Rules & Guidelines

1. Criteria for Eligibility

To ensure a fair and meaningful selection process, the criteria to be considered for the Dallas Entertainment Awards (DEA) are as follows

• Eligibility Period. November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025
• Active Participation. Nominees must have actively performed or contributed to the vibrant Dallas metroplex area Music, Arts, and Culture scene during the Eligibility Period detailed above. This includes but is not limited to, live performances, productions, or any other applicable creative work within the nominated Category that enriches our cultural landscape. “National” acts (i.e., performers who have a mailing address located in the Dallas area, and who are signed to a major release label, but who mainly perform and tour outside of Texas) will not be considered for an award.
• Creative Output. Nominees must have released an album, EP, music video, or other relevant content during the Eligibility Period detailed above.
• Residency. Nominees must reside within the Dallas-Denton-Fort Worth Metroplex region for the greater part of the year
• Human Authorship. Only human Creators are eligible for consideration for the Dallas Entertainment Awards.

2. Consideration for Nomination

Nominations submitted via ballot will determine the Official Nominees in each Award Category for the Dallas Entertainment Awards.

• Nominations Period. Potential Nominees may solicit Nominations from Supporters starting at 9:00 AM on November 1, 2025, through 11:59 PM on December 31, 2025.
• Solicitations for Nominations. The DEA encourages potential Nominees to actively solicit nominations through social media and other channels.
  
• i. For Your Consideration (FYC) - Potential Nominees may request a “For Your Consideration” graphic from the DEA team to use without altering the DEA logo; please visit http://www.dallasentertainmentawards.com for more information.
• Nomination Voting. Supporters may submit one Nomination ballot during the Nominations Period via the DEA website listed above. Potential Nominees may be considered for more than one Category per submission, and supporters are not required to nominate in every Category when submitting their ballot.
• Spam and Fraudulent Voting. The DEA reserves the right to disqualify any nominations determined to be fraudulent or spammy.
• Nominations Tabulation. The Tabulations team of the DEA Committee will tally Nominations votes once the Nominations Period has ended. The five potential Nominees with the highest tally of Nominations votes will be recognized as official Nominees. At their discretion, The DEA Committee reserves the right to omit Categories with fewer than five potential Nominees.
• Nominee Announcement. Official Nominees for the 3rd annual Dallas Entertainment Awards will be announced at 9:00 AM on January 7, 2026.

3. Official Voting

• Voting Period. The Voting Period for Official Nominees begins at 9:00 AM on January 7, 2026 and closes at 11:59 PM on January 28, 2026
• Vote Submission. Voting is open to everyone, and voters are not required to vote in every Category when submitting their ballot. The DEA encourages voters to use their own discretion when casting their ballot. Supporters can vote once per day during the voting period via the DEA website
  (https://www.dallasentertainmentawards.com/)
• Vote Tabulation. The Tabulations team of the DEA Committee will tally votes once the Voting Period has ended. The Nominee with the highest tally of votes will be recognized as the Category winner
• Winner Announcement. Winners will be announced live at the 3rd annual Dallas Entertainment Awards Ceremony taking place on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and thereafter listed on the Dallas Entertainment Awards website.

4. Award Categories

CONTENT & RELEASES*

(*the nominees in these categories will be reviewed for content by a panel of technical experts to ensure quality control)

LIVE MUSIC ACTS (by musical genre)

INSTRUMENTALISTS

BEST DJ

AUDIO, VISUAL, MEDIA, & RADIO

VENUES, RESIDENCIES, & PROMOTERS

DRAG, BURLESQUE, & PERFORMING ARTS

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (determined by the DEA Committee)

5. Voting Guidelines & Code of Conduct

• To ensure the integrity of the awards process, voters must adhere to the following guidelines:
• Fair & Ethical Voting - All voting decisions should be based solely on artistic and technical merits. 
• Avoid Conflicts of Interest - Refrain from allowing personal relationships, company loyalties, regional preferences, or sales volume to influence your vote.
• Prohibited Activities  - Bribery, vote trading, and fraudulent or spam-like behavior are strictly prohibited. Do not accept money or anything of value in exchange for votes.