ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION & RENEWALS OPEN, UPDATES TO MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA & CATEGORIES + SUBMISSIONS & VOTING TIMELINE FOR 2020 ACM AWARDS® ANNOUNCED
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC®
NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION & RENEWALS OPEN,
UPDATES TO MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA & CATEGORIES + SUBMISSIONS & VOTING TIMELINE FOR 2020 ACM AWARDS® ANNOUNCED
November 29, 2019 Deadline to Apply for New Memberships & Renewals
For Voting Eligibility for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards™ in 2020
Encino, CA (October 1, 2019) – The Academy of Country Music® announced today that the ACM Membership application and renewal process is now open, along with updates to membership criteria, including category name changes, newly added categories and the removal of categories; along with, the submissions and ballot timeline for membership voting for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards™. The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards™, Country Music’s Party of the Year® will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT on CBS.
This year, the Membership Committee presented systematic changes to the Board for ratification that include an updated membership definition as well as membership category name changes and criteria. Member eligibility is limited to individuals and industry business organizations whose primary professional engagement is in the creation, production, promotion and distribution of country music. Membership approval is subject to the complete discretion of the Board.
“To further evolve the ACM membership, the Board thought it was important that there be updated language and criteria that govern membership to ensure that the most knowledgeable members of the country music community are voting in the awards process,” said Nick Di Fruscia, ACM VP, Awards & Membership. “It has been a pleasure working with both the Membership Committee and Board to create a new administering process for renewals and new applicants. The intention is that the sum result of this new member review process will positively impact the results of our awards.”
For updates to membership category names, see the full list below.
The submissions eligibility period for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards is January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Key dates for Academy professional members for the 2020 ACM Awards cycle are as follows:
- New Membership/Membership Renewals Opens: October 1, 2019
- DEADLINE for New Membership/Renewals Closing: November 29, 2019
- Submissions Period Opens: December 2, 2019
- Submissions Period Closes: January 3, 2020
- First Round Voting: January 21, 2020 – January 27, 2020
- Second Round Voting: February 4, 2020 – February 10, 2020
- Final Round Voting: March 3, 2020 – March 9, 2020
New membership applications and existing membership renewals open today, Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 9:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM CT with a deadline to apply by Friday, November 29, 2019 at 5:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM CT for members to be eligible to vote during the 2020 Awards cycle. To apply online for a membership with the Academy of Country Music, please visit the ACM Membership platform at: https://www.acmcountry.com/membership.
For more information on the ACM Awards and all ACM events, visit www.ACMcountry.com. You can like Academy of Country Music on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @ACMawards and Instagram @ACMAwards for more immediate updates. Tickets for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards are available at www.ACMawards.com.
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ACM membership categories and updated name changes below:
Category Names and Updates
Affiliated - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be professionally engaged in the country music industry whose activities are undefined in one of the below membership categories.
Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager *SUB Category - REMOVE
Artist/Entertainer/Musician/Instrumentalist - Updated to Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer
Criteria: To qualify, members must have contributed to no fewer than (10) commercially released country performances.
Club/Casino/Venue - Updated to Venue
Criteria: To qualify, members whose principal responsibilities are directly related to the music operation of an establishment that presents no fewer than (4) four country music acts per calendar year.
Composer - Updated to Songwriter
Criteria: To qualify, members must have written no fewer than one (1) country song published, commercially released and must be a member of a nationally recognized performing rights organization.
Digital Marketing/Distribution - NEW CATEGORY
Criteria: To qualify, members must work for a digital service provider or work in digital marketing, digital content, or social media marketing.
Artist Manager - Updated to Manager
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent no fewer than one (1) artist who qualifies for ACM Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership through personal or business management.
Media/Public Relations - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent no fewer than one (1) artist who qualifies for ACM Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership or be employed by a commercial publication or media outlet who actively promotes country music.
Music Publisher/PRO - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be employed by a company in a creative capacity that has no fewer than ten (10) country songs published and commercially released.
On Air Personality - REMOVE
Radio - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be actively involved in or employed by country a music radio station.
Record Company - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be employed by a record company that has no fewer than one (1) artist signed to their company roster that meets the Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership criteria.
Talent Agent - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent at least one (1) artist that meets the Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership criteria and secures no fewer than fifteen (15) dates per year.
Talent Buyer/Promoter - No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must actively buy and/or promote no fewer than ten (10) country shows or acts per year.
TV/Motion Picture - Updated to Visual Content
Criteria: To qualify, members must be actively engaged in the production, packaging, selling or distribution of country music in visual media.
CONTACT:
Brooke Primero
Academy of Country Music
818.815.4219