27/08/2024
A recent post indicated that a deadname appeared on the Final Ballot this year.
This is a very serious allegation, and deserves an official response.
It's understandable that people might think that we've unintentionally used the wrong attribution on a song, as we really haven't talked much about the process of assembling a ballot.
Every year, the community submits Nominating Ballots to determine who will appear on the Final Ballot. Since the Nominating Ballot is an open form, many times the spelling and attributions for songs and artists can be very... creative. :)
After the results of the Nominating Ballot are tallied, and the results accepted by OVFF- then the Pegasus Committee gets to work contacting every artist, or the entity that holds the rights to an artist's body of work.
First and foremost, each artist is asked if they accept the Nomination. No one appears on the ballot that has not accepted. And yes, there are artists who have declined Nomination.
Sometimes, the wrong artist is given as the composer of a song- so we go find them. Sometimes, the artist's name is spelled incorrectly- or the title of the song isn't quite right.
And sometimes, a deadname is entered in the Nominating Ballot.
Once an artist accepts their nomination, there are at least two (or more) rounds of test pages flying back and forth verifying spelling, attribution, etc- to ensure that what is presented is given according to each artist's wishes.
In the end, if an artist chooses to use their deadname on a song, whatever their reason- we will use the deadname without question.
So, when you read the Final Ballot each year, rest assured that what appears is according to the wishes of each artist- every single time.
If there are ever questions about the Pegasus, and the ballot, please feel free to contact us through the mail form on the OVFF website (link in the comments).
