The B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame is opening this year’s call for nominations from Friday (January 15) to March 15.

BCEHOF president Rob Haynes told the Georgia Straight by phone that after they researched similar halls of fame across North America, they formalized their nomination process, with a form available online.

“We do require that there is a nominator and the nominator actually has a backup of 10 other people who do want to nominate this person,” he said.

Nominations can be made for two categories: Star Walk and Pioneers. The Star Walk highlights B.C.–based recognizable names who have boosted B.C.’s cultural profile locally and internationally. The Pioneers category showcases unsung heroes who have made historical contributions to our province’s entertainment industry.

“What we’re trying to do is…really recognize our pioneers. Those are the people who really are the foundation of the industry,” Haynes said. “They’ve worked in the trenches. They worked over the years to improve the entertainment industry in British Columbia.”

Although in the past the number of inductees varied from three to 10, this year five to seven inductees will be named in each category, Haynes said.

The nomination committee, composed of entertainment professionals and previous inductees, will review applications based on various criteria.

Nominations are due by March 15. Forms and full details are available on the BCEHOF website.

The 2016 inductees will be announced in early spring.

Previous inductees include musical performers Sarah McLachlan, Diana Krall, Bryan Adams, and Michael Bublé; maestros Bramwell Tovey and Kazuyoshi Akiyama; bandleader Dal Richards; producer David Y. H. Lui; and broadcaster and Georgia Straight contributor Jurgen Gothe.

More than 300 people have been inducted into the hall since its founding in 1992.