Programs - Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Induction Process

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has been honouring Canadian Artists and Builders who have made long-term contributions to the growth and development of Canadian country music since 1984. Inductees into this Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame) are selected annually by their Canadian peers in the industry. The Hall of Fame is managed by the CCMA Board of Directors appointed Hall of Fame Management Committee (Management Committee).

The information below is an overview of the Hall of Fame selection process and criteria for evaluating Artists and Builders for this honour.

For the complete document of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Rules, Regulations and Induction Processes, CLICK HERE.

Selection Process Overview:

The process of selecting Hall of Fame inductees has three phases:

Phase 1 - Hall of Fame Grand List Management

The Grand List is broken down into two categories - eligible Artists and Builders who will be considered each year for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Members of the CCMA are invited throughout the year, to suggest an individual or group in the categories of Artist and Builder for possible induction into the Hall of Fame. The member must complete a Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Consideration Form (Consideration Form) providing a biography of the candidate, with rationale. The Consideration Form can be found HERE. For more information on the Consideration Form and its requirements, feel free to contact Kayla Gumb at kgumb@ccma.org or 416-947-1331 ext. 213.

In February of each year, the Management Committee is presented with all of the completed Consideration Forms submitted within the past year. This committee carefully reviews, validates and ensures that each Artist or Builder brought forward for consideration qualifies for addition to the Grand List based on the current criteria (see Appendix A).

Phase 2: Nomination of Candidates (February - March)

Each year, the Management Committee selects at least fifteen (15) individuals to be part of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee (Nominating Committee).

In February of each year, the Nominating Committee is vested with the responsibility of reviewing the entire Grand List and voting for ten (10) Artists and ten (10) Builders that they deem most deserving of this recognition. This list is called the Candidates List and is put forth to a larger committee called the Hall of Fame Elector's Committee (Electors' Committee) to select the final inductees. The names of these individuals will remain anonymous.

Phase 3 - Selection of Inductees (March - May)

The Electors' Committee, made up of at least 70 individuals, consists of past Hall of Fame inductees and industry professionals, appointed by the Management Committee.

Electors will serve for life as long as they continue to and agree to participate. Electors failing to vote two consecutive years will automatically be considered incapacitated, and their names will be dropped from the committee. The Management Committee will consider reinstating these individuals to the Electors' Committee upon written request.

Electors must have participated actively in country music for at least 10 years and must merit respect and recognition for their accomplishments and/or knowledge in one or more aspects of country music.

The members of the Nominating Committee will also serve on the Electors Committee.

Members of the current or past CCMA Board of Directors may also serve on the Electors' Committee (or Nominating Committee), if deemed worthy and appointed by the Hall of Fame Management Committee.

The names of these Electors will remain anonymous to each other and the CCMA Membership.

Between March and May of each year, the Electors' Committee is vested with the responsibility of reviewing the entire Candidate List and then through a two-part voting process, the committee ultimately selects one (1) Artist inductee and one (1) Builder inductee.

Other Annual Key Milestones

Appendix A

The Hall of Fame Management Committee, Nominating Committee and Electors' Committee will consider the following when casting their votes in the current year:

Induction Criteria

Artists and Builders considered for the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame will be appraised by the Nominating Committee and Electors' Committee in accordance to the criteria below. A person can be inducted into both Artist and Builder categories.

Basic Standard

A Contender is to be judged on the degree of his or her impact on Canadian country music and on the degree of their contribution to the advancement of Canadian country music. This impact includes, but is not limited to, social, economic, and artistic contributions.

Individual Candidacy

Only individuals may be inducted into the Hall of Fame (with the exception in the Artist category where groups/duos are eligible for induction). Companies, publications, radio stations and other groups - many of which significantly foster Canadian country music - are not eligible for Hall of Fame recognition.

Scope of Activity

Flexible authority is vested in the Nominating Committee in identifying the scope of a Contender's activity in country music. A Contender may have excelled in a narrow, specific sphere, such as songwriting, publishing, as a musician, or recording artist, etc., or may have been active in several areas. In any event, a Contender must have achieved definitive leadership in their own field of country music activity. However, it is not mandatory to honour the leader in every activity related to country music: a Contender truly must compete with all Contenders in all fields, as well as with all Contenders in their own field.

Span of Influence

The time factor of a Contender's impact on Canadian country music is completely flexible. It may cover an uninterrupted span of many years or it may cover two or more distinct and separated time cycles. Conceivably, a Contender may earn Hall of Fame recognition by one transient act, momentary in time, providing the impact on country music is deemed significant enough. Longevity of involvement with country music, therefore, will not in itself warrant recognition in the Hall of Fame.

Influence on Others

A most significant criterion in evaluating a Contender will be their inspirational effect on others; the degree to which they multiply their influence through others to create impact on Canadian country music far beyond their own direct individual contribution.

Quantity vs. Quality

A Contender's ability to expand the popularity of Canadian country music is a quantitative virtue. The professionalism of their activity is a "qualitative" one. Both quantitative and qualitative criteria are to be considered equally and separately; conceivably, one may be present without the other.

Devotion to Others

Furthering Canadian country music by selfless devotion to the interests of others may enhance the candidacy of an individual, but it is not essential to an induction. The activities of a Contender may be completely self-devoted and still be considered significant enough to warrant recognition.

Professional Conduct and Image

A Contender is expected to have practiced the highest caliber of professional conduct in order to enhance both their public image and the image of Canadian country music.

Personal Morals and Behaviour

The selection process is not a judgement of personal morals and behaviour, providing the latter does not negatively efect the professional conduct of the candidate and the public image of Canadian country music.