Singing News to not post nominations ballot online [UPDATED]
Yesterday, I called the Singing News offices to ask if they would be posting the ballot for the nominations round in the Singing News Fan Awards online. They said they would not.
This means, of course, that the nominations will be determined by the subscribers to the print magazine.
They did confirm that the ballots for top 10 and top 5 would be posted online, so those rounds will be open to all their readership.
[UPDATE, 3/5/09] Singing News has listened to the readers and made the ballot available. Thank you to Singing News, and to all who contacted them suggesting that it be done.
Comment by Paul the Concert Guy (March 4, 2009, 8:33 am)
Ok, if they have sold online subscriptions and those people don’t get to vote…well, I am trying to find the logic the Singing News is using.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 4, 2009, 8:37 am)
I’m guessing it’s just that the online readership is insignificant enough that it’s not worth the bother.
And therein lies the bright side: I guess they’re not planning to discontinue the print mag in the immediate future.
[Reply]
Comment by Kyle (March 4, 2009, 8:52 am)
What are the categories?
[Reply]
Comment by Kyle (March 4, 2009, 8:52 am)
Actually, if you subscribe online, you get the entire print magazine in PDF format. Just print off the page with the ballot and submit it. What’s the difference??
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 4, 2009, 9:09 am)
Kyle – I just flipped through every page of the PDF to be sure: The ballot is not in the online version.
Also, SN does not accept photocopies, so you can’t borrow a friend’s and copy it and send it in. You have to have an original from the print magazine to take part.
[Reply]
Comment by Diana (March 4, 2009, 9:51 am)
I’m glad you have posted this, Daniel. I hope every single one of the digital subscribers calls the SN office and gives them more than just a piece of their minds. This infuriates me on behalf of those subscribers.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 4, 2009, 10:37 am)
I do hope everyone says it in a nice way, though!
(Just tryin’ to keep the peace here!)
[Reply]
Comment by Chris Unthank (March 4, 2009, 10:44 am)
Wow. That’s all I can think to say about that…
[Reply]
Comment by Amy Rogers (March 4, 2009, 11:02 am)
I was wondering about that, because I just subscribed digitally. It isn’t a big deal to me personally, though … I’m fairly certain that anyone I plan on voting for will get nominated.
[Reply]
Comment by Seaton (March 4, 2009, 1:18 pm)
It just means it will be another year of awards dominated by Daywind and/or Crossroads artists. You gotta love it…..
[Reply]
Comment by Donna (March 4, 2009, 1:49 pm)
FYI, I sent an e-mail (yes, it was nice, but I told them I was very upset) and the person I sent it to is going to “look into it.” I’m hoping the decision will be reversed. If he is able to help us, I’ll post his name so that everyone can thank him!
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 4, 2009, 4:03 pm)
Speaking of SN nominations, I thought Daywind’s insert was bizarre. It promoted songs that haven’t even darkened the Top 80 yet – they’re April releases, and the nominations must be submitted by March 13. What gives?
Example:
Die Another Day – Brian Free & Assurance (as opposed to “I Believe God”)
[Reply]
Comment by David Bruce Murray (March 5, 2009, 12:49 am)
Tyler,
It doesn’t matter if it’s hit the Top 80 yet. All that matters is that it was sent out to radio before March 1.
Did anyone else note that the eligibility period for the Song and Album categories is only ten months? That seems odd. If you release your CD in March or April or send a single to radio during those two months, you’re out of luck when it comes to the Fan Awards.
[Reply]
Comment by Donna (March 5, 2009, 5:26 pm)
BIG, BIG NEWS!!!!! Subscribers can now vote on line!!!!! It’s right on the front page of SingingNews.com! I had communicated with Les Butler. I don’t know if HE had it fixed or not, but I thank him for being interested in “getting to the bottom” of it!
[Reply]
Comment by Nate (March 5, 2009, 9:56 pm)
Yep I just voted myself!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was happy when I saw that
I am not big on Mailing things anyway!!!!!!
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 6, 2009, 4:20 pm)
Thanks for that explanation, David, but that still doesn’t explain why April releases (also including Triumphant’s “Everyday,” etc.) are being pushed when people haven’t even heard the songs yet. It’s still March, and March is the deadline.
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 6, 2009, 4:22 pm)
Thanks for the explanation, David, but that still doesn’t explain why April releases (also including Triumphant’s “Everyday,” etc.) are being pushed when the nominations deadline is March.
If people haven’t even heard the songs yet, how are they gonna nominate them?
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 6, 2009, 4:24 pm)
Sorry about the double-post. This computer is wacked.
I had to type the message twice because it erased my first post.
[Reply]
Comment by Amy Rogers (March 6, 2009, 5:15 pm)
On faith, Tyler. Don’t you have Real Faith in BFA?
(Just kidding!)
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 7, 2009, 3:58 pm)
If “Die Another Day” is nominated, I’ll have to say “It’s So God!”
And if not, I’ll just say “Long as they got King Jesus they don’t need nobody else!”
…maybe Daywind’s blunders will make them a “Timeless Hymn or Classic.”
…or even “Greater Still,” they’ll realize that they’re just “Doing This For You,” whether or not they ever get a “Glimpse of Gold” at NQC for doing it.
[Reply]
Comment by Amy Rogers (March 7, 2009, 7:19 pm)
Spoken like a true BFA fan! I don’t know near that many of their songs.
[Reply]
Comment by David Bruce Murray (March 9, 2009, 6:02 pm)
Tyler,
It wouldn’t be the first time a record label has pushed a nomination that wasn’t eligible…or failed to push an eligible song.
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 10, 2009, 9:31 am)
Well that’s disturbing, that’s all I can say. Daywind is supposed to be the “Premier” SG record label, and they may have just shut out two of their top artists (who without fail have a song in the Top 10 – Triumphant, BFA) for no good reason at all.
I’d expect it from some of the lesser-known labels, but not Daywind.
I guess it’s up to the fans to nominate “The Old White Flag” and “I Believe God” despite Daywind’s mega-blunder. Not only was Daywind’s “advertisement insert” not an advertisement, it actually had the effective of negative advertising (if, in fact, those songs are disqualified).
If that prevents TQ and BFA from having a Top 10 SN Song of the Year, more people than I will be upset.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 10, 2009, 10:58 pm)
Tyler, it’s a risk Daywind has successfully taken before. They put “Once Upon a Cross” in their ballot before virtually anyone had heard it, and it made the top 10. If it had gotten the charting success it deserved, and really caught on, it would have peaked at the perfect points for top 5 and final ballots.
So since their risk has succeeded in the past, it’s somewhat less of a risk to try it again!
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 11, 2009, 9:26 am)
I understand, Daniel, but my question is whether the songs are even eligible since they are April releases. For some reason I thought the nominated songs had to be released by March 2009.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 11, 2009, 10:41 pm)
OK, good point.
[Reply]
Comment by steve k (March 12, 2009, 8:16 am)
It seems kinda odd that they would push these songs. Hmm…but on that note, Triumphant’s album Everyday is the best I’ve heard in a while. I guess “Everyday” is the single? If so, I wouldn’t vote it song of the year even though it’s a good song…just not the strongest.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 12, 2009, 8:17 am)
I can’t remember what the single was. All I remember is what the single wasn’t – “Call it What it Is.” That’s the song I think they really need to send to radio before they come out with their next project.
[Reply]
Comment by Tyler (March 12, 2009, 9:15 am)
“Everyday” is Triumphant’s new single.
[Reply]
Comment by Daniel J. Mount (March 12, 2009, 10:48 pm)
I’ve been running on way to little sleep the last few days. Duh! For some reason, I thought you were talking about Liberty Quartet.
[Reply]