Regulations of the »Swiss Blues Award«

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 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.

Appendix 1:

Regulation for the awarding of a "Swiss Blues Award - Behind the Scenes" based on the regulations of the SBA from 19.10.2019 point 2
In addition, the "Swiss Blues Award - Behind the Scenes" will be awarded to organizers, associations, promoters, media representatives or institutions for current events. This is not subject to an annual rhythm.

The general conditions

1. the awarding of a "Swiss Blues Award - Behind the Scenes" by the jury of the Swiss Blues Award under the patronage of the Blues Festival Basel honors extraordinary merits and achievements around the promotion of the Blues.
2. Individual personalities or entire organizations such as organizers, promoters, media representatives, authors, sound and vision companies/personalities are eligible.
3. a personality or organization can receive the award a number of times over the years. It is not mandatory to be active.
4. such an award is given irregularly and can be given on average every 3-5 years, situational also in shorter time intervals, should a nomination offer itself.
5. This award will be presented on the Blues Festival Basel in a dignified setting with a diploma but without a prize.

The award procedure

1. the survey for nominations takes place once a year online and goes to the members of the nomination committee Swiss Blues Award and the jury of the Swiss Blues Award. These two bodies are at the same time applicants.
2. the applicant* provides information about his/her nominee accordingly.
3. these are entered on the internal homepage into a permanent longlist of potential candidates. The longlist can only be viewed by the members of the jury of the Swiss Blues Award and the nomination committee.
4. The final nomination will again be made online before the annual meeting by the Jury Swiss Blues Award.

1. the final choice, if any, will take place at the annual jury meeting.
2. the decision on the validation of a winner will be made according to the majority principle.

Appendix 2:

Ruling for the appreciation of life's work around the blues. In accordance with the regulations of the Swiss Blues Award of 19.10.2019 point 4.
The "Swiss Blues Award - Lifetime Achievement" is awarded in recognition of lifetime achievements in the field of the blues and is not subject to an annual rhythm.

The general conditions

1. The awarding of a "Swiss Blues Award - Lifetime Achievement" by the jury of the Swiss Blues Award under the patronage of the Blues Festival Basel is a unique and rare opportunity for the Swiss blues scene to honor a lifetime achievement around the blues.
2. Nominees have distinguished themselves through a lifelong commitment and outstanding leadership around the blues, moved much in Switzerland and / or abroad.
3. The award can be given to a personality only once - even posthumously.
4. Eligible are personalities as well as among other musicians, teachers, organizers, promoters or media representatives from the blues and entertainment scene. They are no longer necessarily active.
5. Such an award is exceedingly rare. As a guideline, this award can be expected on average every 7-10 years.
6. This award will be presented on the Blues Festival Basel in a dignified setting with a diploma but without a prize.

The awarding procedure

1. The jury of the Swiss Blues Award (applicants) will draw up a permanent longlist of potential candidates, which will be kept up to date by the presidium of the Swiss Blues Award.
2. The longlist is deposited on the internal homepage of the SBA, which is only accessible to the jury. Short information about the nominee(s) will be provided by the applicant on the internal homepage.
3. The discussion about a possible award takes place at the annual jury meeting. The longlist will also be re-evaluated and updated on this occasion if no award presents itself.
4. The decision on the choice of a nominee can only be made by a 2/3 majority of the entire jury.