IMPORTANT!!

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ENTER ANY NOMINATIONS

The independent Blues Awards celebrate the diversity and power of the music that is created by those artists that acknowledge their inspiration and roots are in the blues. These awards will represent not only those “touring” artists who work within the established blues community, but embrace working artists who work in other markets but still acknowledge and honor their roots in the blues.

Nomination process

1. The nominations are an open process! Artists, Fans, Record Companies, etc all can submit an artist or band for nomination consideration. You may nominate any artist or CD in multiple categories, but you must submit a separate entry for each category.
2. There is NO COST involved to the artist. In this digital age there is no reason to request massive amounts of CD’s from an artist’s inventory. We can use dropbox, WeTransfer, Spotify, Pandora, Reverbnation or any freely available streaming service so our nominators can listen and evaluate the nominated artists and their work.
   1. NOTE: It is essential that a nominated artist’s is available on a streaming service or makes their work available as a dropbox link download or both. If you send a dropbox link you will also be considered for inclusion to “LIVE from the Midnight Circus” radio show and a possible featured interview.
3. Once the open nominations are closed the artists who are qualified will be passed onto our Nomination Committee.  They will evaluate the entries and choose 8 artists that best represents each category. They will submit their picks to Making a Scene where nominations will be compiled and the final list of nominated artists.
4. The Nominations will run from October 9, 2018 to February 20, 2019. The nomination committee will evaluate the entries and return the results to Making A Scene by April 15 2019. Public voting will begin on May 15 2019 and close on June 15 2019. The results will be published on June 30, 2019.
5.  The final nominated artists will be presented as an open vote on “www.makingascene.org” and all winners will be determined by that final vote. The voting page will contain bio and relevant streaming media for each nominee so each person who wants to cast a vote will have the opportunity to explore each nominated artists and their work.
6. All decisions by “Making a Scene” will be Final.

Qualifications:

In order to be fair to all submitting artist we have established a base set of qualifications that will be used to determine which artists will move forward to the nomination committee. Please read these carefully. All decisions by Making a Scene are final.

1. The nominated artists/bands must show they are “Working and Touring” artists by establishing they have no less than 4 gigs outside a 200 Mile radius of their home town within the last 12 months.
2. The Nominated artists/bands must represent on their website/social media that they acknowledge the blues as their foundation in the creation of their music. This does not mean that they have to adhere to any artificial definition of what is blues, as we acknowledge the true power of the genre is in it’s diversity. It does not matter what Genre you market yourself under, as long as you acknowledge your music or you as a musician is rooted in or takes your inspiration from the blues.
3. All CD entries should have been released within 18 months of being submitted for nomination and contain no less than 75% original material.
4. Best new artist CD submissions should represent a band that has 4 or less Commercial/Independent releases under their current artist name.
5. All Song Submissions must submit the name(s) of writer(s) of the work if different than the artist.

Any entry that does not fulfill the qualifications listed above will be disqualified and not be considered for nomination.

CD Award Submissions

1. Independent Blues CD Awards
   1. Best Acoustic Blues CD – These works represent music that are performed with exclusively with non electrified instruments such as Acoustic guitars, Drums, Upright Bass, Piano, etc.
   2. Best Contemporary Blues CD – These works represent music that is representative of artist who are working within the current blues market that are creating music that represents new contemporary blues.
   3. Best Traditional Blues CD – These works represent music that is created in the form and tradition of the blues artist that have come before.
   4. Best R&B/Soul CD – These works represent music in the form of “Rhythm and Blues” and “Soul”
   5. Best Funk CD – These works represent music in the form of Funk.
   6. Best Blues Rock CD – These works represent music based in blues rock
   7. Best Modern Roots CD – These works represent music by artists who work outside the blues genre but was inspired by or has its foundation in Blues.
   8. Best LIVE CD – These works represent music that was performed and recorded in a LIVE setting in front of an audience.
   9. Best New Artist CD – These works represent music being created by artists who are breaking into the genre with exemplary works.
   10. Best Independent Blues CD of the Year – The work from an artist or band from all the above categories that receives the largest vote count will in addition to their individual category receive this honor.

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Artist Award Submissions

1. Independent Blues Artist Awards
   1. Best Blues Male Artist – These Artists Tour and Record as an individual under their own name
   2. Best Blues Female Artist – These Artists Tour and Record as an individual under their own name
   3. Best Band Traditional Blues – These Artists represent Bands or artists who are performing Traditional Blues
   4. Best Band Blues Rock – These bands represent Bands or artists who are performing Blues Rock
   5. Best Band Modern Roots – These bands Represent music by artists who are working outside the blues genre but take their inspiration or are rooted in the blues
   6. Best Band Contemporary Blues – These Bands Tour and Record in the blues circuit but are creating New Blues
   7. Best New Artist – These artists and Bands represent the future of (indie) Blues.
   8. Independent Blues Artist of the Year – The artist or band from all the above categories that receives the largest vote count will in addition to their individual category receive this honor.
2. Independent Blues Artist Honors 
   1. Gateway Artist – This represent artists who have created a world-wide recognized brand and fan base, either inside or outside the blues genre, that through their music, performances and respect for the blues, inspire their fans to explore blues both historical and contemporary.
   2. Best Stage Performance – This represents an artist who goes above and beyond to create a unique experience for their fans with their stage presence and performance.
   3. Road Warrior – These are artist whose lifestyle is on the road. This award honors those who spend the countless hours on the road driving from town to town performing. This is to honor those hard working musicians.

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Song Award Submissions

1. Independent Blues Song Awards – Sometimes the most important aspect of the genre can go un-noticed, the song. The foundation to any genre is the songs and those who write them.
   1. Best Traditional Blues Song – A current original Song that is written in the form of traditional blues
   2. Best R&B/Soul Song – A Current original Song that is written in the form of a R&B or Soul style
   3. Best Funk Song – A Current original song that is written in the form of Funk.
   4. Best Contemporary Blues Song – A current original song that represents new (indie) blues
   5. Best Blues Rock Song – A current original song that is written in the form blues rock
   6. Best Modern Roots Song – A current original song created by artists who work outside the blues genre but is inspired or rooted in the blues.
2. Independent Blues Song Honors Awards 
   1. Best Song for the Social Good – A current original song that aims to enlighten and inspire the listener to action for the common good or brings awareness to a social condition. (ie: songs for the homeless, Environment, hunger, etc)
   2. Best Music Video – A current original song and production video that has it’s roots in the blues.

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