Definitions of Eligibility
1. All projects and music related to the person being nominated, and all nominations for UK Album Of The Year, and UK Single Song Release Of The Year, and UK Original Score Recording Of The Year must have been commercially released (for the first time and not previously released) for download and/or purchase as a physical or digital product, or streamed as a commercial product, between 1st August 2019 and 30th September 2020. For UK Score Recording Of The Year, the release date of the eligible album, rather than the film or television programme the music was produced for must fall in the dates above. For the avoidance of doubt ‘commercially available’ means paid for, or available as part of a paid-for subscription service. The release must also be unlimited, i.e. a limited edition promo release on limited formats, e.g. ‘vinyl only’ is ineligible.
2. General Distribution: Works must be released via general distribution, defined as the nationwide release of a recording via brick and mortar, third-party online retailers, and/or applicable digital streaming services. Applicable streaming services are paid subscription, full catalogue, on-demand streaming/limited download platforms that have existed as such within the United Kingdom for at least one full year as of the submission deadline. All recordings entered must have an assigned International Standard Recording Code (ISRC).
3. Apart from the Inspiration Award, and the award for Outstanding Contribution, nominees must be either UK passport holders or be able to satisfy the Statutory Residency Test.
4. Recordings must be non-infringing, original works of authorship. To the extent a recording embodies in whole or in part the copyrighted work of a third party, appropriate authorization to use and incorporate such copyrighted work must have been obtained. If allegations are made that a recording is unauthorized and does not meet these criteria, MPG Awards Ltd. will consider the allegations and determine, in its sole discretion, the eligibility of such recordings.
5. For the UK Album Of The Year, UK Single Song Release Of The Year and UK Original Score Recording Of The Year categories, the award is presented to a production team, i.e. producer, recording engineer and mix engineer, at least 50% of whom must be either UK passport holders or be able to satisfy the Statutory Residency Test. For UK Album Of The Year, UK Single Song Release Of The Year in the case that one person was producer, engineer and mixer, then he/she must be either a UK passport holder or be able to satisfy the Statutory Residency Test. For UK Original Score Recording, in the event there is no Producer then the third Award can go to the Composer if they are a UK Passport holder or able to satisfy the Statutory Residency Test. N.B. It is not necessary that the recording artists featured in the UK Album and UK Single categories hold UK passports or satisfy the Statutory Residency Test. Albums are regarded as eligible as long as they satisfy the definition published by the UK Official Charts company.
6. In the Breakthrough Engineer and Breakthrough Producer categories, nominees who have been shortlisted in previous years will be regarded as ineligible. In such cases, they will be deemed to have already ‘broken through’ in a previous year, and so cannot ‘breakthrough’ a second time.
7. Greatest Hits compilations will not be considered unless at least 50% of the tracks are new material.
8. Re-releases: if a previously released track undergoes a new mix (with possible additional production) and acquires a new ISRC, then it will be eligible for consideration in any of the awards categories. If a track is re-mastered and acquires a new ISRC, then it will be eligible in the Mastering Engineer Of The Year award category.
10. In the event of questions or disputes regarding the eligibility of submissions for the MPG Awards, the decision of the MPG Awards Committee is final.
