New Mexico Music Awards
How The Judging Process Works

The New Mexico Music Awards judging process has evolved over the past 20 years to become one of the most consistent and evenhanded of any event of its kind in the U.S. today. Our judging process conforms to strict guidelines in order to ensure fairness while maintaining a high standard for our winners.

The process begins at the entry level. Entries are cataloged as they are received and each is placed in the proper category. Entry information is verified as each entry is received. Samples of each entry are played, first to ensure that audio is on the CD and to make certain that the entry is the one listed on the entry form. Entrants are notified that their entry has been received and processed.

Past reasons for disqualification include entry into the wrong category, entries from previous years showing up again as new entries; previously released material showing up in a category for original compositions; projects recorded and/or produced primarily outside of the state of New Mexico; non-payment of entry fees. In every instance except the latter, entry fees are returned and every entrant is given an opportunity to correct a problem entry.

From this point on the judging process the NMMA judge chair handles the judging process. The chair is not allowed to either submit or vote on the entries. Each entry is copied to CD in the category specific to the entry. This CD is then passed on to a number of preliminary judges. Each entry is assigned a number to ensure anonymity during the judging process so as not to influence judges through familiarity with any particular artist.

Preliminary judging is done by the Albuquerque radio community at large as well as other invited New Mexico music industry professionals.

Preliminary judges include, program and music directors, on air talent, sound engineers, producers, working musicians, marketing directors, club owners, managers and booking agents. No one with an interest in any category, financial, actual, or familial, past or present, is allowed to judge that category. The names of the preliminary judges are not published so as to avoid any undue influence from the entrants.

Judging is based on production, performance and composition unless other criteria have been established for the category. Only the entries with the top 5 scores make the finals unless a tie for 5th place occurs, in which case, 6 entries may be declared as finalists. The decision of the judges is final.

Once the preliminary judging is completed, final entries in each category are burned to CD, reviewed for quality and sent to judges outside of New Mexico. Judges may choose to judge in any category and may judge more than one group of finalists. For instance, a country music producer may choose to judge both the Country Western category and the Engineering category.

Each judge is chosen for her or his involvement in the music industry on a national scale. Past judges have included, songwriters, performers, producers, record company executives, music reviewers, engineers, graphic design artists, music magazine editors, booking agents, road managers and music educators. The names of the finals judges are published only after the judging process is completed and the awards have been presented. The categories that each national judge participated in are not made public so as to keep their judging decisions appropriately private. The decision of these judges is final.