Jury
For: Horizon Female, Horizon Male, Horizon Group or Duo, Horizon Single, Horizon Album, Male Artist, Female Artist, Group or Duo, Single, and Songwriter(s) of the Year
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This year, we’re introducing a jury component to the Country Music Alberta Awards! Alongside our membership votes, a panel of industry experts will help review submissions to ensure we’re celebrating artistry, creativity, and the incredible talent shaping Alberta’s country music scene.
We understand that this is a change, and we want to be transparent about why we’re implementing it: it ensures the awards continue to reflect both excellence and fairness. By combining member votes with juried evaluation, we can recognize achievements that showcase both popular support and professional standards.
Selection Process
Each jury will be made up of industry professionals recommended by our Board of Directors and Industry Advisory Panel, as well as by application. Applications for jury members will open in mid-November.
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Jurors are selected for their impartiality and expertise and will come from across Canada. This brings two key benefits:
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Country Music Alberta artists gain exposure to industry members nationwide.
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A larger jury pool helps avoid conflicts of interest and ensures a fair, objective process.
Panels of at least ten jurors per award will be formed only after membership voting on the First Ballot is complete and the Top Ten contenders have been selected. This ensures all conflicts of interest are avoided before the jury process begins.
Jury Process
The jury process happens during the Second and Third Ballots. Each juror receives clear criteria and reviews artist submissions, including music and Artist Reflections. Jurors then evaluate independently, without knowing other jurors or their scores.
Scoring
Once ballots have closed, we will combine membership votes and jury scores using the following formula:
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For determining the Final Five nominees:
51% jury vote
49% membership vote
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For determining the Winner:
51% jury vote
49% membership vote
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This approach ensures a balanced process, where both the voice of our members and the expertise of industry professionals help celebrate Alberta’s country music talent.
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We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to grow and strengthen the awards. Thank you for being an essential part of this community!