Who is Eligible?
Any person, group, or organization whose contribution enriches filk music or the filk community is eligible. This includes organizers, tapers, performers, songwriters, archivists, hosters of house filks, listeners, and audience members.
The contribution must have occurred at least five years ago or, if ongoing, must cover a span of at least ten years. This ensures that the contribution is truly of enduring value.
How to Nominate
Hall of Fame nominations must mention the reasons why the person, group, or organization should be in the Hall of Fame (see the citations under Inductees by Name or Inductees by Year, or the sample nominations below, for examples). The more detail about the contribution, the better. A single, very detailed nomination carries more weight than many nominations with a single brief reason. No nominees are obvious or self-evident.
Nominations do not need to be written in elegant language. Point form is fine.
Nominations must be made in writing or by email. They are not valid unless the nominator’s name, address, and current contact information is included.
If a nominee is not chosen for the current year, they remain eligible and all nominations are retained.
Please send nominations to Dave Hayman at davidghayman@rogers.com, or use this form.
Guidelines for Judges
Consider the nominee’s body of work, particularly their contributions over the longterm. It’s not necessarily about doing big things, but also about doing little things continuously. These contributions could be in almost any area. Some examples include:
- community-building;
- working on a concom;
- dealing;
- encouraging;
- engineering;
- inspiring;
- listening;
- running a mailing list;
- motivating;
- performing;
- producing;
- recording;
- supporting;
- teaching;
- volunteering;
- running a website;
- writing; or
- publishing a zine.
Please note whether the time factor has been considered: five years in the past, or lasting at least ten years if ongoing.
Is the nomination about filk music or the filk community? Contributions outside filk are not relevant.
What is the impact of the contribution(s) on the filk community, either local or at large? Has this nominee helped to spread filk to others, or draw others into filk? Have they had a strong internal influence on the filk community?
Read a few of the citations. This may assist you in making your choices. You can also read the speech given by Barry and Sally Childs-Helton at their induction. Their comments highlight what the Filk Hall of Fame represents.
Selecting Hall of Fame Inductees
The nominations are critically reviewed by the jury, which includes one member of the FilKONtario concom plus one representative from each of the other filk convention concoms since the last FKO. This year’s jury can be found here.
The jury is directed to make selections based on the quality and detail of the “evidence” (information in the nominations) as received from the community, and not on personal information they may have. They are reminded that contributions to filk music and the filk community, of a lasting value, are the deciding factor.
Each jury member selects several potential inductees. Those selected by the most jury members are the inductees for the year.
There is no additional review or screening by FilKONtario once the jury has come to a decision.
All of the jury members have noted that this process is very difficult, as there are many wonderful potential inductees. When Dave invites the jury members to participate, he tells them it won’t be easy. They usually remember that when sending in their selections.
Honouring the Inductees
The nominees selected are contacted by the administrator.
The nominations are collated and made into a citation by the citation writing committee and sent to the inductees for review.
The new members of the Filk Hall of Fame are inducted at FilKONtario. Members of the committee read the citations (based on the information in the nominations), and present the new inductees with their plaques. Their names are added to the Filk Hall of Fame cumulative plaque.
They are also honoured in song at the Hall of Fame Concert.
Inquiries
The administrator of the Filk Hall of Fame (a non-voting member of the jury) is Dave Hayman. Email him at davidghayman@rogers.com, or phone him at (905) 574-6212 (before 10:00 p.m. EST, please).
By request only to Dave, you can be sent a list of all current nominations who have not been inducted.
Some Sample Hall of Fame Nominations
Over the years we have received many wonderful nominations for the Filk Hall of Fame. Sometimes a little confusion arises in exactly how to nominate, or people think they have to be brilliant writers to make a nomination.
Below are a series of nominations for one “Phrançois Philquer.” Only the “reason for nomination” section is included, since that seems to be the challenge. Each example is followed by a comment on what works or doesn’t about the nomination.
Example #1
For over fifteen years, Phrançois has made sure that filk lives here in Tuktayaktuk. He routinely invites us all over to his home for house filks. Any filk that Phrançois is at is sure to be a great one. He remembers all of us, makes sure that newcomers get a chance, and generally contributes to the air of frivolity. He cheers everyone on.
Though not widely known as a performer, Phrançois has written a few memorable filks, like “Got Those Whale Blubber Blues” and “Dreaming of a Kayak to Mars” that are performed fairly widely. He is a willing accompanist and a good friend.
He also edits a local zine, mostly for filkers, called “Out Here on the Berg.”
— Priscilla Penguin
This nomination cites time (since ten years of ongoing contribution is a qualifier) and location. It mentions specific things the nominee has done and how that influenced his local community. It notes his personal contributions to music. It’s not an outstanding nomination on its own, but it has the right kind of information.
Example #2
- involved in filk for over fifteen years here in Tuktayaktuk
- invites us all over to his home for house filks
- hosts a great filk
- remembers all of us
- makes sure newcomers get a chance
- very supportive
- is a really fun guy
- has written filks like “Got Those Whale Blubber Blues” and “Dreaming of a Kayak to Mars”
- accompanies people who can’t play
- friend to all of us
- edits a filk zine, “Out Here on the Berg”
— Poppy Penguin
This example gives exactly the same information, but without the flowery language.
Example #3
Phrank is a good guy. We really think he should be in the Hall of Fame and don’t know why you haven’t taken care of that yet. It’s really obvious why he should be there, so get to it!
— Sammy Sealwit
This is an example of the type of nomination that arrives far too often. We need specific examples and evidence of why a nominee is worthy of inclusion in the Filk Hall of Fame. While we may know of the person or even agree with the nominator, we don’t make up the nominations. Please include a description of their contributions!
Example #4
I can’t say enough about Phrank. It’s his fault I got into filk, because he knew I liked science fiction and music and dragged me out to a couple of cons. He gave me my first guitar lessons, too, and listened while I massacred my first ten or twelve songs. Gave me good advice, too.
When I moved to California, Phrank kept in touch. My first concert and my first GoH spot, he was there in the front row. He did a great job on backup for my first two CDs. He loaned some of the money for the first one. He’s a much better performer than he lets on. He’s pretty shy about his accent, so he doesn’t like to sing except in front of friends. But he’s always there in the background laying down a lead line or backup. And as a cheerleader he just can’t be beat.
When I go home for a visit, Phrank is always there, organizing a little home sing that just feels so comfy, because that’s the kind of guy he is.
I owe it to Phrank that I found and fell in love with filk music and this insane, wonderful community. Phrank isn’t just a good member of the filk community, he’s a hell of a friend.
— B.N.F. Polar Bear
This is a completely new nomination. It shares some information with the first and second nominations, but adds a different perspective. The fact that it comes from a big name fan isn’t all that important, but it gives insider information about something that Phrank apparently doesn’t brag about. The writing isn’t fancy, but the feeling and content are very much there. It specifically includes information about being a “filk gardener”—mentoring and supporting.
Example #5
Phrançois is an excellent filk organizer.
He has kept the local group active because he works at setting up local events. He even got us into the paper once.
Every time he goes away to a con, he shares out the tapes he makes so we can all hear and learn new material.
He’s really good about helping people fit in with our group.
He wrote some pretty good songs.
He’s a good guitarist but has a funny accent, so he doesn’t sing much. His voice is really okay.
— Thomas Ptarmigan, Esq.
Doesn’t Thomas sound like a stick? The writing isn’t fancy, but it adds more information and again comes from a different perspective. It gives some information about contributions to the community.
Example #6
Phrankie deserves this Hall of Fame thing like you wouldn’t believe. He’s the union steward at the local fish-packing plant. He’s organized some really cool events there, and laid on the entertainment. He’s a pretty good guitarist. The way he does the tradfolk and Stan Rogers stuff makes a man want to cry. Last contract, he stood on the line with us for two weeks singing protest songs. Made the company back off, it did. Did you know he’s done a few gigs down at the local tavern? The Bear Bar has him in regularly to sing, and he’s really getting better.
— Wally Whale
We get a lot of this kind of nomination as well. No doubt, the achievements cited are worthy ones, but they are not relevant for our purposes. Where are the “contributions to filk music and the filk community” the Hall of Fame is meant for? Contributions to other areas are wonderful, but they must extend to the filk community to be recognized by the Filk Hall of Fame.
Looking at all the nominations and thinking about what Phrançois has contributed, he sounds like a pretty good nominee and a potential future inductee for the Filk Hall of Fame.
Now try it for yourself!