1. Acceptance of Recognition

An HTMA nomination or award is an official recognition by Honky Tonk Music Association. A recipient is not required to enter into an employment, management, publishing, recording, agency or exclusive representation agreement in order to receive that recognition.

A recipient who does not wish to accept or publicly participate in a recognition may notify HTMA.

2. Official Awards Registry

The HTMA Official Awards Registry is the controlling public record for award titles, years, nominations, winners, recognized works and related award history.

If an older article, social-media post, video, certificate, announcement or other publication conflicts with the current registry, HTMA may rely upon the corrected registry as the official record.

3. Nominations Remain Part of the Record

A nomination is a permanent historical recognition. If a nominee later becomes the winner, the nomination may remain in the recipient’s HTMA recognition history.

HTMA may separately record nominations, wins, honors and other recognitions so that an artist’s complete history is preserved over multiple award seasons.

4. Corrections & Updates

HTMA may correct names, award titles, songwriter credits, performance credits, categories, years, duplicate records, status designations and other factual information when necessary to maintain an accurate official record.

Corrections do not invalidate an otherwise valid nomination or award.

5. Artist, Professional & Songwriter Credits

HTMA endeavors to use the name or professional credit appropriate to each particular registry entry.

A person may therefore appear under one professional name as a performer and another official credit as a songwriter, producer, musician or other professional role.

Registry relationships may be used internally to connect related records, but HTMA may preserve separate official credits when the underlying work or recognition calls for separate attribution.

6. Standard HTMA Awards

Standard HTMA performance, recognition and honorary awards have no automatic cash value and do not constitute a promise of payment.

A standard award may include an official certificate, trophy, registry listing, publicity, editorial recognition, ceremony recognition or other benefits determined by HTMA.

7. Affinity Awards

Certain awards expressly designated as Affinity Awards may include monetary prizes, benefits or other consideration.

Any monetary amount, prize, payment schedule, eligibility requirement or special condition applicable to an Affinity Award will be governed by the specific terms issued for that award.

No cash prize should be assumed unless it has been expressly stated in writing by HTMA or Affinity Publishing Group, Inc.

8. Trophies & Certificates

Physical trophies and certificates may be presented at a ceremony, mailed, delivered, collected or otherwise provided according to HTMA’s arrangements for the applicable award.

Delay in delivery or presentation of a physical trophy or certificate does not erase an official award that is correctly recorded in the HTMA Official Awards Registry.

9. Ceremony Attendance

Unless expressly stated otherwise for a particular award, ceremony attendance is not automatically required in order to remain an award recipient.

Attendance, performance, presentation, rehearsal, broadcasting and other event participation may be governed by separate invitations, production agreements, schedules or instructions.

10. Performance Invitations

An award or nomination does not automatically guarantee a performance opportunity at an HTMA event.

HTMA may separately invite artists, musicians, presenters, broadcasters or other participants to perform or appear.

A performance invitation may contain additional production, rehearsal, technical, licensing or scheduling requirements.

11. International Winners & Nominees

HTMA recognizes international artists, musicians, songwriters, bands, broadcasters and other recipients.

International status does not reduce or alter the validity of an HTMA award or nomination.

International recipients remain responsible for satisfying applicable legal requirements associated with travel, entry into the United States, work authorization, visas, passports, customs, taxation and other governmental matters.

12. Travel, Lodging & Expenses

Unless HTMA or Affinity Publishing Group, Inc. expressly agrees otherwise in writing, recipients and participants are responsible for their own airfare, transportation, lodging, meals, visas, passports, travel insurance, documentation and incidental expenses.

Any reimbursement, travel assistance, hospitality or transportation provided for a particular recipient must be confirmed separately.

13. Taxes & Government Reporting

Recipients are responsible for their own tax obligations arising from prizes, benefits, travel assistance, monetary awards or other consideration they receive.

HTMA or Affinity Publishing Group, Inc. may require tax, identification or other documentation when legally required before issuing a monetary prize or other reportable benefit.

14. Publicity & Editorial Coverage

HTMA may announce, report, archive and promote its nominees, winners, ceremonies, programs and official recognitions through its websites, registry, social media, news divisions, television programming, radio, video, publications and affiliated media.

Such reporting may include the recipient’s professional name, award title, recognized performance or work, publicly available photographs, videos, biographies, links and other information associated with the recognition.

15. No Guaranteed Publicity Result

HTMA may provide editorial or promotional support, but no particular amount of press coverage, audience growth, streaming activity, sales, bookings, chart placement, sponsorship or career outcome is guaranteed.

Artists remain responsible for the direction and management of their own careers.

16. No Employment or Agency Relationship

An HTMA award, nomination, registry listing or event invitation does not automatically create an employment, management, agency, partnership, joint venture, publishing, recording or exclusive representation relationship.

Any separate business relationship must be established through its own written agreement.

17. Membership Is Separate

Membership in Honky Tonk Music Association is separate from award recognition.

A person does not have to become a member merely because they have been nominated or recognized, unless a future program expressly states otherwise.

Likewise, membership does not guarantee a nomination, award, performance opportunity or other recognition.

Membership opportunities and participation information will be announced separately when the official HTMA membership system is ready for public use.

18. Use of Award Titles

Winners and nominees may accurately refer to their official HTMA recognition in biographies, websites, press materials, social media and professional materials.

The award year, category and status should not be materially altered in a way that suggests a person won an award when they were nominated, or suggests a different category than the one actually recorded.

19. HTMA Names, Logos & Branding

An award recipient may accurately state that they received or were nominated for an HTMA recognition.

However, use of HTMA logos, trademarks, official artwork, certificates, trophy designs or other protected branding may be subject to separate permissions and usage standards.

20. Third-Party Music, Performances & Rights

Recognition of a performance or song does not transfer copyright, publishing, master recording, trademark, performance or other intellectual-property ownership to HTMA.

Artists, songwriters, publishers, labels, broadcasters, producers and other rights holders retain their respective rights except where separate written agreements provide otherwise.

21. Ceremony Recording & Broadcasting

HTMA events may be photographed, recorded, streamed, broadcast or otherwise documented.

Individuals who agree to perform, present or participate in production activities may be required to accept separate appearance, recording, performance or broadcast terms before participating.

22. Fan-Voted & Special Competitions

Fan-voted awards, competitions, contests and special programs may be governed by additional rules addressing voting, eligibility, deadlines, finalists, prizes and other program-specific requirements.

Where separate rules are issued, those specific rules apply in addition to these general Terms & Conditions.

23. Changes to Awards or Programs

HTMA may modify, postpone, reschedule, relocate, expand, suspend or cancel a ceremony, competition, award category or related program when circumstances reasonably require.

HTMA may also add new recognitions or announce additional winners and nominees during an active awards season.

24. Force Majeure & Circumstances Beyond Control

HTMA and Affinity Publishing Group, Inc. are not responsible for delays, cancellations or changes caused by circumstances reasonably beyond their control, including severe weather, natural disasters, public emergencies, governmental action, travel disruption, venue unavailability, labor disruption, technical failure, security concerns or similar events.

25. Accuracy of Recipient Information

Recipients and representatives are encouraged to notify HTMA promptly if an official record contains an incorrect spelling, professional name, song title, credit, category or other factual error.

HTMA may request supporting information when a correction involves identity, authorship, professional credit or another material part of the official record.

26. Communications

HTMA may communicate with nominees, winners, representatives and participants using email, telephone, website announcements, registry updates, social media or other reasonable means.

Recipients should use official HTMA contact information when responding to award-related communications.

27. Updates to These Terms

HTMA may revise these Terms & Conditions as its awards, international participation and events develop.

The version published on the official HTMA website will be treated as the current general version unless separate terms apply to a particular program.

28. Questions & Record Review

Questions regarding an award, nomination, registry entry, ceremony matter or recipient record may be directed to Honky Tonk Music Association.