The submission phase is designed to build a list of choices to assist current (or newly registered) Detroit Music Awards voters when casting their votes on the Nomination Ballot during PHASE 2 of the online voting process.  This is the preliminary list, so keep in mind that only one submission is necessary to insure any artist gets included.  Multiple entries for the same artist do not count as additional votes or benefit the artist in any way.  Enlisting friends, family or co-workers to send out the same email over and over only slows the process down at this stage. 

Be sure to READ CAREFULLY!  Last year's procedures remain in effect and will be enforced even more strictly than before (but we promise it is not as tough as you think it is!):

Please follow the guidelines below and send Phase 1 submissions to:  

submissions@detroitmusicawards.net

• ONE submission per email.  You may make up to ten (10) different submissions, but each must be a separate email.
• Use this format:  YOUR name, followed by submission Last name (or band name), First name, Genre, Category.  If your submission is for an instrumentalist, please include instrument & band(s) affiliation.  If your submission is for a vocalist, please include any band(s) affiliation.  *Please refer to the 2019 Winners for a list of all genres and categories*

EXAMPLE 1:  Rick Dees submits Orbison, Roy as Outstanding Blues Songwriter

EXAMPLE 2:  Casey Kasem submits Van Halen, Eddie for Outstanding Rock Instrumentalist, Guitar  (Van Halen)

EXAMPLE 3:  Wolfman Jack submits Waite, John for Outstanding Classical Vocalist (The Babys, Bad English)

• For recordings (physical or digital; single, EP, or album), you must include the title, genre, release date and label (if any).
• To be considered as choices for the 2020 Detroit Music Awards, recordings must have been released between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.
• Any deviation from the above format will automatically disqualify the submission.

• Artists may be submitted for the same category (vocalist, songwriter, etc.) in multiple genres, but will only move on to nomination in ONE of those genres.  For instance, a guitar player can be submitted for consideration in Rock, Jazz and Country but will only be nominated in one of those fields.  The final determination of which field will be made by the DMA Balloting Committee.  If you prefer a certain genre over the others, it is suggested to make the initial submission in ONLY your preferred field.

• Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm EST, January 26, 2020.  Any email received after that time will not be considered for nomination.

Submitting names or recordings during this phase does NOT nominate the Artist, Group or Recording for the Final Ballot. 

Names eligible to be considered as choices must have a connection, or perform a body of work, primarily in the Detroit metro area, which, for our purposes, stretches as far north as Flint, as far west as metropolitan Ann Arbor, as far south as the Ohio border, and as far east as the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.