News & Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May. 8, 2006
All CMA Awards Balloting Online For The First Time In 2006
Ballot Schedule Announced for “Country Music’s Biggest Night”
NASHVILLE – Following a two-year transition period with both paper and online voting, all balloting for “The 40th Annual CMA Awards” will be completely conducted online in 2006, the Country Music Association announced today.
“In the last two years, CMA has provided the online voting option along with the paper ballot option,” said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. “With an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on the convenience and simplicity of the online balloting system, the Board of Directors decided to make all CMA Awards voting online for the first time this year.”
Once again, online voting will be serviced through Election Services Corporation (ESC), the leading provider of election management services. CMA Members will receive information regarding online voting from CMA this week.
“We will initiate an awareness campaign to support the online balloting program and put resources in place to make sure that our membership is comfortable and familiar with all of their options for voting online,” Genovese said. “Our mission is to make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote for the CMA Awards is able to do so, and that voting is as easy and convenient as possible for our busy, professional members.”
“The 40th Annual CMA Awards” will originate from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn., and air on the ABC Television Network later this year.
The eligibility period for the 2006 CMA Awards is July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The first ballot and instructions will be e-mailed June 28 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot close at 5:00 PM/CT, July 14. It takes 10 nominations on the first ballot to be included on the second ballot.
The second ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Aug. 8. Voting for the second ballot closes at 5:00 PM/CT, Aug. 23. The final five nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced Aug. 30. The third and final ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Oct. 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends at 5:00 PM/CT, Oct. 24.
The 2005 CMA Awards, held Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, won the night in viewers and key demographics, according to final national Nielsen ratings. The CMA Awards were first in households (11.1/17), viewers (17.73m), adults 18-49 (5.4/13), and adults 25-54 (6.7/15). According to the Nielsen research, the CMA Awards was the No. 10 program for the week with an estimated total audience of more than 36 million viewers, who saw all or part of the ceremony. Currently, the 2005 CMA Awards is the highest-rated music, awards program of the television season.
The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards were broadcast on NBC television for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971 and on the CBS Television Network from 1972 through 2005.
“The 40th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Walter C. Miller is the Executive Producer, Robert Deaton is the Consulting Producer, Paul Miller is the Director. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event.