FAQs

There are two parts to The Independent Music Awards:

• The general voting process determined by our industry and artist judging panel
• The Vox Populi "voice of the people" process where fans and visitors determine the winners by rating the nominees at The Vox Populi Jukebox

A winner is selected through each of these processes. One artist is eligible to win both awards.
 

Not at this time. However there are performance and broadcast opportunities throughout the year.
 

The nominees are announced in winter and the winners are announced soon after. The results of the Vox Populi are announced in the summer. Nominees & winners are all notified via email. An announcement will also be made on our website, in The IMA Buzz Newsletter, and our social media pages. You can sign up for The IMA Buzz Newsletter to receive our updates by visiting our homepage (ENEWS & UPDATES). You can also stay in touch with us via any one of our social networking profiles (linked icons are found at the top of every page of our website).
 

Unlike contests or battle of the band programs that focus on cash & prizes, The IMAs deliver yearlong marketing & sales support plus performance & licensing opportunities that place winners & nominees in front of 1 billion music fans. The program creates opportunities and fan bases for artists & releases traditionally ignored by mainstream gatekeepers, mass media & big box retailers. We are always working on new promotional and revenue-generating opportunities to further the careers of IMA entrants, nominees and winners. Check out the Program Benefits for a list of current program initiatives.
 

Yes! We proudly accept submissions from all over the globe. Here's a map that plots some of our entrants:
 

No. You maintain all rights to your songs when you submit. Nominees & winners may have the option for further licensing opportunities.
 

We recommend having your material copyrighted in order to protect your work.
 

Yes, there is a Cover Song category! Covers songs are also accepted in the Tribute Album category. Interpretations of standards and traditional songs are accepted in any category. You don’t need permission from the publisher to enter your cover songs.
 

Our own online submission platform
Mail-In Entry Form
Sonicbids

Be sure to visit the Eligibility & Submission Guidelines Page to make sure your material is eligible and you correctly submit it.
 

The final deadline to enter The 12th IMAs is Friday, October 12, 2012. All entries must be postmarked/mailed on or before this date. If you enter online, the deadline is midnight EST (US) on Friday, October 12, 2012. The IMAs reserves the right to extend the final deadline.
 

A nominal processing fee is required for each entry form. 1 Song = $30
1 Full Album = $30
1 EP = $30
1 Music Video (Long or Short Form) = $30
1 Design Entry = $30

Submit 3 or 4 entries and you receive a 10% discount. Submit 5 or more entries and you receive a 20% discount. (5 entries is like getting 1 for free; 10 entries is like getting 2 for free!) *Discounts can only be processed per order. Orders cannot be combined to get the discounts.
 

You may pay by credit card, check or money order. International entries must be paid by credit card or international money order payable in U.S. funds. Multiple entries may be paid with one check or money order.
 

The processing fee helps to offset the cost of organizing, opening, sorting, listening, debating, rating, tracking down & communicating with judges in far-flung places around the globe, tallying & posting results. The nominal fee covers all of the ongoing marketing support for nominees and winners – 12 week-radio promotion campaign to 650 US & Canadian college, public and commercial radio, inclusion on 20,000 digital download cards distributed to industry & fans, featured placement on eMusic & 20,000 Musicati/AMI jukeboxes, press releases, showcases, etc. Check out all the Program Benefits covered by submission fees.
 

Of course! Check out the Submission Guidelines for the details. Submit 3 or 4 entries and you receive a 10% discount. Submit 5 or more entries and you receive a 20% discount. (5 entries is like getting 1 for free; 10 entries is like getting 2 for free!) *Discounts can only be processed per order. Orders cannot be combined to get the discounts.
 

Include one CD per entry. When submitting multiple entries, you may put all the CDs into one package, but remember to include separate entry forms for each entry.
 

With more than 80 Song, Album, Video & Design categories, there’s a lot to choose from. Check them out here. We know it’s not always easy to categorize your work, so we’ll contact you if the judges think your submission has a better shot in a different category – so be sure to keep us posted if your contact info changes.
 

For Song categories, we do require entries to be original compositions or a composition that is receiving its first public recording. The only exception to this rule among the Song categories is for artists or bands submitting to the Cover Song category. Album and EP category entries can include a combination of original and cover songs. Or, the songs can be all original or all cover songs.
 

Artists who submit to The IMAs may be featured on The IMA homepage, social media sites and in direct mail blasts to thousands of industry and fans. Please don’t send unsolicited requests for Spotlights.
 

No! Nominations are only determined after submissions are closed and ALL entries are reviewed by the judging panelists.
 

No. Five nominees per category are selected from the entire pool of submissions by our judging panel. Nominees and winners are all notified via email as well as announced on our website & in The IMA Buzz Newsletter. You can sign up to receive our updates on our homepage under ENEWS & UPDATES. You can also stay in touch with us via any one of our social networking profiles (linked icons found at the top of our website).
 

Of course! You’ll be hearing from us a lot throughout the year. We’ll email you directly throughout the year to keep you posted about important IMA dates, news and opportunities, so please be sure to inform us when your contact info changes. And news about The IMAs will be posted on our website, social media pages, newsletters, press releases, blog posts, etc.
 

#1. Register at www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/Login.aspx

#2. Under Register, enter a valid email address, a password and confirm your password; then click Register Now! You will be sent TWO emails. One which activates your registration and one which asks you to confirm your subscription to our newsletter so you can stay updated about the winners and other IMA news. *Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not see the email to activate your registration (especially Gmail users).

#3. After clicking the link to confirm your registration, log in using the information you provided.

#4. Navigate to the category where you'd like to vote (nominees can provide a specific link if they choose) and vote by giving a nominee 1 to 5 stars.
 

We send an activation link to the email address you used to register. Sometimes this email gets sent to your Spam/Junk folder. You will not be able to log in without clicking this activation link.
 

The results of the Vox Populi are announced in the summer, usually in July. Nominees & winners are all notified via email. An announcement will also be made on our website, in The IMA Buzz Newsletter, and our social media pages. You can sign up for The IMA Buzz Newsletter to receive our updates by visiting our homepage (ENEWS & UPDATES). You can also stay in touch with us via any one of our social networking profiles (linked icons are found at the top of every page of our website).
 

Rating the track is the same as "voting" for the track.
 

You can give tracks a rating between 1 and 5 stars. The higher the number you rate a track, the better that track will do in the final calculations. After the voting process ends, stars are added up, and the nominee with the most stars in each category is declared the Vox Pop winner.
 

Yes! We encourage you to listen and discover new artists. On the left-side of the page, you'll see in white type categories for: ALBUM FINALISTS, DESIGN FINALISTS, SONG FINALISTS & VIDEO FINALISTS. Once you are registered and logged in, you are able to vote/rate artists in every category.
 

The system is programmed so that fans can only vote/rate tracks one time (no ballot box stuffing!).
 

Once you submit your rating you will not be able to change it.
 

You may return to the IMA Jukebox at a later time to vote/rate tracks. Simply log in and the Star Rating system will appear.