The Music Producers Guild has announced changes to the voting procedure for its Studio of the Year Award. These changes will come into effect immediately and will apply to all Studio of the Year nominations for its 2012 Awards, which take place next February at the Cafe de Paris in London.
In previous years the Award for Studio of the Year was decided by the MPG’s judging panel, which chose the winner from a shortlist drawn up to reflect votes cast by full members of the MPG. Studios on the shortlist were asked to support their nomination with a presentation to the judges in which they highlighted their unique selling points and explained why they felt they deserved the award.
However, after reflecting on this process, the MPG feels that relying purely on a presentation is not the best way to decide the award and that it is far better to allow those who actually use studios on a daily basis to make the decision.
The new procedure will enable all full members of MPG to cast their vote for Studio of the Year, and these votes will then be counted with the Award going to the studio that gathers the most votes.
Steve Levine, chairman of MPG, says: “In many ways this is a far simpler process as it will rely solely on counting votes from working producers. They are the best people to judge just how good a studio is and to allocate the award accordingly. We felt that adjusting the voting procedure for this award is necessary as it will make the process easier for the studios.”
In order to qualify for the MPG’s full membership category, which brings with it the right to vote, members must be professional recording practitioners and be resident in the UK. They must also fulfil a specific set of criteria which are listed on the MPG website.
“Having a full member category is vital to the success of our awards because it ensures that our voting procedures are seen to be fair and transparent,” says Steve Levine. “Full members are all professionals who understand the recording process and are therefore qualified to make accurate and informed decisions.”
Anyone wishing to apply for MPG Full Membership can do so via the website – www.mpg.org.uk. The subscription fee for Full Membership is £120 per year, while Associate members who qualify for Full Membership can upgrade their subscription at a reduced rate.
Nominations for the 2012 MPG Awards are closed and voting for all categories is now is open. Voting for Studio of the Year will remain open until January 8th. The final judging will take place in January and the winners of each category will be announced at the Awards ceremony.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the MPG 2012 Awards and any company that would like to be part of this exciting event should contact Sadie Groom at Bubble & Squeak. Telephone: +44 (0) 207 287 4262. Email: [email protected]
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About Music Producers Guild
The Music Producers Guild was conceived and is supported by producers and engineers who are passionate about all aspects of making and recording music. It is a not for profit company and is run by volunteers from the membership. Formed as a Guild rather than a Trade Association, MPG has no party political agenda, but does represent the professional recording community to Government and actively engages with other music industry organisations, to develop a dialogue about and exert an influence on matters of mutual interest and benefit to its members and its industry. The achievements of this creative community are celebrated each year through the MPG Awards event. www.mpg.org.uk
