Each library, composer and/or other individual applicant is limited to five (5) submissions per category (regardless of distributer).

Best Production Music Track

Each track submitted must have been commercially released by a current, active and operational production music library to be eligible. Award eligibility is not limited by age of track release. Tracks are eligible regardless of whether they have been licensed or not.

Best Use of Production Music

To be award-eligible, submissions must have been released by a current, active and operational production music library.

Best PML Artist

Each artist must have been commercially released by a current, active and operational production music library to be eligible. Artists are eligible regardless of whether they have been licensed or not.

Best Cover Art

The cover art submitted must have been commercially released by a current, active and operational production music library to be eligible. Award eligibility is not limited by age of release.

Entry fees are required only for Best Production Music Track and Best Use of Production Music In categories:

PMA Member Fees

• A single entry in the first category: $130.00
• The same entry in additional categories: $100.00

Non-Member Fees

• A single entry in the first category: $175.00
• The same entry in additional categories: $125.00

The Mark Awards will open for submissions in March, and close submissions June 30, 2024.

Please send one check payable in US dollars, for the total amount of the entry fees. Entry fees may be paid online by credit card, and will be assessed a 3.25% processing fee. For international entrants wishing to pay via wire transfer, please call 310-913-2289 for details.

Checks should be made payable to the Production Music Association and sent along with a copy of your invoice to:

The Production Music Association
C/O The Mark Awards
P.O. Box 341468
Los Angeles, CA 90034-9468

Late entries are assessed a $35 processing fee per entry.

Entry fees are non-refundable. PMA is not responsible for incorrect or incomplete entries.

The PMA is proud to honor the best in production music with the sixth annual Mark Awards. The Mark Awards committee seeks judges that have a minimum of 3 years experience in licensing/creating production music. Judges must sign an affidavit that they have no "conflict of interest" in any of the entries. Judges listen to each entry in their entirety and rate on both creativity and execution. Each entry is judged solely on its own merit and are not judged against each other.

Criteria for Judge Selection (A total of 10 judges will be selected by the Committee):

• No fewer than five years experience in the industry
• Education in the industry a plus
• Must commit to listening to all 250+ submissions x 3 min. tracks
• Must commit to a total of 2-3 days for judging (include start / end dates)
• Must commit to signing an NDA
• Gender parity (move the needle closer to gender equality among judges than 2018, maintaining standards of quality for judge selection)

Process:

• Half of the submissions will be delivered to five of the judges, the other half to the remaining five judges
• The track provided will not contain the name of the composer nor will it contain the name of the company - the track identifier will be a number
• All submissions are scored by no fewer than five judges
• The judge is highly encouraged to use the score sheet as a guide to assigning a final score for each submission however the judge is allowed, in his/her discretion, to assign a final score that is not the sum score.
• The scores for each submission are reviewed. The high score and the low score are tossed out and the remaining three scores are averaged

Criteria for Scoring submissions (on a scale of 1 to 10):

• Mastery - Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and/or skill in the submission category
• Creativity - Introduces an original approach to the genre and/or introduces a fusion of genres that pair well
• Execution - The audio quality is in character with the genre and the composition achieved its intention, consistent with the genre

NOTE: The Album Cover Category will be judged visually, using the same criteria (Mastery, Creativity, and Execution), based on the judges experience on what constitutes excellence in album cover design.