TELECAST TO AIR LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26th AT 8:00 PM ET/PT ON CBS
BEVERLY HILLS (February 10, 2004) - For the first time in its history,
the Academy of Country Music has announced the launch of online voting
for all members, in every award category, for the 39th Annual ACADEMY
OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS to be broadcast LIVE from the Mandalay Bay
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the event
will honor country music's top artists as well as the industry's
hottest emerging talent and will air on Wednesday, May 26th, 2004
at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS.
"As part of our commitment to remain on the forefront of changes
in the industry, we are the first major televised network awards show
to offer online voting to all of our members worldwide in all categories,"
said Bob Romeo, Executive Director for the Academy of Country Music.
Beginning February 9, 2004, all Academy members-including more than
3,000 country music performers and professionals-will have the option
to vote via the Internet or paper ballot for all awards presented
in conjunction with the 2004 show. In 2005, all voting will take place
via online ballots.
The Academy hired Broadjam, a music technology company in Madison, Wisconsin,
to ensure a smooth online voting process. Broadjam, whose clients
include Warner Chappell Publishing and Billboard, will manage, build and
conduct the online portion of the voting. All votes, whether via online
or paper ballot, will be tabulated by the independent accounting firm Call
and Call of Encino, CA. The results will be known only by Call and Call until
they are announced live during the 39th Annual ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS
on Wednesday, May 26th, 2004 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS.
"We're excited to have this opportunity and applaud the Academy and its
Board of Directors for taking the lead in bringing the ease and efficiency
of online voting to the award show industry," said Roy Elkins, Broadjam's
founder and CEO.
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 with a mission to support,
promote, and enhance the advancement of the country music industry worldwide.
The Academy is best known for presenting its annual
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, which are televised live from Las Vegas
on CBS to honor excellence among the industry's brightest stars. The Academy,
which is comprised of 3,000+ professional members, is headquartered
in Los Angeles, CA. Its home on the Web is www.acmcountry.com.
Broadjam provides software and web tools for record companies, music
publishers and independent musicians to catalog, host and transmit songs
across the web. These same tools can be found on Broadjam's world-class web site,
at www.broadjam.com, which is home to musicians, labels and publishers from
over 100 countries around the world.
For more information about online voting and the Academy of Country Music,
visit www.acmcountry.com.
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