[Harp-L] Nominate deserving players for the 2017 SPAH awards

[Winslow Yerxa]

SPAH 2017 awards - honoring great players!

Every year SPAH bestows three awards on deserving recipients. If you’re a member, you can nominate candidates for any and all of these awards. 

To get started, please download the awards packet at http://www.spah.org/Files/Convention%20awards.pdf  
This will give you all all the rules, the history of past recipients, the nomination forms, and how to submit your nominations by mail or email.

NOTE: Check to make sure your candidate hasn’t already won that award; they can’t win it more than once.

You don’t have to attend the convention to nominate a candidate, but you do have to be a current SPAH member. Remember, all nominations must be received by June 30.

Briefly, the awards are:

Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of the Year Award
• Candidates should be individuals (not organizations) who are harmonica players
• Candidates’ proficiency should be a source of pride for the community – the award should be for excellence in actually playing the instrument.
• Award should be for distinction demonstrated or attained recently, preferably during a twelve month period prior to the deadline for nominations.
• Only one person may receive the Bernie Bray Award in any year.

Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award
• Candidates should have a record of achievements over a long period of time that may reasonably be considered to be the virtual equivalent of a lifetime.
• Candidates that have established themselves as outstanding harmonica players are preferred.
• Candidates should be active in promoting the preservation and advancement of the harmonica and the positive and meaningful interaction of harmonica players and devotees.
• Candidates should demonstrate generosity in sharing their talents and knowledge, and in remaining accessible to members of the harmonica community.
• Only one person may receive the Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award in any one year unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.

Stan Harper Award of Special Merit (formerly the SPAH Award of Special Merit)
• Candidates must have benefited the harmonica community in a manner that is deserving of singular honor.
• Candidates may be individuals who do not play the harmonica.
• Candidates may be organizations.

We look forward to selecting a deserving recipient as a result of your participation.
 
Winslow Yerxa
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition: ISBN 978-1-118-88076-0
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School
President emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica