First Ballot Emailed to Eligible CMA Members Today
Final Nominees to be Announced Sept. 9 on “Good Morning America”
NASHVILLE – Balloting for “The 49th Annual CMA Awards” began today. “Country Music’s Biggest Night™” airs live Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
“Balloting season is an exciting time for CMA and our community as we look back over the past year, reflect on our successes as a format, and prepare for the biggest night in the industry,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.
The 2015 CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,400 professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The eligibility period for the 2015 CMA Awards is July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
The first ballot and instructions were emailed today to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Thursday, July 16 (6:00 PM/CT).
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Tuesday, Aug. 11. Voting for the second ballot closes Thursday, Aug. 20 (6:00 PM/CT).
Winners of “The 49th 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, Oct. 8. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 PM/CT). All balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
For more information about CMA Awards balloting please contact Brandi Simms, CMA Senior Director of Membership and Balloting, at BSimms@CMAworld.com.
The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced in early September. ABC’s “Good Morning America” announced the airdate Friday, and additionally announced that Steven Tyler will appear on Wednesday, Sept. 9 to announce multiple categories of the final nominees live on that morning’s broadcast. Tyler recently released his debut Country single, “Love Is Your Name,” currently working its way up Country radio charts.
Tyler, who was recently signed to Dot Records underneath the Big Machine Label Group umbrella, is considered one of music’s most recognizable and dynamic frontmen and has been cited by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest singers of all time.” Tyler and Aerosmith have sold more than 150 million records worldwide. He has won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and an Emmy Award. In addition to having nine No. 1 hits, 25 Gold, 18 Platinum and 12 multi-Platinum album certifications, Tyler, along with the rest of his band members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2013, Tyler was awarded with the Founders Award at the ASCAP Pop Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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. ABC will be the network home of the CMA Awards and CMA’s other two television properties, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” and “CMA Country Christmas,” through 2021.
For more information about the 2015 CMA Awards please visit CMAawards.com.
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.@CountryMusic 49th Annual #CMAawards will air live Wednesday, Nov. 4 on @ABC! Don’t miss Country Music’s biggest night! {LINK}
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