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We applied last spring to become members of The Recording Academy—and were accepted—but when travel budgets didn’t allow us to attend their annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles (except for our intrepid, Neil Young-loving publisher), we decided to create our own version in Springfield. So, without further ado, welcome to the first-ever GO Music Awards.

The idea is pretty simple, really. We’ve put together eight categories for readers to submit nominations for: Best Band, Best Solo Artist, Best Album, Best Rock Band, Best Hip Hop Group/Artist, Best Country/Bluegrass Band/Artist, Best DJ and Best Cover Band. You can nominate as many as three performers in each category by filling out our nomination form here. There is a limit of one name or e-mail address per nomination sheet; if you’re thinking of stuffing the ballot box fatter than Scarlett Johansson’s bra, forget it.

GO Magazine will accept nominations from February 1 to February 28 except in the Best Band category, which will only run until February 14. Here’s why: We’re setting up a battle of the bands between the five finalists, and we need time to book them before spring tour schedules are locked in. Each of the five bands will play during the opening day of Rotary Clubs of Springfield’s annual Rock’n Ribs cook-off in the Cherokee Street parking lot of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World on April 21. The bands will play before a live audience and a panel of four judges at the show, with the judges’ voting to determine the winner. One judge will be “The Voice of the Fan” and will be hand-picked by the GO Magazine staff from reader submissions. Remember that classified ad for joining a “secret music council?” Yeah, this is what we’re talking about. Those submissions will also be accepted until February 14.

In order to qualify to be a finalist for the Best Band competition, bands must:
• Have at least 3 live instruments
• Have performed onstage in the city of Springfield in the last three months
• Be available to perform at the April 21 Rock’n Ribs contest
• Be willing to stick to a written decency standards outlined by GO Magazine and the Rotary Clubs of Springfield. No excessive profanity or lewd acts, please.

For the category of Best Album, only albums released between February 1, 2006 and February 1, 2007 will be eligible. You can try nominating Broom, but we know better. (Sorry, Polyvinyl. The re-release doesn’t count.)

Finally, try to include the next local concert date you know of for each of your nominations. If there’s a chance to see a nominated band that we’ve never heard perform before, we would like the chance to do so. That way, if we have to break any ties or make judgment calls about a band’s compatibility with the Rock’n Ribs atmosphere, we can make an informed decision. So fill out the nomination form right now by clicking here!