The Tampa Music Awards (TMAs) is an annual celebration designed to honor and recognize creative excellence in the Tampa Bay, Florida music scene.  The TMAs will be simulcast live via the internet, have American Idol-style SMS text voting and will be rebroadcast on the CW Network.

The Greater Tampa Bay Area has approximately 3 million residents supporting a thriving music and entertainment community which is currently ranked as a top 20 Market (Arbitron) in the USA.

The 2008 Tampa Music Awards will be held on March 6, 2008, at the buy spongebob atlantis (venue TBA, possibly the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.)  Hosted by prominent local and national celebrities, the TMAs is a star studded evening of entertainment, fun and excitement.  A formal, red-carpet affair, the TMAs will generate national attention as one of the year’s largest and spectacular events held in the Tampa Bay Area.

The TMAs consist of 3 primary parts.

• New Artist Showcase
  Featuring select local bands and musicians
• Awards Ceremony
  Recognizing Tampa Bay’s best artists
• After Party
  Celebrity hosted fun!

Event Highlights:

• Tickets will be sold through ticket master, for 1, 2 or all 3 parts.
• Full-Spectrum Media Coverage and Publicity
• New Artist Showcase and Awards Ceremony will be Simulcast LIVE Via Internet
• Televised on the CW local affiliate WTOG-44
• Category Finalist will be selected by a combination of public and industry votes
• Public category winners selected via WIRELESS TEXT MESSAGE VOTING
• Local and National Celebrities in a Red-Carpet Event

The TMAs recognizes creativity in all the major genres of music:
Rock, Country, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Latin

TMAs has major sponsored and secured media support through:

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AN AWARD:

More Than Half the next penny puzzle members of a group must RESIDE in Tampa Bay. The exception is those that have been signed to a Major Label and were moved but officially publicly state "Tampa Bay" as their "hometown". Examples would be Brooke Hogan or 2Pistols. Eligible Counties Include: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, Manatee, Citrus and Sarasota

Any artist/group, residing anywhere may present an award or perform at the awards or during the showcase.