Hall of Fame Nomination & Election Process
Election to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame is open to any individual, group or entity which has made a significant and positive impact upon either the art or industry of the banjo in the following categories:
- Four-String Performance
- Five-String Performance
- Design & Manufacture
- Instruction & Education
- Promotion
- Historical
Election to the ABM Hall of Fame occurs in a three-step process:
- Suggestion
- Nomination
- Election
Suggestions and Nominations
Suggestions for nomination may be made by any member in good standing of the American Banjo Museum association. Suggestions for nomination, both current and past, are reviewed annually by the ABM Board of Directors. Based on this review, the Board may make up to four nominations in each category. However, in the event that no suggested candidates are deemed to be suitable by the Board, the Board is under no obligation to make any nominations in any of the induction categories. Nominations are not made public to those outside the voting body until after the election has taken place. While non-elected nominees are eligible to again be suggested and nominated in future Hall of Fame elections, the routine of automatically recurring annual nomination until election is not practiced by the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. Suggestions should be mailed to: Johnny Baier, American Banjo Museum, 9 East Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
Nominations made by the ABM Board of Directors are forwarded to the voting body for consideration and discussion. The voting body consists of ABM Board of Directors, living individual members of the Hall of Fame, and lifetime members of the ABM. In a circumstance where an individual within the voting body falls into more than one of the aforementioned voter groups (ie: Director, HOF member, and/or Lifetime ABM member), he or she will have only one vote in the election.
Elections
Ballots – which include brief biographies of each nominee are generated by the ABM executive director and sent to the voting body approximately two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the election (which typically coincides with a meeting of the ABM Board of Directors). All electors are invited to either attend said meeting to vote in person or submit their absentee ballot and comments regarding nominees prior to the meeting. Absentee ballots are tabulated as received by the ABM executive director. Those voting in person are not to be made aware of the results of absentee voting prior to casting their ballots.
The ABM Board of Directors President will abstain from voting in the general election and will be called upon to vote only in the event of a tie. Ballots cast in person will be tabulated by the ABM executive director as well as one member of the Board of Directors (who will, at that time, also review and confirm tabulation of absentee ballots.) With all ballots tabulated, the results will be announced to the Board of Directors who will immediately certify the results and order the ballots to be destroyed.
In the event that voting does not coincide with an ABM Board of Directors meeting, voting may also take place exclusively via absentee ballots. Absentee ballots will be tabulated by the ABM executive director as received with a review of the tabulation performed by an ABM Board of Directors member prior to the results being forwarded to the Board of Directors for certification. Upon such certification, the ballots will be destroyed.
Ballots contain a “none of the above” voting option in each category of nomination and the possibility exists that no honoree will be elected in a given category even though nominations had been made.
Upon certification of the election, Hall of Fame honorees will be notified as soon as possible by the President of the ABM Board of Directors. When all honorees have been notified, the ABM executive director will publicly announce the HOF honorees.
Induction Ceremonies
Induction ceremonies will take place each year in conjunction with festivities celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the American Banjo Museum in September of 2009. Upon selection of the specific date for the induction ceremonies for any given year, living honorees will be invited to attend in person.