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With the exception of the Lifetime Achievement Award(s), these awards are to honor the INDEPENDENT recording artists/performers in country music and other genres that fall under the country music umbrella. Performers are eligible if they meet one of the following statuses:
Country performers are not eligible if they have had ‘Top 10’ success as a ‘primary’ recording artist (not a collaboration) in their career on the primary Billboard Country Singles Chart prior to the ending of that particular awards year/cycle OR signed to a major record label at the conclusion of the eligibility period of that particular awards year/cycle.
Note: Due to the vast number of National talent competitions, any artist having chart success directly related to a talent show, such as collaborations and other releases via compilations, since the inception of the Arkansas Country Music Awards in 2018 will not be penalized. (Only when it is an artist with chart success from their ‘own’ release).
Umbrella category performers (Americana, Bluegrass, Inspirational) are not eligible if they have had recordings released for sale with a major label in their known musical field.
* Artists are either COUNTRY, AMERICANA or BLUEGRASS. Artists can only fall into one of these three categories.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
This Award(s) is open to anyone who was born in Arkansas OR for a substantial period of time resided in Arkansas that as a recording artist, songwriter, producer, engineer, disc jockey, promoter or anyone else who has fostered country music. Their initial known National achievements must have occurred at least 25 years prior to the award show year.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for the artist that exhibits the highest level of entertaining, through recorded output, live performances and public acceptance.
AMERICANA ARTIST OF THE YEAR *
This Award is for any Americana solo performer, duo or group. (Alternative country, roots, folk, rockabilly, old-time mountain music, etc.)
BLUEGRASS ARTIST OF THE YEAR *
This Award is for any bluegrass solo performer, duo or group. Traditional bluegrass artists and contemporary bluegrass artists (as long bluegrass instruments are at forefront) are eligible. This is a wide-reaching category of both traditional bluegrass festival type artists and non-traditional bluegrass festival type artists.
COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE YEAR *
This Award is for any country solo performer, duo or group.
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
This Award is for a female artist (country, Americana or bluegrass) who tours and records under her name only, or for a female who is the lead vocalist of a country duo/group, Americana duo/group or bluegrass duo/group and has recorded output officially released within the two-year eligibility period.
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
This Award is for a male artist (country, Americana or bluegrass) who tours and records under his name only, or for a male who is the lead vocalist of a country duo/group, Americana duo/group or bluegrass duo/group and has recorded output officially released within the two-year eligibility period.
VOCAL DUO / GROUP OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any duo, trio or more that is primarily known and performs/records as such. Any country duo/group, Americana duo/group, or bluegrass duo/group, are eligible providing the duo/group has recorded material released during the two-year eligibility period.
ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any solo performer or duo that primarily performs as an acoustic act on record and/or live on a regular basis.
MUSIC COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
This Award is for a recording of an eligible song, vocal or instrumental, by two or more artists that are primarily known on their own. Each artist must be prevalently featured and clearly listed on the release. All within the collaborative unit must meet the eligible independent artist criteria with at least one within the collaborative unit meeting the eligible Arkansas artist criteria. The reigning Music Collaboration of the Year (exact recording) cannot repeat as a finalist. Award goes to the artists and producer (if different).
YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR (19 and under)
This Award is for any male, female, duo or group that performs on a regular basis. The nominee cannot turn the age of twenty (20) until January 1st (or later) of the award year. Recorded output is a plus. This is to honor a new, 'promising' talent. An individual who has been a recipient in any form of this award is no longer eligible in this category. (Note: A duo/group is eligible as long as at least one member has not been a recipient in this category).
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any album of eight (8) songs or more and was officially released by an eligible Arkansas artist within the two-year eligibility period. The reigning Album of the Year cannot repeat as a finalist. Award goes to artist and producer (if different).
SONG OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any eligible song officially released within the two-year eligibility period by an eligible Arkansas artist. The reigning Song of the Year cannot repeat as a finalist. Award goes to the artist and songwriter (if different).
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any songwriter or songwriting team, who has displayed a consistent pattern of original material officially released by themselves or other artists during the two-year eligibility period.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any video officially released by an eligible Arkansas artist within the two-year eligibility period. This must be an actual music video to accompany a recorded song, not a lyric video. The reigning Video of the Year cannot repeat as a finalist. Award goes to artist and director.
INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
This Award is for a recording of an inspirational, country gospel, bluegrass gospel or Southern Gospel song that was officially released within the two-year eligibility period by an eligible solo female, solo male, duo/group or collaboration. The recording can be vocal or instrumental and must meet the awards' criteria for an eligible, independent song. The reigning Inspirational Recording of the Year (exact recording) cannot repeat as a finalist. Award goes to the artist or artists and producer (if different).
MUSIC PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any Arkansas producer or producing team. They must have produced (not self-produced) recorded material that was officially released within the two-year eligibility period.
SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any sound engineer, who was born in Arkansas, resided for an ample time in Arkansas, or currently resides in Arkansas. They must run sound for concerts/events on a regular basis OR have been the mixing engineer (not self-engineered) on recorded material that was officially released within the two-year eligibility period.
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any promoter, who was born in Arkansas, resided for an ample time in Arkansas or promotes Arkansas country concerts on a regular basis. This can be a single promoter or a promoting team of individuals. A promoter cannot be the recipient of this award in back-to-back years.
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
This award is for any country music radio station in Arkansas or any Arkansas radio station that on a regular basis features an ample amount of country music airplay. A radio station cannot be the recipient of this award in back-to-back years.
RADIO DJ OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any on-air disc jockey or a regular on-air disc-jockey team, who on a regular basis plays country, Americana, bluegrass or Inspirational/gospel music (in studio, not syndicated) on a radio station in Arkansas. A radio DJ cannot be the recipient of this award in back-to-back years.
PUBLICATION/BLOG/PODCAST OF THE YEAR
This Award is for an Arkansas publication (print or an online newspaper/magazine), an Arkansas based blog, or a podcast hosted by an eligible Arkansan that features country music or country music related content on a regular basis. A publication, blog, or podcast cannot be the recipient of this award in back-to-back years.
VENUE OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any venue in Arkansas that hosts and has hosted country, Americana, or bluegrass concerts on a regular basis throughout the two-year eligibility period. A venue cannot be the recipient of this award in back-to-back years.
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any bass player (electric or acoustic) that plays bass on a regular basis on country, Americana, or bluegrass studio recordings OR a bass player (electric or acoustic) in any country group, Americana group, or bluegrass group.
DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any drummer that plays drums on a regular basis on country or Americana studio recordings OR a drummer who plays drums in any country group or Americana group.
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any fiddle player that plays fiddle on a regular basis on country, Americana, or bluegrass studio recordings OR a fiddle player who plays fiddle in any country group, Americana group or bluegrass group.
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any guitarist that plays guitar on a regular basis on country, Americana, or bluegrass studio recordings OR a guitarist who plays lead (electric or acoustic guitar) in any country group or Americana group OR any guitarist who plays acoustic guitar in a bluegrass group.
SPECIALTY/UTILITY MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
This Award is for any musician of an instrument aside from the four ‘Player of the Year’ categories that plays live individually or in a duo/group on a regular basis or on studio recordings OR someone who, within the eligibility period, has proven a consistent propensity of multiple instruments on studio recordings. A finalist in this category can not be a finalist in one of the ‘Player of the Year’ categories in the same year.
Notes: Once nominations end, the ones most meeting the criteria in each category will go to the special awards committee, who will select the final five per category. Final voting will be determined by the special awards committee and a collective tally of fan online voting.