2026 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Rules, Regulations and Inductions Processes

OVERVIEW

In 2026, there will be two (2) Hall of Fame Inductees selected: one (1) Artist and one (1) Builder.

An Artist (solo, duo, or group) is a professional performer (Canadian singer/musician) who has recorded and released music that has contributed significantly to the advancement of country music in Canada.

A Builder is an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of country music in Canada. These individuals could include, but are not limited to: artist manager, booking agent, consultant, distributor, event and venue management, media, music publisher, producer, public relations, publication, publicity, radio, record company person, retailer, talent buyer/promoter and television/video.The information below is an overview of the Hall of Fame induction process and criteria for evaluating Artists and Builders for this honour.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

• DO YOU NEED TO BE CANADIAN TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME? – All Contenders/Inductees must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada in order to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame.
• DO YOU NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CCMA TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME? – Contenders/Inductees are not required to be members of the CCMA. In order to submit a Hall of Fame Consideration Form, you must be a member of the CCMA.
• HOW DO I SUBMIT SOMEONE FOR CONSIDERATION FOR INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME– Members of the CCMA are invited throughout the year to suggest an individual or group in the category of Artist and/or Builder for possible induction into the Hall of Fame by completing the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Consideration Form (Consideration Form) by Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 8PM ET. The Consideration Form can be found HERE, or by contacting Shaneice Anthony at 416-947-1331 ext. 219 or [email protected]. If the suggested individual or group qualifies (after review by the Hall of Fame Management Committee), their name will be added to the established Grand List.
• WHO REVIEWS THE HALL OF FAME CONSIDERATION FORMS? – The Board of Directors’ appointed Management Committee is presented with all of the completed Consideration Forms submitted within the past year. This committee carefully reviews, validates, and ensures that each Artist and Builder brought forward for consideration qualifies for addition to the Grand List based on the current criteria
• WHAT IS A GRAND LIST? – The Grand List is a compilation of individuals or groups (Artists and Builders) who have previously been recommended for consideration and are now deemed as Contenders. The Grand List is voted upon within Phase 2 of the Induction Process. The cut-off date for additions to the Grand List for 2026 is Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 8 PM ET.
• HOW ARE THE INDUCTEES SELECTED? – The Hall of Fame Inductees are selected through a three (3) phase voting process. The full Hall of Fame Induction process is described starting on page 3.
• WHEN ARE THE INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED? – The two (2) 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees will be announced publicly in the spring/summer of 2026. The official induction will take place at the CCMA Music Industry Gala Dinner & Awards during Country Music Week™.
• DOES THE HALL OF FAME HAVE A PHYSICAL EXHIBIT? – The National Music Centre, located in Calgary, AB is the exclusive manager of the collection of artifacts related to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. For more information, click HERE.

2026 INDUCTION KEY DATES

• TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026 – Membership Grand List suggestions due by 8 PM. ET;
• SPRING/SUMMER 2026 – Public announcement of 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees;
• SEPTEMBER 2026 – Induction ceremonies at the annual CCMA Music Industry Gala Dinner Awards taking place during Country Music Week.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTION PROCESS

The Hall of Fame induction process has three (3) phases:

1. Management of the Grand List (on-going)
2. Nomination of Candidates (February)
3. Selection of Inductees (February-March)

PHASE 1 – MANAGEMENT OF THE GRAND LIST

The Grand List is broken down into two (2) categories – eligible Artists and eligible Builders who will be considered each year for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Members of the CCMA are invited throughout the year to suggest an individual or group in the category of Artist and/or Builder for possible induction into the Hall of Fame. The member must complete the Consideration Form, which can be found HERE, or by contacting Shaneice Anthony at 416-947-1331 ext. 219 or [email protected].

In February, the Management Committee is presented with all of the completed Consideration Forms submitted. This committee carefully reviews, validates, and ensures that each Artist and Builder brought forward for consideration qualifies for addition to the Grand List based on the current criteria.

Once added to the Grand List, a Contender must receive 5% of the votes from the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee (Nominating Committee) for two (2) consecutive years to remain on the Grand List. If they do not receive 5% of the votes for two (2) consecutive years, their name will be removed from the Grand List.

If a Contender has not made the Top 10, as determined by the Electors Committee, for five (5) consecutive years, the Contender’s name will be removed from the Grand List.

A Contender’s name can be re-added to the Grand List if they are re-submitted with a Consideration Form and accepted by the Management Committee.

In the case of a death, a Contender’s name will be removed from the Grand List for the current year’s induction process. Their name will be automatically re-added for the next year’s induction process. If the death occurred after Phase 2 voting of the current year’s induction process has commenced, and/or if the Contender’s name is already in the Top 10 Candidates List, the name will stand.

PHASE 2 – NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

Each year, the Management Committee selects at least 15 individuals who are aligned with CCMA’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity to be part of the Nominating Committee.

In February of each year, the Nominating Committee is vested with the responsibility of ensuring equity when reviewing the entire Grand List and voting for ten (10) Artists and ten (10) Builders that they deem most deserving of this recognition. The list of ten (10) Artists and ten (10) Builders is called the Candidates List and is put forth to a larger committee called the Hall of Fame Electors Committee (Electors Committee) to select the final inductees (Phase 3).

PHASE 3 – SELECTION OF INDUCTEES

The Electors Committee, made up of at least 70 individuals who are aligned with CCMA’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity, consists of past Hall of Fame Inductees and industry professionals, appointed by the Management Committee. Between February and March, the Electors Committee is vested with the responsibility of reviewing the entire Candidates List, and through a two (2) part voting process, the committee ultimately selects one (1) Artist Inductee and one (1) Builder Inductee.

Electors will serve for life as long as they continue to and agree to participate, and remain aligned to CCMA’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity. Electors failing to vote for two (2) consecutive years will automatically be considered disqualified, and their names will be dropped from the committee. The Management Committee will consider reinstating these individuals to the Electors Committee upon written request.

Electors must have participated actively in country music for at least ten (10) years and must merit respect and recognition for their accomplishments and/or knowledge in one or more aspect(s) of country music.

The members of the Nominating Committee also serve on the Electors Committee.

Members of the current or past CCMA Board of Directors may also serve on the Electors Committee (or Nominating Committee) if deemed worthy and appointed by the Management Committee. The Electors Committee should also be in alignment or have a shared commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.

The names of the individuals on both the Nominating Committee and the Electors Committee will remain anonymous to each other and the CCMA Membership.

INDUCTION CRITERIA

The Hall of Fame Management Committee, Nominating Committee, and Electors Committee will consider the following when casting their vote(s) in the current year:

ARTIST CATEGORY

• The Artist (solo, duo, or group) must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• Within a group or duo, at least 50% of the members must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada;
• The Artist does NOT have to be a current member of the CCMA;
• An Artist’s first recorded release must have occurred a minimum of 20 years prior to end of day January 1 of the current year.

In addition, the Artist must be prominent in a minimum of three (3) of the following five (5) categories:

• Must have received nominations/awards/acknowledgementsfor music achievements, nationally;
• Must have toured nationally, or internationally;
• Must have appeared in nationally recognized concert halls, theatres, playgrounds, fairs, major television programs;
• Must be responsible for a significant body of recorded work;
• Must have had a Top 10 single.

If a group is being submitted, all members of the group should be listed, including which periods of time they were active in the group. If inducted into the Hall of Fame, only the members listed on the Consideration Form will be inducted. Names cannot be added or removed after induction.

BUILDER CATEGORY

• The Builder must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• The Builder does NOT have to be a current member of the CCMA;
• A Builder becomes eligible for induction after a minimum of ten (10) years in the Canadian country music industry by end of day January 1 of the current year;
• The Builder must have had major impact on the Canadian country music industry.

CCMA recognizes the impacts of systemic oppression and has committed to ensuring greater diversity, inclusion, and equity in its policies and practices. For Contenders, this means that CCMA will encourage voters to use an equity framework in the selection process to provide Contenders who may not have had the same amount of resources and opportunities a fair opportunity for selection.In addition, the following factors will be considered in both the Artist and Builder categories:

BASIC STANDARD – A Contender is to be judged on the degree of their impact on Canadian country music and on the degree of their contribution to the advancement of Canadian country music. This includes but is not limited to, social, economic, and artistic contributions.

INDIVIDUAL CANDIDACY – Only individuals may be inducted into the Hall of Fame (except for the Artist category, where groups/duos are eligible for induction). Companies, publications, radio stations, and other groups – many of which significantly foster Canadian country music – are not eligible for induction.

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY – A Contender may have excelled in a narrow, specific sphere, such as songwriting, publishing, as a musician, or a recording artist, etc., or may have been active in several areas. In any event, a Contender must have achieved definitive leadership in their own field of country music activity. However, it is not mandatory to honour the leader in every activity related to country music, a candidate truly must compete with all Contenders in all fields as well as with all Contenders in their own field.

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SPAN OF INFLUENCE – A Contender’s impact on Canadian country music may cover an uninterrupted span of many years, or may cover two (2) or more distinct and separated time cycles. Conceivably, a Contender may be eligible by one transient act, momentary in time that had major impact on Canadian country music. Longevity of involvement within Canadian country music, therefore, will not in itself warrant induction.

INFLUENCE ON OTHERS – A most significant criterion in evaluating a Contender will be their inspirational effect on others; the degree to which they multiply their influence through others to create an impact on Canadian country music far beyond their own direct individual contribution.

QUANTITY VS. QUALITY – A Contender’s ability to expand the popularity of Canadian country music is a quantitative virtue. The execution of their activity is a “qualitative” one. Both quantitative and qualitative criteria are to be considered equally and separately; conceivably, one may be present without the other.

DEVOTION TO OTHERS – Furthering Canadian country music by selfless devotion to the interest of others may enhance the candidacy of an individual, but it is not essential to an induction. The activities of a Contender may be completely self-devoted and still be considered significant enough to warrant recognition.

CONDUCT AND IMAGE – A Contender is expected to have practiced the highest caliber of conduct in order to enhance both their public image and the image of Canadian country music.

PERSONAL MORALS AND BEHAVIOUR – The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (the “CCMHF”) and its associated Awards celebrate Canadian country music and prides itself on promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. The CCMA and the CCMHF adhere to various policies and guidelines, including, without limitation, provincial and federal human rights legislation, and are committed to a workplace and selection process free of harassment or conflict on any protected grounds, including, without limitation, race, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personal beliefs. While this document sets out criteria for selection and consideration, the CCMA and/or CCMHF will have the right to withdraw the Award or remove any candidate from the selection process, at any time, (in addition to any other rights and remedies that the CCMA/CCMHF may have at law or in equity), including after any public announcements related to the Award, if the CCMA/CCMHF in its sole discretion decides that any act, omission, conduct, association or statement of the candidate, at any time, contravenes any of the CCMA/CCMHF policies and/or guidelines, or any provincial/federal human rights legislation. Upon any such disqualification, the CCMA/CCMHF will have no further obligations in relation to the Awards or the Awards process.