By Benita Bellamy, CEO of The Bellamy Group
Many times artists ask how can they be or why aren’t they being considered for music awards. Totally legitimate question, but there are appropriate steps required to reaching a point of being eligible to submit, making an official ballot and winning an award. These steps include producing a professional and commercially viable product, holding memberships with organizations, meeting specific release deadlines, and attaining radio and sales charting positions. Here’s a guideline and answers to some of your questions that will help you on the road to your next music award!
Your Product: One must have a well-produced, commercially competitive product, that meets industry standards. Your album, single, video or audio book must be mixed by a professional and mastered to broadcast quality. Your product must be copy written (and registered as such), have ISRC numbers and UPC numbers. And most important, your product must be GOOD – enjoyed, purchased and popular among fans and consumers.
Your Release Date and Distribution:
Having your product distributed in the general music market place is an industry standard for all awards organizations. This distribution can be digital (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc) and/or physical (Walmart, Lifeway Christian, Family Christian, etc). Either one or a combination of digital and physical distribution will time stamp your single, EP or album with an official release date. This release date (which is any Friday) will need to fall into the timeframe of the guidelines set by the awards.
Are You Charting?
Once your product is distributed, and you’ve properly and effectively marketed and promoted your product, you’ll be seeking sales and/or radio chart positions. There are some awards entities that will only allow submissions by products that have reach and attained a certain level of radio and sales chart status. If this is in their guidelines, you must consider this when submitting your entry. Sales charts (Billboard/Soundscan) and Radio Charts (BDS/Mediabase) are released each week in various Christian music categories from Top 40 Gospel to Top 200 Christian (Albums, Singles, Digital, Videos). If required, you must appear on one or more of these charts. This can and will be tracked by the organizations screening committees. Currently, The Grammy Awards does not require a particular charting status to be eligible to submit to the ballot. However, The Stellar Awards does require specific charting positions on both sales and radio charts. http://www.thestellarawards.com/news.html
Did You Become A Member?
Most accredited music awards platforms require you to hold a current membership with their organization. These memberships allow you to submit your product and vote on ballots. Voting is Power! Organizations that do not have annual memberships may sometime require a submission fee. It has been my experience when submitting clients to some ballots for consideration that fees can range from free to $250 per entry. Submission fees or memberships with these organizations do not guarantee you will receive placement on their ballot. Always read and get complete understanding of the submission guideline policies set by each organization before you pay fees.
The Ballot:
Once you’ve been submitted for any ballot, the next step to your prestigious nomination is making it past screening committees and a first round ballot in most cases. The first round ballot is for all eligible entries and then the highest vote getters from that entries list move on to the final ballot. If you make it to a final ballot, congrats! You’re an OFFICIAL NOMINEE! I’ve seen many people list as an accomplishment or accolade on biographies, websites and press kits that you are a “first round ballot” nominee. This isn’t necessary and honestly not very relevant when it comes to pertinent bullet points regarding your career.
Some final ballots will undergo a final voting round (public or membership holders), while others final ballots are released to the public without another voting round. Of these 4-5 final nominees in each category, winners are announced.
Your artistry is really the most important factor here and should be continually perfected and passionately enjoyed assuring that you thrive in your career for a lifetime. Sure, it can be a wonderful addition to your artistic resume and boost to your own personal morale to be rewarded by your peers and by your fans. Taking note of these steps, reading and understanding submission guidelines and releasing quality products that are marketed and promoted substantially can most certainly lead you to being not just a line item on an entries list, but can lead you to being a Music Award Winner!
RESOURCES
National/Global Music Awards and Organizations
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/Grammys: https://www.grammypro.com/join
Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy: http://www.thestellarawards.com/sagma.html
Gospel Music Association/Dove Awards: http://www.gospelmusic.org/benefits/
NAACP Image Awards: https://www.naacpimageawards.net
Country Music Association/CMA Awards: http://www.cmaworld.com/membership/membership-levels/
Independent Music Awards
Kingdom Choice Awards: http://www.kingdomtimemedia.com/kingdomchoiceawards/
Rhythm of Gospel Awards: http://www.therhythmofgospelawards.com/about.html
Voices of Gospel Music Awards: http://www.vogma.org
Atlanta Gospel Choice Awards: http://thegospelchoiceawards.com/new/index.php
Gospel Blue Mic Awards: http://nebopublishing.com/survey.php
