How do I get nominated?
Nominations are done in two ways. Some categories have specific nominating committees or organizations related to the category that make the selection (jazz, blues, etc). The rest are decided on by public vote, entirely.
How do the bands get selected for the show?
The bands are selected solely by the producers. The selection usually involves some local legends (Tommy Tutone, Quarterflash), local big name draws (Art Alexakis, Floater), acts with some visual flair (March Fourth Marching Band, Wanderlust Circus), previous or current nominees, and possible national acts. The remaining bands are usually selected to make sure that most of the genres are represented (jazz, country, classical, world).
Can we submit to perform?
Sorry, no. If we don't already know you, chances are we wouldn't say yes.
Why do nominees have to buy tickets to the show?
With 22 categories, and 5 nominees per category, that means that there are 610 nominees in all. Many of those are bands, companies, record stores, radio stations, and various other combinations that mean each nominee involves several people. There are only so many seats available, so if we offered free tickets to each nominee, there would none left to sell.
For 2011, we did offer nominee tickets at half price. In the future, we fully intend to make the show a free event. Give us time.
Who is this 'panel of 200 industry insiders (that picks the nominees for the Legend, Pioneer, and Talent Buying' categories)?
Booking agents, record companies, recording engineers, publicists, media, and other assorted members of the local music community.
Since the public votes in the end, isn't this really a popularity contest?
The simple answer is yes and no.
Since the public votes, name awareness and popularity certainly plays a factor. If we used a voting panel only, the complaint would be that the nominees were limited to the knowledge of those voting, leaving out some deserving but lesser known artists. If an artist puts out an aggresive campaign to their fans to vote, the complaint is about it being a popularity contest.
In truth, the number of votes cast in each category is so significant, no matter of self-promotion could make a big enough dent in the voting numbers overall. But we do encourage artists to do as much self-promotion as they like, enabling musicians to use the PMA's as a vechicle to market themselves to their fan base and the public in general, which is very much the point of the event in the first place - helping bands and fans find each other.
I tried voting, but the website won't let me.
Each IP address is allowed only one vote (to prevent ballot box stuffing). So if someone voted already on your computer, you can't vote from that computer again. If you are using a computer that is networked, it means it shares an IP address with all the connected computers (like at work). So if a co-worker already voted, that is all it will allow.
That said, remember you can vote from your desktop, laptop, work computer, cell phone, iPad, library computer or wherever - so no complaining.
If there are other questions you think should be answered here, please feel free to submit them
PMAs2012@aol.com