2013 WAMI Awards Nomination FAQ

Nominations for the 2013 WAMI Awards will begin on Monday, January 21, 2013 (12:00 AM). Online voting will remain open through Thursday, February 14, 2013 (11:59 PM). The categories are being posted early this year to allow WAMI Members extra time to research, listen to and decide their choices prior to open voting. There will be no paper ballots.

Please read the information regarding the 2013 WAMI Awards Nominations listed below. This area will include General Rules and other information that may be helpful in answering your questions. As Frequently Asked Questions and associated answers accumulate, they will be posted at the bottom of this page. If you don’t see your question/concern about this year’s categories, the nomination/voting process, or an answer to it, please contact awardsshow@wamimusic.com, a WAMI Executive Committee member, or stop in at a WAMI event and ask any WAMI Awards Show Committee member in person. We’ll be happy to help.

Feel free to also post your voting process-related questions at the bottom of this page. Please refrain from artist endorsements on any of the voting pages.

Please note additional Category explanations at the bottom of the page.

Come see this year’s winners chosen and announced at the 2013 WAMI Awards Show at Turner Hall in Milwaukee, WI on Sunday, April 14, 2013.

Thanks and please visit the WAMI website for regular updates.

Sincerely,

The WAMI Executive Committee, Board of Directors and Awards Show Committee

Conditions of Eligibility to Nominate/Vote:

You must be a registered WAMI Member in good standing to vote/nominate. If you wish to purchase a new membership, or renew your existing membership, please visit: http://wamimusic.com/join/join-wami-2/new-renew-membership/
You must enter your WAMI Membership ID to Login. This number is found on your Membership ID Card. If you do not have your card, please contact membership@wamimusic.com to verify your WAMI membership status and obtain your ID number.
You must also enter the email address that you used when purchasing or renewing your membership. If your membership is part of a Band/Business Membership, please be sure that you or the “MEMBERSHIP PURCHASER” has entered or updated unique information for each member. If this process is not completed, please visit: http://wamimusic.com/join/join-wami-2/add-band-business-members/ and do so before proceeding.

(Rev. 20130106 14:30 – Exec., Admin.)

Nomination Ballot Voting Rules:

Valid ballot submissions must contain the following:

A vote in each of the 6 Major Categories (Section I).
A vote in 4 of the 17 Genre Categories. (Section II).
A vote in 1 of the Instrument Categories. (Section III).
A vote in 1 of the Industry Categories (Section IV).
The second choice in each Category is optional and should be different from your first choice. However, remember that a substantial number of similar second choices may result in a new Category winner.

(Summarily, ballots will have a minimum of 12 total votes.)

(Rev 20130106 Exec.)

Conditions of Eligibility for Nomination and Terminology:

A “Wisconsin Artist/Group” is defined as having a residence in the State of Wisconsin for at least half of the prior year.
An “Album” is defined as a collection of 6 or more songs released together, under a title, during the prior year in either digital or hard-copy format.
A “Song” is defined as a musical number with a specific song title released during the prior year in either digital or hard-copy format.
“Genres” are somewhat-subjective terms. Artists/Bands are categorized by those who nominate them using the predefined available categories and will be entered as such except in cases where it is clear to the Board of Directors that an artist is miss-cast in a genre (example, a Jazz artist nominated to the Rock category). In such a case, we will research the act to determine closest fit.

(Rev. 20130106 – Exec., Admin.)

2013 WAMI Awards Nomination Categories

I – Major Categories

Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Female Vocalist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
New Artist of the Year

III – Instrument Categories

Drummer of the Year
Guitarist of the Year
Keyboard Player of the Year
Bassist of the Year
Reeds / Brass Player of the Year
Stringed Instrument Player of the Year

IV – Industry Categories

Best Recording Studio
Best Engineer / Producer

(Rev. 20130106 Exec.)

Please Note — WAMI evaluates genre categories every year for opportunities to isolate or merge. Merging genres is not always a neat fit, or entirely comfortable with the artists themselves, but it is necessary in order to keep the amount of categories manageable. Increasingly, the Music Industry adds genres, sub-genres, and hybrid-genres. In effect, the process is increasingly complex. We analyze WAMI Member Voting to determine interests and trends; therefore categories are a direct reflection of voter choices. However, WAMI will take recommendations from artists about the fit of any merging that is done, and it will be analyzed and changed if it is deemed the merge was too unwieldy or unfair (this can only be done after votes come in, and comments, and we look at the returns and numbers). All recommendations will receive due diligence as nothing is more important to this organization than the voice of the Artist.

Several Industry Categories have been moved to the 2013 WAMI People’s Choice Awards.

Bluegrass is voted for, this year, in the Bluegrass / Americana Category
Techno / Electronica are voted for, this year, in the Club DJ / Dance / Electronic Category
Ska and Dub are voted for, this year, in the World / Reggae / Ska / Latin Category
Punk and Alt Rock are voted for, this year, in the Alternative Category
Metal is voted for, this year, in the Hard Rock Category
Fusion is voted for, this year, in the Jazz Category
Alt Country is voted for, this year in the Country Category
Western Swing is voted for, this year, in the Country Category
Alt Pop is voted for, this year, in the Pop / Rock Category
Rockabilly is voted for, this year, in the Pop / Rock Category
Trip Hop is voted for, this year, in the Rap / Hip Hop Category