SDMA Info

Despite its shortcomings, artists and music fans still look to the San Diego Music Awards as a measuring stick of sorts. However, I get the sense that there is still much confusion as to the process behind the SDMA’s. Artists frequently ask me how to go about submitting their music for consideration. Hopefully, I can add some transparency to the SDMA’s here.

The SDMA’s is very informal. Rather than huddling together in The War Room and arguing back and forth about emotionality and fluttering synths and capital-A Art, music nominations and voting comes down to a few email blasts from Kevin Hellman, the SDMA’s producer, and the members of the SDMA Academy. He sends an electronic survey, we nominate, and it gets tallied indiscriminately.

There isn’t really a formal music submission process for artists. While you can submit your music directly to the SDMA’s, this music won’t actually make its way to any of the Academy members unless he/she requests to have some music sent to them.

If you’re an artist who is at all interested in the SDMA’s, what I recommend instead–and this might sound cynical–is trying to network directly with the 30+ members of the SDMA Academy. They were chosen because they’ve been recognized by Hellman as the “movers and shakers” in the local scene. They’re supposed to know their stuff. And you’ll want them to know you.

I’ve compiled a list of all the SDMA Academy members along with whatever contact info (email, Twitter, Facebook, website) I could find through public means. While networking isn’t essential–Genghis Khan’s album nomination for this past SDMA’s attests to that–it can definitely benefit artists. Jimmy Powers helped himself get nominated with his willingness to network with local media. And I have little doubt that the same goes for El-Gun Legro, whose producer is a well-connected and savvy veteran (he actually introduced me to El-Gun, reaching out and even arranging to meet in-person to give me the album). If you’re looking to gain some traction with the SDMA’s, you should try your hardest to become BFF’s with the people below, give them your music, keep yourself on their minds, and hope you impress them with your music and your work ethic.