Albums can be self-nominated. IF YOU ARE SELF- NOMINATING, please provide the following: A copy of the nominated album must accompany the Western Album or Cowboy/Western Swing of the Year nomination, a copy of the album containing a nominated song, or an album containing only the nominated song must accompany the Song of the Year nomination. Song nomination albums must be accompanied by either album artwork or a photocopy of the artwork showing the release date.
In the case of Western Album of the Year and Cowboy/ Western Swing Album of the Year, 75% of the music on the album must be of Western in content, lyrically or musically. Country Music content does not count as Western Music.
Albums must have a release date and bar code.
Any individual whose body of work meets criteria may be nominated for IWMA awards. Forms are made available to all members and may be provided to non-members by request. Current IWMA membership is required for voting.
Albums and songs will all have a “birth” date of January 1 of the release year and will be eligible that year and one subsequent year (January 1, 2020 through September 1, 2021).
Albums may be self-nominated. If you are self-nominating, a copy of the nominated album must be submitted with the nomination.
Albums must have a release date.
Albums must have a bar code.
Non-IWMA authors may be nominated. They will be notified that they have been nominated and be given a chance to become a member to win the award. At that time, they can choose to become a member or decline the nomination and lose eligibility.
All albums will have a “birth date” of January 1 of the release year and will be eligible that year plus one subsequent year (Example: January 1, 2020 through September 1, 2021).
Poems written in free verse or blank verse are not eligible.
75% of the album tracks must be Cowboy Poetry, written and recited by a single person; the reciter must be the principal author of the poetry. The poetry must be the original work of the reciter, written in rhythm, rhyme and meter.
25% of the album tracks may contain other material including:
Western Music, pre-recorded or live,
Prose, including short stories or spoken introductions,
Material written by someone other than the collaborators,
Poetry recited by someone other than the principal author, including poetry written by the principal author.
Collaboration in writing is permitted. In the event a poem is written by the collaboration of two or more persons, one of the collaborators must be named as the “principal” author. The other collaborators will be regarded as co-authors. Editors are considered collaborators.
Collaboration in reciting is not eligible. Any poetry tracks that are recited by other than the principal author, regardless of authorship of the poem, will not count toward the 75% Cowboy Poetry requirement.
BACKGROUND MUSIC
Background music performed for the poetry album is permitted. Music need not be original.
Background music must be Western.Background music imported from an external source (CD, radio, etc.) is permitted. Such music must be properly licensed for inclusion in the poetry album.
Poetry is defined as works containing rhyme and meter. Although the book’s content may include short prose and free verse, the poetry alone will be judged in meeting criteria for eligibility. Anything that is not poetry as hereby described, including free verse, will be classified as prose.
50% of the book must be “poetry” with rhyme and meter and must be original work written by the author of the book.
50% of those poems (criteria #1) must be 20 lines or more in length.
Credits for poems used as a “cover” and poems written by someone other than the author of the book (including anonymous works) must be given. Poems not written by the author of the book will be considered “prose” and will not qualify for the 50% eligibility criteria as described above.
Books written by multiple authors are not eligible.
All books will have a “birth” date of January 1 of the copyright year. Eligibility is for that year, plus two subsequent years.
Non-IWMA authors may be nominated. They will be notified that they have been nominated and be given a chance to become a member to win the award. At that time, they can choose to become a member or decline the nomination and lose eligibility.
A reprint of a book published in a previous award year is not eligible.
Ballot must be postmarked or emailed on or before September 5, 2021 to be counted:.IWMA Awards, PO Box 648, Coppell, TX 75019 or info@westernmusic.org