Regulations of the «Swiss Blues Award»

Edition of 19.10.2019

Honorary awards for sustainable merits on stage, «Behind the Scenes» and lifetime achievements

The Swiss Blues Award

1. The «Swiss Blues Award» is awarded annually to musicians and honored with a prize.
2. In addition, the «Swiss Blues Award - Behind the Scenes» can be awarded to organizers, clubs, promoters, media representatives or institutions of current occasions, but is not subject to an annual rhythm.
3. Possible candidates for these honorary prizes have made a lasting contribution to the promotion of the blues.
4. The «Swiss Blues Award - Lifetime Achievement» is presented for the recognition of life's work in the field of blues, in recognition of topical reasons, and is not subject to any annual rhythm.
5. All nominees live in Switzerland or have Swiss citizenship with a place of residence abroad.
6. The decision is the annual task of the «Swiss Blues Award» jury.
7. The award ceremony is celebrated annually during the Blues Festival Basel under its patronage and its financing.
8. The “Regulations of the ‘Swiss Blues Award’" determine who receives these 3 prizes. These regulations can only be altered by the jury of the «Swiss Blues Award» within 6 months before the next Blues Festival Basel.

The Jury

1. The Presidium or the Vice-Presidium (one of the two functions) and the patronage of the Jury of the «Swiss Blues Award» is provided by the Board of the Blues Festival Basel, founder and owner of the «Swiss Blues Award».
2. The Blues Festival Basel may, on its own initiative, award the Presidium or the Vice-Presidium (both functions) to other members of the jury outside the Blues Festival Basel. In this case, the entire jury elects the president and the Vice President will be a member of the Blues Festival Basel Board of Directors.
3. The jury is committed to the blues, independent, discreet and guarantees competent and fair elections.
4. The performance of the jury meets the international standards of the Blues Foundation and the European Blues Challenge.
5. The jury represents the interests of the entire Blues Community in Switzerland without particular interests and communicates independently.
6. The jury is composed of 3 members of the board of the Blues Festival Basel and 7-9 experts from the Swiss blues scene (festival and concert organizers, press representatives, musicians, etc.) and shall be composed in a balanced proportion taking into account the representation of all Swiss regions. The proposals are made by the members of the jury.
7. The representatives of the Blues Festival Basel jury will be elected with the support of the festival and will be considered binding. The election of new or additional external jury members is carried out by the existing jury by majority vote.
8. Decisions of the jury are final and not subject to appeal.
9. The jury has a quorum when at least 2/3 of all members entitled to vote are present. If the quorum is not reached, the jury meeting will be rescheduled.
10. The jury can organize itself as an association or another independent unit.
11. There will be no correspondence about the award. Legal recourse is excluded.

The Nomination Committee

1. The Nomination Committee is made up of 20-30 experts from the Swiss blues scene. All regions of Switzerland and Blues disciplines should be adequately represented.
2. All members of the jury are integrated in the nomination committee.
3. The task of the nomination committee is to draw up the longlist and nominate the 10 potential nominees for the jury's annual election.
4. The final selection of the 3 nominees will be made by the jury.

The organization

1. The nomination committee collects nomination proposals throughout the year, which are placed on a longlist 9 months before the Blues Festival Basel. Each member of the nomination committee submits a maximum of 3 nominations.
2. There are no time or other limits for multiple nominations of candidates.
3. The jury keeps and updates this list continuously.
4. 7 months before the next award is presented, the nomination committee shall select a list of the 10 best nominees of the year.
5. 6 months before the Blues Festival Basel, the President convenes the annual final nomination meeting of the jury, in which the 3 nominees for the shortlist are discussed and confirmed.
6. The winner of the «Swiss Blues Award» will be selected electronically four weeks before the «Swiss Blues Award» is awarded at the Blues Festival Basel.
7. The winner is known only to the president of the jury and the president of the Blues Festival Basel until the day the award is presented at the Blues Festival Basel, as well as to the employees involved in the marketing process, all of whom are bound by confidentiality.
8. The jury shall be subject to absolute silence and secrecy throughout the election process and until the winner of the Blues Festival Basel is announced.
9. Nominees can use the logo of the «Nominee - Swiss Blues Award» as nominees free of charge for 6 months from the moment of their appointment.
10. The respective winner may use the logo «Winner of the Swiss Blues Award» free of charge for life.
11. if a member of the jury is definitively nominated as a nominee, he/she will be automatically be suspended from the jury for the award year in question and will no longer participate in meetings. He/she will not be replaced in the jury during this period and will be a member again in the following year.