Skip Navigation

Country Music Hall of Fame

Election Procedures

Purpose

The Country Music Association has established the Country Music Hall of Fame as an institution devoted to recognizing and honoring noteworthy individuals for outstanding contributions to Country Music. The purpose of this document is to state details of the Hall of Fame selection process and criteria for evaluating candidates for the award.

Selection Process

  • The process of selecting Hall of Fame winners will be divided into two phases:

    Nomination of candidates
    Election of winners

  • A Hall of Fame Nominating Committee will be vested with the responsibility for nominating a slate of Hall of Fame candidates; from this slate, winners will be chosen by a panel of not less than 100 Hall of Fame electors.

The Hall of Fame Nominating Committee

  1. The committee will consist of 12 voting members, each serving a three year term.
  2. The CMA President and Chairman of the Board will serve as ex officio non voting members of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
  3. The Hall of Fame Nominating Committee will elect its own chairman.
  4. Each year, before the expiration of the terms of four members of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, the Awards and Recognition Committee will present four names to the CMA Board for ratification at their first quarterly Board meeting. A member whose term expires may again serve after the passage of three years.
  5. No member of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee will be eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame while serving on the Nominating Committee.

Panel of Electors

  1. A panel of at least 100 Hall of Fame electors will be charged with responsibility of selecting Hall of Fame winners.
  2. Electors will serve for life so long as they are in compliance with Items 7 and 8 below.
  3. Additional appointments may be made to the Panel of Electors as deemed necessary by the Board to maintain a sufficient number of Electors.
  4. Appointment to the Panel of Electors will be made by the CMA Board of Directors by a majority vote from a roster of recommended names prepared by the Awards and Recognition Committee. Any Board member may suggest additional names for consideration. Electors will be appointed on an individual basis, not as a panel.
  5. The 12 members of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee will also serve as Electors.
  6. Officers and Directors of the CMA may also serve as Electors, but this role is not automatic.
  7. Electors must have participated actively in Country Music for at least 10 years and must themselves merit respect and recognition for their accomplishments and/or knowledge in one or more aspects of Country Music. Electors must be members of the Country Music Association.
  8. Electors failing to vote two consecutive years will automatically be considered incapacitated and their names dropped from the Panel. Written request will be required for reinstatement.

Nomination of Hall of Fame Candidates

  1. Each year the Executive Director of CMA and the Director of CMF will each present 5 names to the Nominating Committee for consideration. The committee will not be limited to or bound by those suggestions. Neither of the directors is an elected member of the Nominating Committee and, therefore, neither has voting rights.
  2. Each year, at a date chosen by the Association, the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee will, by majority vote, conducted by secret ballot, nominate no less than ten nor more than twenty Hall of Fame candidates as official nominees for each category to be inducted in that year. Deceased persons must have been dead one year prior to nomination.
  3. Each year there will be one candidate inducted in the Open Category. Nominees for the Open Category will be chosen “at large” by merit alone, irrespective of whether they are living or deceased, currently active or inactive, and irrespective of activity category.
  4. Beginning in 1989 and every third year thereafter, in addition to the Open Category, a non performer will be inducted. A non performer is defined as a person not known as a performing artist, songwriter or other entertainer.
  5. In 2003, and in every third year thereafter, there will be a Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980 Category. There will also be the usual Open Category.
  6. In 2004, and in every third year thereafter, there will be a Non-Performer Category. There will also be the usual Open Category.
  7. In 2005, and in every third year thereafter, Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to WWII will alternate with the Musician & Non-Performer categories.
  8. In 2005, and every year thereafter, the Open Category will be split in two so that there will be Career achieved national prominence between WWII and 1975 (through 1974) and Career achieved national prominence between 1975-current (beginning in 1975).
  9. Nominations will be guided by the Hall of Fame Criteria.