It's Official -- Mark Allan Atwood has been nominated. Cast your ballot today!

BURNET - Local songwriter and performer Mark Allan Atwood has received a nomination for the prestigious Texas Music Awards, sanctioned each year by the Academy of Texas Music, Inc., a 501 (c)3 public charity established to recognize and support Texas Music. Atwood is one of five nominees in the category of Rising Star in this year's TMA's. The official announcement of nominees for 2010 was made by the Academy, Monday, Februrary 15.

Five nominations were issued in this category from over 43,000 suggested nomination submissions from industry professionals, artists, Academy members and the general public, during the nomination period in January.

"This is huge honor for me, that I want to share with all those who have supported me and my music for so long," Atwood said. "The list of past winners and nominees for the Rising Star award alone, not to mention all the other categories, reads like a list of my personal CD collection, so just to be among them is a real honor."

Atwood was eligible to be nominated on the strength of his new album, "How Country," which was released on his own label See~Skye Records in December of 2009. The album was recorded at the award winning Timbre Lodge Studios, located just outside of Burnet. Two singles from the album, "Honkytonk Blues" and Hurricane Wind," have already received airplay on radio stations across Texas and are being added to more playlists each week.

Host of three area weekly "open mic" nights (Open Mic with Mark at Spokes Sports Bar in Burnet, The Monday Hangover at Fuzzy's Corner in Buchanan and No Bad Wednesdays at Poodie's Hilltop in Spicewood), Atwood also plays an average of 25-plus dates a month as both a solo acoustic artist and with his full band, all over the state of Texas. "While it's true that I try to be working every night at some venue around the state, you can bet that I've blocked out the weekend of the awards ceremony as time off," Atwood said.

Atwood is represent by TJM Music Services out of San Marcos, TX and owner Tom McAleer. "We here at TJM Music Services are extremely proud to be working with Mark Allan, and are excited that he's been nominated for a Texas Music Award as Rising Star," McAleer said. "He is surely deserving of this nomination." TJM Music Services also represents Female Vocalist Of The Year nominee Katherine Dawn.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Marshall Convention Center, in Marshall TX, on May 15. A full, first rate award show production, complete with red carpets, press and photo opportunities and artist meet and greet sessions, this event is a sold out production every year.

Voting began on February 15 for this year's awards. Votes from the general public count for 10% of the final talleys, while those from the Academy Voting Membership count for 20% and votes from the Academy Board of Honorees, a group comprised of past TMA winners and the board of directors, count for 70%. General public votes can be made by visiting www.texasmusicawards.org and following the "Vote Here" link on that page. All votes must be submitted by March 5, 2010. Other awards are being presented for Album of the Year, Record and Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Male and Female Vocalist of the Year and more.