About

The Ohio Music Awards strive for the fairest and most consistent means of judging entries.

The Ohio Music Awards is committed to celebrating and recognizing the rich and diverse music of Ohio’s artists by awarding Best of Ohio Music Awards in a variety of genres. The Ohio Music Awards are open to Ohio artists whose original recordings are either recorded, produced or mixed primarily within the state of Ohio.

The two main categories are Single Song and Full Length CD.

Single Song Entry Fee: $30
Full Length CD Entry Fee: $45

The Single Song category is for individual songs. Only one copy of individual submissions is necessary. The Full Length category is for complete albums. Both single songs and full length entries can be submitted electronically or sent to the OMA mailing address. Full length entries must be commercially available at the time of entry. Commercially available is defined as packaged for retail sales and available for sale to the general public either through retail outlets or via the Internet.

The Songwriting category is a single song submission. Since many songwriters send their songs to studios outside of the State of Ohio, and because it is the song itself that is being judged and not the recording or production quality, submissions to the Songwriting category need to be made by entrants who lived in Ohio during the time that the song was composed. In the case of co-writing, only one of the writers need be an Ohio resident at the time that the song was written.

OMA will verify the location of recordings and mixing by the information provided on the entry form.

Home studios are just as valid as commercial studios. Artists may enter more than once, however, each entry requires its own entry form.
Each entry form must contain information about the entrant as well as the location of the recording.
The “Entrant” is the person who submits the entry.
Entries without necessary contact information cannot be qualified.
Entrants are encouraged to complete the entry form with legible handwriting and to properly identify the category of submission. Illegible and/or mis-categorized entries cannot be considered for awards.
Submission forms must accompany the music submitted.
Submissions may be made by CD. More than one entry can be placed on a CD, but there needs to be a completed entry form for each entry.
CDs with audio problems may be disqualified, so please listen to your CD after burning it.
Multiple entries on one CD must be properly indexed. For example, if you submit three songs on one CD, it should not be one track with three songs, rather it should be three separate tracks.
The CD itself should have the entrants name and names of each track. Mislabeled CDs may also not be considered for awards.
Entries may be made by cassette or mp3 files as well. Cassette tapes can be mailed to Ohio Music Awards. MP3 submission can be made through OMA’s website.

OMA Tips:

Make sure your entry is complete with proper contact information and payment. If you are mailing your submission to OMA, include the name of your submission (song/album title) in the memo section of your check.
Choose the appropriate category. You may enter the same submission to more than one category, however, each additional category requires an entry fee. Hook your listeners: Grab them in 10-15 seconds and they’re yours for the rest of the song.
Give us enough information. Avoid confusing entries with illegible handwriting and mis-labeled CDs.
Avoid CD sticker labels. It is most efficient to simply label your CD with a permanent marker.
If your project is not ready, don’t rush it; rushing can lead to shortcuts and leave you with a song or project that falls short of your expectations.
Seek the advice of industry professionals and other artists. Don’t just listen, but study other artists. They are successful for a reason. Try to create that same type of excitement in your music.
Seek the advice of professionals. Getting the opinion of producers, engineers, and other artists can give you perspectives outside of your own. Don’t be afraid to experiment; sometimes taking your music in a new direction can open things up creatively.