Last year's winner:

Categories

Best Male Spoken Word Artist
To be judged on the overall performance by the male performer of the spoken word submission.  Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the presentation by the artist during the performance of the song and/or reading, voice quality and range, the ability to convey with conviction the intended theme of the reading.

Best Female Spoken Word Artist
To be judged on the overall performance by the female performer of the spoken word submission.  Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the presentation by the artist during the performance of the song and/or reading, voice quality and range, the ability to convey with conviction the intended theme of the reading.

Best Spoken Word Duo or Group
To be judged on the overall performance by the entire group performing the reading and/or song.  Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the presentation by the group during the performance of the reading and/or song, voice quality, range and harmony of group, as well as the ability to convey with conviction the intended theme of the reading.

Best Spoken Word Recording
Judging criteria includes overall performance by the artist or group, as well as the overall execution of the recording by the producer. 

Best Spoken Word Song 
Judging criteria includes overall creativity by the writer of the spoken word.

Best Young Spoken Word Artist
Primary artist in this submission MUST be 17 years of age or younger, or if a group, the majority of the members in the ensemble MUST be 17 years of age or younger.  To be judged on the overall performance by the young performer(s).  Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the presentation by the artist(s) during the performance of the reading and/or song, voice quality and range, as well as the ability to convey with conviction the intended theme of the reading.   

Best "Live" Spoken Word Performance
To be judged on the overall "Live" performance of the artist or group, including overall creativity in the presentation by the artist or group,  voice quality, range and harmony, as well as stage presence.  NOTE: the overall video and sound quality of the live performance submitted need not be "perfect", but it should be as clear as possible.

Best Spoken Word Producer
To be judged on the overall production of the spoken word submission from start to finish, including creative use of speaker's/singer's ability and range, as well as creative use of musicians and instrumentation.  Strong emphasis on overall quality of tone and equalization of all voices and instruments.

Best Spoken Word Video 
To be judged on overall quality of the music video, including creative story telling, image/video quality, editing, as well as the performance by the artist.  
PLEASE NOTE:  This sub-category is split into 2 separate categories based upon the overall production budget to create the video: "Best Video (under $5,000)" and "Best Video ($5,000 and over)"

Best Spoken Word Demo
For artists who have created a demo of a spoken word and have recorded it in a home-based studio ONLY.  Submissions in this sub-category must NOT have been recorded in a professional commercial recording studio, and must NOT have been pressed into a CD for commercial release at the time of this submission. Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the writing of the spoken word, as well as any instrumentation, overall writing structure and performance by the speaker and/or singer.  NOTE: the overall sound quality of the recording of the song submitted in this sub-category need not be "perfect", but it should be as clear as possible.

Best Spoken Word Artist (non-musical)
For spoken word artists who perform a spoken word piece without music.  Judging criteria includes the ability to capture and hold the listeners attention throughout the entire piece, as well as the overall creativity in the presentation of the spoken word, including voice quality, rhythm and inflection. 

Best Spoken Word (non-musical)
For artists who have written a spoken word piece without music.  Judging criteria includes overall creativity in the writing of the spoken word, theme and subject matter, as well as overall flow and structure of the "message" and spoken word.  

* Winners in each of the categories above will automatically be nominated for overall "...of the Year" awards among all genres (no additional submission fee required)

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SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC:

​You must be a current member of the 
Indie Music Channel to submit for the awards.

To join the Indie Music Channel:
"Click Here" to sign up and submit your music
for the above categories!

 If you are already a member:
"Click Here" to sign in (or to renew your membership) 
and submit your music for the above categories!

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​Genre: Spoken Word

Submission fee: $35.00 per category

- Submissions in this category MUST feature music in the performance EXCEPT where noted below.

- Submissions in this genre may submit into more than one of the categories below.

- Submissions in this genre may also submit into other suitable genres for which their music would apply.

- The Top 5 submissions automatically advance on as Nominees for an IMC Award (there is no additional submission fee for nominees to advance on to the final round of judging)


Charles Kelly