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
- Education & Innovation
- Promotion
- Historical/Early (posthumous - primary influence prior to 1955 - elected by acclamation of the Board)
- Historical/Recent (posthumous - primary influence after 1955)
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. 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 for nomination should be mailed to: Board of Directors, American Banjo Museum, 9 East Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
Diversity
The American Banjo Museum encourages diversity in suggestions made for induction to the Hall of Fame.
Election
The Hall of Fame voting body consists of ABM Board of Directors members, living individual members of the Hall of Fame, and lifetime members of the ABM association. 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.
Ballots – which include brief biographies of each nominee are sent via USPS mail to the voting body approximately one month prior to the closing date of the election.
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.
After the closing date of the election ballots are tabulated by the ABM executive director as well as one member of the Board of Directors. With all ballots tabulated, the results are revealed to the Board of Directors who will certify the election and order the ballots to 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. 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 fall. Upon selection of the specific date for the induction ceremonies for any given year, living honorees will be invited to attend in person.