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"Fundraising at its funnest!"

The annual WPM awards program is a fun way to recognize oneself or others who have made significant contributions to Wisconsin's polka music scene over the past year.  These awards also serve as a means to raise money for Wisconsin's various non-profit polka organizations.  The awards we present are unique in that the winners are declared exclusively by the highest number of write-in votes received.


Four award catergories have been established:
  • POLKA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR  (WPM's highest honor)
    • Awarded to an individual or couple who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in any aspect of Wisconsin's polka music scene.
  • BAND OF THE YEAR
    • Awarded to a Wisconsin polka band that has demonstrated outstanding musical accomplishment
  • RECORDING OF THE YEAR
    • Awarded to a band/musician for releasing a top-notch CD.
  • EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
    • Awarded to an individual, band, businesse, club, or organization that has demonstrated outstanding achievement in any aspect of Wisconsin's polka music scene.
  • FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR  (new)
    • This award has been established by WPM to honor and thank the individual, couple, group, business, or organization who solicits the highest donation amount included with any single ballot.

Who can vote?
You can!  Voting is open to everyone in the world who appreciates Wisconsin's diverse polka music heritage.  You do not have to be a Wisconsin resident.

Does voting cost anything?
A minimum donation of a $1 bill is now required to validate your ballot, since fundraising is an important purpose of these awards.
What do the winners get?
The winners receive a personalized, accordion-topped trophy award in WPM's signature orange, gold, and brown colors, and an attractive website banner.

 When and where can I get a ballot?
The ballot will be published on this website at the end of May, 2010.


New, Exciting Changes For the 2010 Awards:

 On the 2009 awards ballot, a one-dollar donation for Wisconsin's non-profit polka organizations was an option.  As a result, donations received fell far below our expectations. Therefore, starting in 2010, a minimum one-dollar donation will be required with each ballot.

Since a main purpose of these awards is to raise money, the amount of the donation enclosed with your ballot will directly affect the number of times your ballot is counted.   With a donation of five dollars, each vote on your ballot will count five times.  Twenty dollars, and each vote on your ballot will count twenty times, and so forth.

If you're ambitious and want to help raise money for Wisconsin's non-profit polka organizations, now there is now an award just for that purpose.  WPM's new Fundraiser of the Year award will honor the individual, couple, group, or business who includes the highest donation amount with any single ballot.  This award is won by filling out a single ballot, showing it to others to get their approval, and soliciting their dollars (and/or contributing your own dollars if you wish) to give your ballot extra counts.  If your ballot solicits the most donations, not only will it carry a lot of weight in the final tallying of the results, but you will also win the award.  The new Fundraiser of the Year award is our way of thanking you for your efforts, since financial support of our state's polka organizations is really what's needed to keep polka music going for future generations to enjoy.

All donations received will be divided equally among these Wisconsin-based, non-profit polka organizations:
  • Polka America Corporation
  • Polka Parade Pals
  • Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame
  • Wisconsin Polka Boosters
f you know of any other well-established, Wisconsin-based, non-profit polka organizations who could benefit from donations, please have those organizations contact us so that we may include them on the next ballot.


Nominate a CD for "Recording of the Year"

All polka and polka-variety recordings released by Wisconsin bands between April 30th, 2009 and May 1st, 2010 are automatically eligible for the 2010 Recording of the Year award.  Use the form below to tell us about any recently-released CDs that you know of so that we can include them on the ballot.  Please be as accurate as possible with the band name and CD title.
2010 "RECORDING OF THE YEAR"  BALLOT ENTRY FORM
The deadline to submit a nomination for the 2010 ballot is May 25th, 2010.

WPM is not responsible for eligible recordings not making the ballot if we are not informed of their release.

BANDS & MUSICIANS
 
DANCE DATES
 
 
HALLS & BALLROOMS
 
ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS
 
RADIO STATIONS / SHOWS
 
RELATED LINKS
 
WPM HOME PAGE

AWARDS RESULTS
 
2009
 
2008
 
2007
 
2006
 
2005
 

More Questions Answered:

How are the winners determined?
The winners are chosen solely by the highest number of votes received.

Who tallies the awards?
The results of the ballots and donation totals are manually tallied by Tom Brusky, a Notary Public and the administrator of this website.

Where is my donation money going?
Every penny of donation money received will be divided equally among the polka organizations listed on the ballot.  WPM does not receive nor accept donations of any kind.

Do you work for the Post Office?
No.  The annual "revenue generated for Post Office" statistic is just a fun piece of trivial information.

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