The Dorset Music Awards has five stages. Each stage is designed to accurately and fairly review each entrant to the competition. The latter rounds also enable the bands to gain maximum public exposure, so that they can increase their chance of building a fan-base and encourage as many public votes as possible. The competition rounds are as follows:
Stage 1: Entry
Stage 1 is designed to filter out the best song writers through listening to their recorded music. To enter, musicians are invited to send us their MySpace links by filling out the entry form, from which the judges will select 40 acts to go on to stage 2. The quality of the recording is not key to this round since our judges are chosen from various sectors of the music industry with the skill and experience to pick out good musicianship and song writing skills rather than focusing on the sound quality of the recording itself.
Stage 2: The Heats - Held at Champions Live Music Venue in Bournemouth
This is a new element to the competition. Over 2 days 40 bands will play 2 songs each. This is their chance to prove that their live performance lives up to their recorded performance. It is a snapshot opportunity for 20 bands to go through to the quarter final round.
Stage 3: The Quarter Final - Held at The Winchester in Bournemouth
This round introduces a public vote element. It is designed to encourage bands to promote themselves, which is an aspect of gigging at which so many bands fall short. Several bands struggle at this stage but it has proven to be a great way to get the bands to focus on getting new fans.
Stage 4 : The Semi Final - Held at Mr. Kyps Live Music Venue in Poole
The Semi Final is set over two nights. This is where the prize givers get a chance to see the bands for the first time. They will select the 5 that they want to see again in the final and make their decision.
Stage 5: The Final - Held at the O2 Academy in Bournemouth
In the final the top 5 bands/musicians from the semi finals play one final gig in front of an audience and importantly, the prize givers. The bands at this stage will already be familiar to the judges so now it’s up to them to prove that they can perform under pressure and that they have an audience that will support them. In 2010 the final was held at the 500 capacity De-Vere Suite of the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth and was full by 9pm. The 2011 competition will be moving to the grand venue of the O2 Academy in Boscombe.