RULES

1. Competition Name

The European International Music Awards® (EIMA®) is an online music designed to celebrate and reward outstanding achievements by music professionals worldwide. Open to musicians, composers, arrangers, vocalists, bands, producers, sound engineers, DJs, performers, artwork creators, duos, trios, tribute bands, singers, a cappella choirs, and musical groups of any size across all genres, EIMA® provides a global platform for recognition. EIMA® is a brand co-managed by Art & Glam Ltd, with operations based in the United Kingdom and Belgium, specializing in arts, glam events, and music organization.

2. Purpose

EIMA® 's core mission is to champion independent and emerging artists purely on the merit of their music, disregarding external factors such as sales figures, social media followers, or commercial success. Awards highlight excellence in originality, production quality, musical innovation, emotional resonance, technical mastery, and artistic flair. By fostering a merit-based environment, EIMA® nurtures creativity, provides visibility, and connects talented creators with industry opportunities. We are not agents or promoters; however, we certainly contribute to increasing the visibility of artists who distinguish themselves within the competition. While we do not guarantee career success, even in the presence of a positive result, we do not exclude the possibility that industry professionals or observers may take interest and contact the artist directly regarding potential collaborations or career opportunities. We would be honored to facilitate the connection between the parties, acting exclusively as neutral intermediaries at this stage in support of a mutually beneficial collaboration.

3. Eligibility

Participation is open to all artists of any age, regardless of nationality or location. Eligible entrants include solo musicians, composers, producers, film and media music creators, sound engineers, DJs, live performers, graphic designers for album/single artwork, duos, trios, bands, tribute bands, singers, a cappella choirs, choral ensembles, groups of any size, promoters and music events organizers.

Key requirements:

- Submitted works may have been created or released at any time (no date restrictions)

- Entries must be publicly available on official streaming platforms (Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, etc.)

- Both original compositions and cover versions/arrangements accepted in appropriate categories

- Multiple submissions allowed across genres/categories

Artists under 18 y.o. may participate *only with parental consent**. Minors must contact support@eimawards.com for approval before submitting.*

4. Ownership of Works

You retain 100% ownership and rights of all submitted musical works, videos, or artwork. EIMA® does not claim any copyright or ownership transfer. The organization will use only the provided streaming links for:

- Evaluation and judging

- Limited promotion on official social media and [www.eimawards.com](http://www.eimawards.com/)

Materials will not be returned. Entrants grant EIMA® a non-exclusive, royalty-free license for these purposes only.

5. Competition Categories

23 Genres of Music:

- Adult Contemporary (Chillout, Dark Ambient, Drone, Space Ambient)

- Ambient/Chill (Chillout, Dark Ambient, Drone, Space Ambient)

- Blues (Blues Rock, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Electric Blues)

- Classical (Baroque, Chamber Music, Contemporary, Orchestral, Romantic)

- Country (Bluegrass, Country Rock, Outlaw Country, Traditional)

- Crossover/Multi Genre (Classical Crossover, Folk Rock, Pop Opera, World Fusion)

- Dance Music (EDM, Future Bass, Garage, Hardstyle, Trap Dance)

- Electronic (Drum & Bass, Dubstep, House, Techno, Trance)

- Experimental/Avant-Garde (Glitch, Industrial, Musique Concrète, Noise, Sound Art)

- Folk (Acoustic Folk, Americana, Indie Folk)

- Funk (Acid Jazz, Boogie, Funk Rock, P-Funk, Psychedelic Funk)

- Gospel/Spiritual (Contemporary, Southern, Traditional, Urban Gospel)

- Hip Hop (Boom Bap, Conscious Rap, Drill, Old School, Trap)

- Jazz (Bebop, Fusion, Latin Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Swing)

- Latin (Bachata, Bossa Nova, Flamenco, Mariachi, Reggaeton, Salsa, Tango)

- Metal (Black Metal, Doom, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash)

- New Age (Ambient, Meditation Music, Neo-Classical, World Fusion)

- Pop (Dance-pop, Electropop, Indie Pop, K-pop, Synth-pop)

- R&B (Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Soul)

- Reggae/Dancehall (Dancehall, Dub, Roots Reggae, Ska)

- Rock (Alternative, Hard Rock, Indie Rock, Progressive Rock, Punk)

- Social/Protest (Protest Folk, Political Rap, Activist Anthems)

- World (Afrobeat, Celtic, Indian Classical, Middle Eastern, Klezmer, Nordic Folk)

43 Categories

Performance & Production Categories:

• Best Single

• Best Album/EP

• Best Music Video

• Best Live Performance

• Best Cover Song

• Best Vocalist

• Best Instrumentalist

• Best Band/Ensemble

• Best Tribute Band

• Best DJ

• Best Emerging Artist

• Best Composer

• Best Producer

• Best Organizer

• Best Sound Engineer

• Best Arranger

• Best Music Direction

• Best Remix

• Best Film Music

• Best Documentary Music

• Best Advertising Music

• Best Game Music

• Best Cartoon Music

• Best Holiday Song

• Best Children's Music

• Best Lyrics (Single)

• Best Album Artwork

• Best Single Artwork

• Best Instrumental Album

• Best Instrumental Song

• Best Choir

• Best A Cappella Performance

• Best Choral Song

• Best Choral Album

• Best Song for Social Change

• Best Vocal Solo

• Best Instrumental Solo

Media Music:

• Best Film Music

• Best Documentary Music

• Best Advertising Music

• Best Game Music

• Best Cartoon Music

• Best Holiday Song

• Best Children's Music

• Best Lyrics (Single)

Visuals:

• Best Album Artwork

• Best Single Artwork

Instrumental:

• Best Instrumental Album

• Best Instrumental Song

Choral:

• Best Choir

• Best A Cappella Performance

• Best Choral Song

• Best Choral Album

• Best Song for Social Change

• Best Vocal Solo

• Best Instrumental Solo

EIMA® reserves the right to reassign entries to better-fitting categories.

EIMA® reserves the right to add or delete any categories to the contest.

6. Entry and Submission

- Non-refundable entry fees required (see submission form)

- Online only via www.eimawards.com

- Public streaming links required from official platforms or personal online accredited platforms (Dropbox, Google Drive.. eccetera...)

- Test links before submission—EIMA® is not responsible for broken/inaccessible streaming links provided from the participant

- No explicit content (hate speech, violence, racism, sexism, religious/political intolerance)

- Violations result in immediate exclusion without refund

7. Judging Panel

- Esteemed music industry professionals (producers, artists, radio and/or TV personalities, critics, A&R experts)

- Blind review process using only streaming links

- Decisions final and binding—no appeals. EIMA® reserves the right to assign or NOT assign awards based on jury evaluations or if the submitted work doesn't meet minimum recognition standards.

- Judges anonymous to each other and entrants

- Judges must recuse from conflicts of interest

8. Judging Criteria

EIMA® employs a blind review process by esteemed music industry professionals (producers, artists, critics, A&R experts and radio personalities) using only provided streaming links. Jurors remain completely anonymous to each other and entrants.

Judges score independently using mathematical weighted average formula. Final decisions are binding.

The EIMA® Awards adopt a merit-based evaluation methodology that differs from traditional competitions. Rather than producing rankings or relative placements, each submission is assessed independently against objective standards of excellence. These standards are based on five core criteria: originality, production quality, innovation, emotional impact and Performance/technical skill.

Each entry receives a final score expressed as a percentage, which determines the level of recognition awarded. Medals are assigned according to fixed thresholds:

• Gold Medal: 90%–100%

• Silver Medal: 75%–89%

• Bronze Medal: 60%–74%

This system is not comparative; therefore, awards are granted based solely on whether a given level is achieved, regardless of how other participants perform. As a result, it is entirely possible for certain medal levels (including Gold or Silver for example) not to be assigned within a category if the required standard is not reached. Conversely, multiple medals of the same level may be awarded within the same category, as all participants who meet the corresponding standard are equally recognized.

It also follows that, even in the presence of a single participant within a given category, that entry may receive, for example, a Bronze Medal, while higher‑level medals (such as Silver or Gold) are not awarded, as the respective standards for those levels have not been reached. No refunds are due to the subscriber if the entry does not reach the minimum quality standard or is not awarded. Furthermore, the EIMA® Awards reserve the right to exclude a category from the competition if there is no nominee or winner at any of the Gold, Silver, or Bronze levels.
It is also understood that a winner, even if the only entry in a category and awarded at Bronze or Silver level, will not automatically be promoted to a higher level (Silver or Gold). The EIMA® Awards assign and honor entries based on the achievement of the minimum quality standards for each level, as determined by the jury according to the five evaluation criteria specified above.

An intuitive way to understand this approach is to imagine a mountain ascent: each artist progresses independently toward the summit, which represents the highest level of artistic excellence. Recognition is determined by how far one advances along this path, not by comparison with others.

• Originality (20%) - Uniqueness and fresh creative approach

• Production Quality (20%) - Clarity, mixing, mastering, execution

• Innovation (20%) - Novel ideas, genre fusion, boundary-pushing

• Emotional Impact (20%) - Ability to connect with listeners

• Performance/Artistry (20%) - Skill, expression, artistic delivery

Special or honorable mentions may be awarded to participants for exceptional merits that the jury considers outside the standard evaluation criteria, such as a lifetime achievement award, a special mention for humanitarian merits, and others.

9. Timeline and Communications

Quarterly schedule:

- Entries Open: January 7th, April 1st, July 1st, October 1st

- Submission deadline: March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15

- NOMINEES announced: March 20th, June 20th, September 20th, December 20th

- WINNERS announced: March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, December 31st

All communications are provided via website, social media, newsletters.

10. Prizes and Winners

- 1st, 2nd, 3rd place (Gold, Silver and Bronze): Digital certificates; Commemorative Medals eventually on request (see here)

- Special mentions for outstanding entries

- No cash prizes—focus on recognition

- Online announcements only (no 2026 live gala)

11. Entry Fees

Non-refundable: €50 entry fee + €30 per category (confirm exact pricing on site). Secure Stripe checkout. (Periodical discount prices can be offered

12. Privacy and Data Protection

Fully GDPR compliant. Data used only for contest administration and artist promotion. No third-party sharing. See privacy policy on www.eimawards.com.

13. Intellectual Property

Entrants warrant full ownership of submissions. EIMA® not liable for IP disputes.

14. Grounds for Exclusion

Any submission conflicting with the official rules (as detailed on www.eimawards.com/rules) constitutes a violation. The organizer reserves the right to take measures, including suspension and exclusion of participants and all their submitted works, without refund or appeal.​

EIMA's principal mission is meritocracy, rewarding human artistry where talent shines through originality, imagination, passion, love, and all other uniquely human capacities in musical creation.

So said, musical works created with artificial intelligence without prior authorization will be categorically excluded from the competition without notice and without refund! The Organizer reserves the right to accept submissions created with AI exclusively within a designated category and only if AI has been used for less than 50% of the overall production.

The use of AI must be formally declared at the time of submission through a written declaration sent to: submissions@eimawards.com.

Should the submitted work be rejected by the Evaluation Committee following the review process, no refund of the submission fee shall be issued under any circumstances.

The use of AI strictly as an accessibility or assistive technology (e.g., voice synthesis due to disability) may be considered eligible, provided that the core creative process (composition, lyrics, arrangement, artistic direction) remains predominantly human and represents more than 50% of the production. More info on the EIMA INTERNAL MICRO POLICY - Treatment of AI-Assisted Submissions (Accessibility Cases)

Some examples of Key Violations:

• AI-generated works without approval

• Prohibited content (hate speech, violence, explicit material)

• False identity/IP infringement

• Incomplete/broken submissions

• Integrity breaches (conflicts of interest, manipulation)

No refunds for exclusions due to the reasons mentioned above.

15. General Terms

Participation = acceptance of all rules. EIMA® reserves rights to modify dates/rules. Check website regularly.

No exceptions. Rules effective January 7, 2026. ⚖️

EIMA® reserves the unilateral right to amend, modify, or update these Official Rules at any time without prior notice. Changes will be posted on the official website (www.eimawards.com/rules). Continued participation following amendments constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. The version published on the website at the time of submission prevails over any prior versions.