extended to 30 April, 2017. With 31 awards over five categories, the IRAA awards celebrates and recognizes technical excellence and expertise in the field of music recording and production. Entries for the 2017 awards will be accepted through Sunday, 30April 2017, with the winners being announced at the IRAA award ceremony which will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai on 3 June, 2017, 4 pm onwards.

Under the guidance of Pramod Chandorkar as the award director, the 2017 IRAA awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Audio Engineering

• Audio Post Production

• Music Production

• Recording Facility

• Education Awards

Chandorkar has been working as a Sound Engineer since 1995. He has worked on numerous mega hit albums and films as Chief Sound Engineer. He is one of the few audio engineers who has excelled in all branches of audio ranging from Music Recording, Live Sound, Film Sound Design and Studio Design. He is also a FOH Mix engineer and the Head Technical Engineer for Sonu Nigam Live in concert and has been traveling the world for his tour for last 13 years. He has mixed live for artists like LataMangeshkar and AshaBhonsle.

For 2017, the IRAA has introduced several new awards and award categories that are crucial to the recording and music production industry. With the objective of recognizing the regional music industry, this year the IRAA awards has constituted ‘Regional Awards’ in all the award categories.

Also new to IRAA is the Audio Post Production category which includes ten new awards namely - • Dubbing Engineer for Film - Hindi • Dubbing Engineer for Film - Regional • Sound Editor (Effects and Ambience) - Hindi • Sound Editor (Effects and Ambience) - Regional • Foley Artist – Hindi• Foley Artist- Regional• Broadcast Mixing (Dialogue Oriented) – Hindi• Broadcast Mixing (Dialogue Oriented) - Regional • Broadcast Mixing (Music Oriented) - Hindi• Broadcast Mixing (Music Oriented) - Regional

The ‘Recording Facility’ category has also been enhanced with three new awards besides the annual Music Recording Studio award. The three new awards include ADR Studio (Dialogue and Dubbing), Foley Studio and Surround Mix Studio

“The 11th edition IRAA Awards Director is Pramod Chandorkar. I do believe under his guidance and intense supervision, the 2017 IRAA awards will be the best ever,” said IRAA Founder and Chairman, Anil Chopra

The IRAA Awards will also celebrate the best in Audio Education with two awards - Dronacharya award for teachers in Audio Education and Best Audio Education Programme.

As always, the IRAA Awards also includes the coveted “Lifetime Contribution to Audio Engineering” award which aims to recognize an industry professional who during his lifetime has made contributions of outstanding artistic and technical significance in the field of Audio Engineering. This year the Jury awards also include two more prestigious awards which include the “The Mahaguru Award for Contribution in Music Education” and the award for Lifetime Contribution to Music”. The Mahaguru award will be presented, to an industry professional who during his lifetime, has made contributions of outstanding significance in the field of Music Education, while the Lifetime Contribution to Music will be presented, to an industry professional who during his lifetime, has made contributions of outstanding artistic and technical significance in Music.