Who deserves a SPAH award in 2018?

SPAH 2018 awards - honoring the best harmonica players, teachers, and community members!

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

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

To get started, please download the awards packet, which is part of the registration packet, at http://www.spah.org/content.asp?contentid=138 

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.

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.