Regulation ROMIAS – The Romanian Music Industry Awards

Table of contents

Chapter I General provisions

I.1 Subject matter and purpose of the regulation……………………………………………………

I.2 Documents used in the application of the regulation…………………………………………..

I.3 Applicable legislative framework…………………………………………………………………

I.4 Definitions………………………………………………………………………………………….

I.5 Principles……………………………………………………………….…………………………..

Chapter II Awards ROMIAS

II.1 Main categories..…………………………………………………………………………………..

II.2 Categories dedicated to festivals…………………..…………………………..…………………

II.3 Special categories dedicated to live performances…………………….…………………………

II.4 Categories special prizes……………….……………………………………………………….

Chapter III Procedure for designation of winners

III.1 Main categories, festivals, live performances…………………………………………………………..

Phase I – Academy nomination…………………………………………………………………………….

Phase II – public broad vote…………………………………………………………………………………

III.2 Categories special prizes……………………………………………………………………………………..

III.3 Establishing winners – awarding prizes…………………………………………………………………..

Chapter IV GENERAL PROVISIONS AND FINAL PROVISIONS

IV.1 Integrity of the vote………………………………………………………………………………………………

IV.2 Technical incidents………………………………………………………………………………………………

IV.3 Checking eligibility and correcting errors………………………………………………………………..

IV.4 Complaints…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

IV.5 Verification and recording of results……………………………………………………………………….

IV.6 Amendment to the regulation………………………………………………………………………………..

IV.7 Communications and deadlines…………………………………………………………………………….

IV.8 Entry into force……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter I – general provisions

I.1 Subject matter and purpose of the Regulation

The object of this regulation (the Regulation) is to establish the conditions for accessing the ROMIAS Platform, as well as the framework for the organization, conduct, and awarding of prizes – The Romanian Music Industry Awards.

The purpose of the ROMIAS Awards is to recognize artistic and technical excellence in the music industry through a transparent, balanced, and fair process that combines evaluations by industry professionals with those of the public.

Nominations made by music and entertainment industry professionals take into account artistic merit, technical achievements, and cultural contribution, while the public vote reflects the audience’s appreciation for the nominees.

Commercial performance, sales volume, streaming numbers, chart positions, media exposure, and popularity do not, in themselves, constitute determining criteria for nomination, except for award categories where the evaluation criteria expressly include them.

I.2 Documents used in the application of the Regulation

This Regulation shall be supplemented by the following documents:

Regulation of the Academy of ROMIAS;
Terms and conditions of the ROMIAS Platform;
Privacy policy

I.3 Applicable legislative framework

When drafting this Regulation, the following normative acts were considered:

Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC
LAW No 190 of 18 July 2018 on measures implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27april 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General data protection regulation)
LAW no. 506 of 17 November 2004 on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector
LAW no. 8 of 14 March 1996 (*republished*) on copyright and related rights
ORDINANCE no. 26 of 30 January 2000 on associations and foundations

I.4 Definitions

ROMIAS Academy (the Academy) – a generic name assigned to the community of active professionals in the Romanian music and entertainment industry who, by invitation, contribute to the process of nominating and recognizing excellence within the ROMIAS Awards;

Full-length album – a full-length album containing at least 6 tracks with a total runtime of at least 20 minutes;

CULTURAFT – the association that initiated the ROMIAS (The Romanian Music Industry Awards) concept and the project developed under this name;

Independent Critics Committee – radio industry professionals selected based on their musical expertise by representatives of the CULTURAFT Association; the committee consists of at least 10 members;

ROMIAS Award categories – the sections in which awards are to be presented in accordance with these Regulations;

Nominated finalist – a nominee who, upon the conclusion of the nomination process, ranks among the top nominees in a specific category—based on the score assigned by the Platform following nominations made by Academy Members—within the limit of the number of finalists expressly established for that award category.

Academy Members – music and entertainment industry professionals who accepted the invitation—extended by name by CULTURAFT representatives under the collaboration protocol concluded with the Union of Phonogram Producers of Romania – Neighboring Rights Association (UPFR) and the Romanian Association of Concert and Cultural Event Organizers (AROC)—to participate in the nomination process.

Nomination – the casting of a confidential vote by Academy Members via proposals ranked in descending order of individual preference for each ROMIAS category.Nominalizat(i) – artist, trupă, compozitor, producător, melodie (single), album, festival care este vizat(ă) de orice categoriile de premii, așa cum sunt acestea definite de prezenta Metodologie

The ROMIAS Project – the CULTURAFT initiative, launched under a collaboration agreement with the Union of Phonogram Producers in Romania – Association for Related Rights (UPFR) and the Romanian Association of Concert and Cultural Event Organizers (AROC), dedicated to recognizing creativity and contributions within the Romanian music industry. The project encompasses the ROMIAS Academy as well as the competition and awards ceremony for The Romanian Music Industry Awards (ROMIAS).

The ROMIAS Platform – the website www.romias.ro, which will host: (i) the nomination process conducted by Academy Members and (ii) the voting process conducted by the general public to determine the winners in each award category, as defined in this methodology.

Academy Member Score – the score assigned by the ROMIAS Platform software to the vote cast by each Academy Member for each nominee, within the limits of the available slots in each competition category where Academy Members make nominations.

General Public Score – the score assigned by the ROMIAS Platform software to each nominated Finalist, based on votes cast by the general public, in the award categories where public voting applies. ROMIAS I Score – the fixed score assigned by CULTURAFT via the ROMIAS Platform software to each nominated Finalist based on their ranking within the respective category, determined by the total score received from Academy Members.

ROMIAS II Score – the fixed score assigned by CULTURAFT via the ROMIAS Platform software to each nominated Finalist based on their ranking within the respective category, determined by the total score received from the general public.

Final Score – the score resulting from the weighted sum of the ROMIAS I Score (weighted at 60%) and the ROMIAS II Score (weighted at 40%).

Reference Period – the eligibility period spanning from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, during which the tracks and albums were released and the festivals and live performances took place. The Reference Period does not apply to the Lifetime Achievement Award category.

ROMIAS – the acronym for “The Romanian Music Industry Awards.”

I.5 Principles of the Contest ROMIAS

The organization and conduct of the ROMIAS Competition, as well as the application of these Regulations, are based on the following principles:

Creative merit – ROMIAS awards primarily recognize the value of musical works, without the artists’ renown or commercial success taking precedence over artistic merit.

Assessment within the category context – Each entry is evaluated according to the specific nature of the category in which it competes, respecting the diversity of genres and forms of musical expression.
Independence of judgment – Academy members cast their votes based on their own judgment, without instructions or pressure to support a particular work.
Recognition of human contribution – The ROMIAS Awards aim to recognize the creative contribution of the individuals who produced the works entered in the competition.

The prize structure aims to ensure a balance between:

artistic recognition;
technical excellence;
evaluation by professionals;
evaluation by the general public;
transparency of the decision-making process

This Regulation establishes distinct rules for selecting winners and awarding the following categories of prizes:

prizes awarded through the votes of Academy members and the public;
prizes awarded by independent critics.

The nomination process is conducted exclusively by members of the ROMIAS Academy, in accordance with the ROMIAS Academy Regulations.

The general public voting process is conducted in accordance with this Regulation.

This Regulation establishes the rules for the use of the ROMIAS Platform by ROMIAS Academy members and the general public, as well as the rules regarding nomination, voting, evaluation, and the calculation of results based on nominations made by Academy members and, subsequently, votes cast via the ROMIAS platform.

CHAPTER II THE ROMIAS AWARDS

The nomination process, evaluation criteria, and the method for determining the nominated finalists are detailed in the ROMIAS Academy Regulations.

Except in the specific situations expressly provided for in these Regulations, the winners of the ROMIAS awards shall be determined through a public vote cast for the finalists nominated by the members of the ROMIAS Academy, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter III of these Regulations.

II.1 Main categories

Album of the Year (national award):

Eligible entries are full-length albums (at least 6 tracks with a total runtime of at least 20 minutes) commercially released by Romanian artists or bands during the eligibility period.

Single of the Year (national award):

The award recognises the overall artistic performance of a music recording.

Song of the Year (national award):

The award recognizes exclusively the composition creation.

Solo Artist of the Year (national award):

The award recognises the overall artistic achievements of an individual performer during the eligibility year.

Group of the Year (national award):

The award recognises the overall achievements of a musical group (consisting of 2 or more members).

Best New Artist or Group (national award):

The award recognises an emerging artist whose assertion occurred during the eligible reference period.

The artist may have previously released discographic material, but he has not previously obtained significant national recognition.

Producer of the Year (national award):

Unlike the other prizes that will include the vote of the general public, the winners of the category “Producer of the Year” will be established exclusively by the vote of the Academy, according to the Regulation of operation of the ROMIAS Academy.

Internațional Album of the Year (international award)
Internațional Single of the Year (international award)

The two main international awards—International Album of the Year and International Single of the Year—recognize the merit of an international artist or musical work that achieves significant success on the Romanian music market during the eligible reference period.

II.2 Categories dedicated to festivals

The categories dedicated to festivals are:

Major Festival of the Year– festivals to which access was based on ticket, with more than 25000 participants/day, minimum duration of 2 days, more than one scene;
Medium-Sized Festival of the Year– festivals to which access was based on ticket, between 5000 – 25000 participants/day, minimum duration of 2 days, more than one scene;
Small Festival of the Year– festivals to which access was based on ticket, less than 5000 participants/day, minimum duration of 2 days, more than one scene;
Festival Line-Up of the Year– this category evaluates artistic programming (line-up) and originality or boldness, not the quality of production, festival organization or the size of the festival.

II.3 Special categories dedicated to live performances

These award categories cover ticketed live performances held during the eligible reference period.

Special categories dedicated to live performances are:

Major Headline Show of the Year– live performances with an actual attendance of more than 10000 actual participants;
Medium Headline Show of the Year– live performances with an actual attendance between 2000 – 10000 actual participants;
Club Show of the Year– live performances with an actual attendance of fewer than 2,000 participants.

II.4 Special awards categories

LifetimeAchievement Award

This category recognizes an individual or entity whose career has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the Romanian music industry.

ROMIAS WOW Award (“Wow… That Was Amazing”)

It recognizes an exceptional musical moment, campaign, innovation, initiative, collaboration, cultural project, or event that significantly influenced the Romanian music industry during the eligibility period.

Romanian Critics’ Choice Award

This award targets and recognizes outstanding artistic achievements in musical genres that receive limited commercial exposure within the mainstream circuit.

CHAPTER III DESIGNATION PROCEDURE WINNERS

III.1 Main categories, festivals, live performances

Subchapter III.1 applies to the designation of winners of the following categories of ROMIAS Awards:

main categories (II.1 of this Regulation), with the company category Producer of the Year (national award);
categories dedicated to festivals (II.2 of this Regulation);
categories dedicated to live performances (II.3 of this Regulation).

The designation of the winners of the three categories mentioned above is carried out in two distinct phases:

Phase I – nomination from the Academy Members;
Phase II – public vote

PHASE I

Phase I is addressed exclusively to ROMIAS Academy Members and is conducted in accordance with the ROMIAS Academy Operating Regulations, which detail the procedure for distinguishing between Nominees.

Phase I concludes with the selection—based on the ROMIAS I Score—of the designated number of Finalists for each competition category.

The ROMIAS I Score accounts for 60% of the final score calculation.

The designated Finalists will be listed in alphabetical order on the ROMIAS Platform for each ROMIAS Awards category. The display order will not reflect their ranking based on the ROMIAS I Score.

PHASE II

Phase II is open to the general public, who are invited to vote on the ROMIAS Platform for the finalists listed—in alphabetical order—for each ROMIAS Awards category.

The general public may vote only during the timeframe specified on the ROMIAS Platform for each competition category.

Each person participating in the voting process (the voter) is free: (i) not to fill in all the predefined fields in the section corresponding to each award category, and (ii) not to complete the voting process for every single award category available on the ROMIAS Platform.

Individuals wishing to vote in one, several, or all competition categories must log in to the ROMIAS Platform. Voting is initiated via an authentication link (magic link) sent to the voter’s email address. This authentication link is personal and valid for the entire duration of the public vote. It can be accessed only once, and the vote must be cast in its entirety during a single session. Once accessed, the link cannot be reused, and closing the session before completing the vote does not entitle the user to log in again.

For each category in which they vote, the voter selects the desired number of nominated finalists and ranks them according to their own preference.

By participating in the voting process, the voter implicitly expresses their agreement with the way the award categories are divided and presented, as well as with the list of nominated finalists for the category in which the vote is cast.

The ROMIAS Platform software will assign a score (General Public Score) to the vote cast by each voter. For example:

Position no. 1 10 points

Position no. 2 8 points

Position no. 3 6 points

Position no. 4 4 points

Position no. 5 2 points

For award categories with fewer than 5 nominated finalists, points corresponding to the top positions are awarded, up to the number of finalists nominated in that specific category.

If a voter does not complete all predefined fields—that is, does not cast a vote for all finalists nominated in a given category—each nominated finalist who did not receive a vote is assigned a score of ZERO.

The total score assigned by the ROMIAS Platform software to each nominated finalist at the end of Phase II will determine the order of preference among the nominated finalists for each ROMIAS Award category.

Once the voting process on the platform concludes, CULTURAFT, via the ROMIAS Platform, will assign a fixed score (ROMIAS Score II) to each nominated finalist based on their ranking within the respective category, as determined by the total score received from the general public. For example:

Position no. 1 150 points

Position no. 2 100 points

Position no. 3 75 points

Position no. 4 50 points

Position no. 5 25 points

For award categories with fewer than five nominated finalists, points corresponding to the top positions are awarded, up to the number of nominated finalists in the respective category.

The ROMIAS II Score accounts for 40% of the final score calculation.

In the event that multiple finalists nominated in a ROMIAS competition category achieve the same final score, the tie-breaker will prioritize the nominated finalist who achieved the highest ROMIAS I score.

III.2 Categories of special prizes

Lifetime Achievement Award

This category recognizes an individual or entity whose career has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the Romanian music industry.

Eligibility:

At least 25 years of experience in the industry.

The Nomination Process:

Academy members shall nominate a person or entity in the dedicated section of the ROMIAS Platform;
The members of the Academy determine the laureate by a majority vote, with a minimum of 10 votes.

ROMIAS WOW Award (“Wow… That Was Amazing”)

It targets and recognizes an exceptional musical moment, campaign, innovation, initiative, collaboration, cultural project, or event that significantly influenced the Romanian music industry during the eligibility period.

This category may cover (eligibility):

innovative marketing campaigns;
key collaborations;
impact initiatives for industry development;
exceptional live moments;
social or cultural projects with impact.

The Nomination Process:

Academy members will propose an exceptional musical performance, a campaign, an innovation, an initiative, a collaboration, a cultural project, or an event in the dedicated section of the ROMIAS Platform.
The members of the Academy determine the laureate by a majority vote, with a minimum of 10 votes.

Romanian Critics’ Choice Award

This award targets and recognizes outstanding artistic achievements in musical genres that receive limited commercial exposure in the mainstream circuit.

Eligible genders may include, but are not limited to:

Jazz;
contemporary classical music;
Experimental music;
Avant-garde;
World Music;
traditional Romanian music;
Alternative and independent music;
Hip-hop underground;
Folk;
Singer – songwriter;
Other genres with cultural relevance.

Mainstream commercial pop, mainstream rock, mainstream EDM/Dance music, and releases primarily associated with national Top 50 charts are generally ineligible, unless expressly approved by the Critics’ Committee.

Selection Process:

Unlike the Academy Awards, which are determined by member and public voting, this category will be decided exclusively by an independent Critics’ Committee.

The Committee will:

nominate eligible works;
conduct deliberations independently;
designate the winner by majority vote.

CULTURAFT will not alter the Committee’s final decision, except in cases of procedural irregularities or issues regarding eligibility.

III.3 Determining winners – Award presentation

The verification and determination of the final results for each prize category will be carried out using a control key electronically generated by the ROMIAS Platform at the time the prizes are awarded.

The verification, determination, and disclosure of the final results for each prize category will be performed by a three-member committee composed of: a representative of the Platform, a member of the ROMIAS Academy, and a notary public (the committee chair).

The verification, determination, and disclosure of the final results for each prize category will take place during a public gala.

Chapter IV GENERAL PROVISIONS FINAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

IV.1 Voting integrity

The use of automated means, false identities, or any other methods intended to repeatedly cast votes or artificially influence votes or candidacies submitted via the ROMIAS Platform is prohibited.

Should indications of such practices be identified, CULTURAFT shall order a verification of the votes or candidacies in question. The mere existence of a signal generated by the verification systems does not, in itself, result in their invalidation. Invalidation may only be ordered following a verification process that establishes the irregularity, its extent, and the specific votes or candidacies affected.

A record shall be kept of the verifications performed, the measures adopted, and their impact on the outcome. The independent auditor referred to in point III.1 shall have access to the information necessary to verify how the measures concerning the public vote were implemented.

IV.2 Technical incidents

In the event that a malfunction of the ROMIAS Platform or the authentication code transmission mechanism prevents voting for a significant period, CULTURAFT shall record the affected timeframe and determine whether it is necessary to extend the voting period by a duration corresponding to the time required to resolve the issue.

The extension applies to all voters in the affected category. The affected category, the identified incident, and the new voting closing date shall be announced on the ROMIAS Platform prior to the resumption or continuation of the voting process.

Votes validly cast prior to the incident remain recorded, with the exception of those demonstrably affected by the identified malfunction.

IV.3 Eligibility verification and error correction

If, following the announcement of the nominated Finalists, inaccurate information regarding a finalist’s eligibility or their placement in a specific award category is identified, CULTURAFT shall verify the relevant information, including by requesting documents or explanations from the individuals concerned.

Material errors that do not affect eligibility, scoring, or rankings shall be corrected on the ROMIAS Platform. If verification establishes that a finalist does not meet the criteria for the respective category, the nomination and tie-breaking rules set forth in the ROMIAS Academy Operating Regulations shall apply to determine the replacement finalist.

If the irregularity is discovered after public voting has commenced, CULTURAFT shall determine the measures necessary to maintain the fairness of the vote in the affected category—including, where the result cannot be accurately determined based on votes already cast, restarting the vote for that category. The measure and the reasons for it are published on the ROMIAS Platform.

IV.4 Complaints

Nominated finalists may submit inquiries to CULTURAFT regarding their eligibility, category placement, the application of calculation rules, or the existence of irregularities that could influence the outcome of the category in which they are competing. Voters may report incidents that prevented them from voting or irregularities concerning the recording of their vote.

Inquiries must be sent to the email address [email protected] , outlining the issue and, where applicable, providing supporting documentation. Inquiries regarding the list of nominated finalists must be submitted within 48 hours of the list’s publication.

CULTURAFT reviews the inquiry in consultation with the individuals responsible for the relevant stage and, where appropriate, with the independent auditor or the Independent Critics’ Committee. Any individual whose conduct or decision is being challenged does not make the final decision regarding the inquiry. A reasoned response is communicated to the person who submitted the inquiry within 24 hours of its receipt.

Reviews may cover compliance with eligibility criteria, the application of procedures, and the recording and calculation of scores. Artistic judgments expressed through voting by Academy members, the general public, or members of the Independent Critics’ Committee are not subject to re-evaluation.

IV.5 Verification and recording of results

For each award category, the Platform will generate a report detailing the nominated finalists, the scores used to determine the ranking, the application of any tie-breaking rules, the results of verification checks, and the category winner.

For each category involving public participation, the Platform will generate a report recording the number of valid votes cast, the number of invalidated votes and the reasons for invalidation, as well as any incidents that influenced the voting process.

The reports generated by the Platform, along with the information enabling and pertaining to the verification of the results, will be retained by CULTURAFT in accordance with the retention rules applicable to documents and data related to the contest. The publication of results does not include the identities of the voters or their individual voting choices.

IV.6 Amendments to Regulation

CULTURAFT may amend these Regulations. Each version published on the ROMIAS Platform will indicate its effective date, and previous versions will remain available for reference for the duration of the respective edition of the ROMIAS Awards.

Amendments regarding eligibility criteria, scoring methods, or tie-breaking rules do not apply to stages that have already concluded. Corrections of clerical errors and measures required to resolve technical issues will be announced on the ROMIAS Platform, specifying the affected stages and categories.

IV.7 Communications and deadlines

Announcements regarding the competition schedule, nominated finalists, technical issues, amendments to the Regulations, and results are published on the ROMIAS Platform. Individual communications provided for in these Regulations are sent via email to the address supplied by the interested party.

Deadlines indicated on the ROMIAS Platform are based on Romanian time. Where only a date is specified for the conclusion of a stage, the deadline expires at 23:59 on that day (Romanian time).

IV.8 The entry into force

This Regulation enters into force upon its publication on the ROMIAS Platform and applies to the edition of the ROMIAS Awards for which it was published.