Professional Eye on the Music Design Awards

London, UK, October 13, 2009 -- As the acclaimed international review of graphic design and visual culture, Eye will bring its global authority to bear on calling for entries where graphic design, art direction or illustration has created something extraordinary for the music industry. It could be packaging, or CD or vinyl art, advertising and marketing, designs on merchandise, posters, clothing, books. Or it could be design related to instrument makers, music marketing, music promoters, tours, festivals, single concerts, TV shows, brand identities, web and Myspace site design, plus books, magazines, sheet music and music software of every kind, from MP3 icons and mobile apps, to visualizers and computer games.

Eye is published quarterly and is well respected worldwide. “The international appeal of Eye magazine marries extremely well with the international ambitions of the new Music Design Awards,” confirms Hannah Tyson, managing director of Eye. “To be instrumental in establishing dialogue with design teams in the 7 continental regions covered by the Awards will help consolidate Eye’s position as the authoritative international review for graphic designers, art directors, illustrators, photographers, typographers and visual practitioners of all kinds.”

Instant reaction to a project entitled the Music Design Awards automatically calls to mind print work: sleeves, CD and DVD covers, and the like. But design for the music world is deeper and broader than that. The Music Design Awards will, of course, recognize excellence in vinyl, CD or DVD art, but they will also recognize live stage show design, video design and art direction, marketing and advertising design, merchandise and clothing design. All together, 11 design categories across 5 music genre groupings covering all music types, from classical to hip-hop, and from pop to folk, via jazz, blues, World and R&B.

The Music Design Awards are international, with 7 top awards for the best work from each continental region, to ensure that design houses in mature markets do not win everything in sight. Marie Thomas, operations director, expresses real enthusiasm for the link with Eye magazine: “to have caught the attention of such a hugely respected publication as Eye is a real fillip to our activities. We aim to take the Music Design Awards to every corner of the globe and recognise excellence in graphic design for the music industry wherever it can be found. We are currently taking great satisfaction from the number of visitors from African, Asian and South American countries who are checking out the Awards website pretty thoroughly.”

Eye editor John L. Walters (also a Guardian music writer) adds: “Graphic designers have always found innovative ways to forge strong relationships between sound and image, from vinyl sleeves and band logos to videos and visualisers – it’s in their blood!”

Entry to the Music Design Awards is online and designers can enter as many times as they wish. They only need to upload a simple illustrated PDF file describing each project, for the first stage judging. Finalists who make the short-list will be invited to submit physical examples of their work, for the judges to inspect at the second stage of judging. Video makers will be able to supply excerpt movie files for initial consideration by the judges.

There is a fee for entry, which covers the handling and processing of entries, secure storage of any samples or supporting material, the judging of the entries and the publication of the short-list of finalists. Full details of the fees and entry process are found on the Music Design Awards website, which has a full list of categories (http://www.musicdesignawards.com).

Judging of the Music Design Awards will also be international, and online, cutting out the need for judges to travel unnecessarily. Judges themselves will be drawn from leading relevant design publications, including Eye magazine, as well as from design houses, web development houses, production companies, advertising and marketing agencies and, of course, the music majors and leading independent labels.

The closing date for entries is October 31, 2009: judging will take place during November and December, with the shortlist being announced in late December or early January; and a celebration of the winners will take place in early March 2010.
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Contact :
Marie Thomas
Music Design Awards
80 Great Portland Street
London W1W 7NW, UK
+44(0)2086758405
marie.thomas@musicdesignawards.com
http://www.MusicDesignAwards.com