The eighth-annual Jammies Awards for young contemporary musicians will be held at the Crest Theater Friday and young classical musicians at the UC Davis Mondavi Center Saturday, held by The Sacramento News & Review, in association with Betterworld Telecom and the Sacramento school districts.

Contemporary night begins at 8 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $10, and tickets are $15 if purchased at the door. The show is expected to sell out, so those interested in attending are advised to purchase tickets soon.

Classical night, which is produced with the assistance of the Sacramento Philharmonic and California State University, Sacramento, Symphony Orchestras, begins at 7:30 p.m. with pre-sale tickets priced at $17 and $20 at the door.

The show's creation is rooted in the Sammies, another Sacramento music award show, but focuses on young musicians. Band members must be under 20 years of age and enrolled in high school.

According to Michelle Champoux, events/promotions coordinator for the Jammies, "We built the Jammies and the kids came to us..." rather than the usual self-promoting atmosphere young musicians are accustomed to.

Applications for the Jammies are sent out early in the school year, and four "Battle of the Bands" events are held throughout the year to discover Sacramento's best young talent. The 11 bands selected for contemporary night, three classical soloists and four high school ensembles have truly been working year-round to get to this point.

There has been no lack of support from the venues, local businesses, high schools and media outlets.

"We are really just supporting local talent," Champoux said. "We want to give these kids all the tools they need without reaching out to San Francisco or L.A."

This is a unique event in its support for the next generation of great musicians. No one is looking to sign a hit artist or promote a label, but simply exposing the world to talented individuals.

Musicians, relatives and friends are encouraged to visit jammies.com for information regarding this weekend's show or being a part of next year's lineup. The Mondavi Center is located at 1 Shields Ave. in Davis, and the Crest Theater is located at 1013 K St. in Sacramento.