NASHVILLE – CMA balloting season is here! The Country Music Association is now accepting online submissions for the 2016 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station, and National Broadcast Personality of the Year at Broadcast.CMAawards.com.
“Voting for the recipients of our CMA Awards is often cited as the most significant benefit of being a member of CMA, but it is also one of the most significant responsibilities of membership,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year, as we celebrate five decades of the CMA Awards, it is more important than ever for members to participate in the voting process for Country Music’s Biggest Night™.”
The 2016 CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,300 professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization established to promote an individual genre of music, formed in 1958. The eligibility period for the 2016 CMA Awards is July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. All voting for “The 50th Annual CMA Awards” will be conducted online.
The first ballot and instructions will be emailed Tuesday, July 5 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Friday, July 15 (6:00 PM/CT).
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, August 15. Voting for the second ballot closes Wednesday, August 24 (6:00 PM/CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners of “The 50th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Thursday, October 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, October 25 (6:00 PM/CT). All balloting is officiated by the professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
“The integrity of the voting process is central to CMA’s mission,” added Trahern. “We take pride in setting the bar for awards integrity and presentation. We constantly strive to maintain the highest standards in balloting and voting for the many honors presented by CMA.”
CMA Broadcast Awards are presented for Personality and Station of the Year in four categories that are determined by market size (major, large, medium, and small), as well as CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year.
To submit an entry, CMA member radio stations and broadcast personalities in the U.S. and Canada should log on to Broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until Thursday, June 30 (6:00 PM/CT).
All entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. CMA’s panel of judges, which includes distinguished radio and industry professionals, will be able to view and evaluate each entry online.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be notified in early October and recognized at “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” which will be held later this year in Nashville. The annual, three-hour gala will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network. For more information about CMA Broadcast Awards entries please contact Brandi Simms, CMA Senior Director of Membership and Balloting, at BSimms@CMAworld.com.
The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on television for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network TV. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006.
“The 50th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer.
Country Music Association: More than 7,300 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of CMA. Formed in 1958 as the first trade association for a single genre of music, the organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry while advancing the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s numerous initiatives including CMA Music Festival, which benefits music education initiatives, and the companion CMA Music Festival television special; the CMA Awards, recognized as Country Music’s Biggest Night™ and celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2016; and “CMA Country Christmas,” which airs during the holidays. All of CMA’s television properties will air on ABC through 2021. For information about CMA visit CMAworld.com.