Why the Long Nomination Period?

One thing that I have been asked quite a few times over the last several days is why the Canadian Weblog Awards nomination period is so long, running all the way from January 1st to October 31st.

The reason for this is that these awards are to be about more than who places first, second, and third. These awards are primarily about the promotion of Canadian weblogging at its finest, and the long nomination period allows for the creation of an ongoing list of nominees that we can all access and experience throughout the year.

It is an opportunity to find each other, engage each other, and enjoy the incredibly broad range of what each of us has to offer both this community here and the other communities in which we take part. It would be a disservice to have this place only be active for a couple of months out of the year when we have such a rich creative resource to tap into.

With that said, if you know of a Canadian weblog that you believe should be shared with the rest of Canada and the world, check out our criteria and take a moment to nominate it for a Canadian Weblog Award. We would love to see what's going on with our fellow creatives!

The CWAs Now Have Two More Categories

Due to popular demand, two new categories have been added to the Canadian Weblog Awards: Best Feminist Weblog and People's Choice.

The People's Choice category will be open to the public vote from December 1st to 31st, 2010. This category has been added so that we readers/viewers/listeners can give our most popular bloggers their due with our show of hands.

Thanks so much for your input, and keep those nominations coming in!

The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of the New Canadian Weblog Awards / Qui, quoi, quand, où et pourquoi?

Who?
The Canadian Weblog Awards are a juried competition brought to you by me, Schmutzie of Schmutzie.com. I will be blogging and coordinating this baby throughout the year.

What?
The Canadian Weblog Awards are intended to promote good weblogs of all genres from across Canada year round through regular interviews, articles, and the nomination, judging, and award process that culminates with the announcement of the top three weblogs in each category on January 1st.

When?
Nominations are accepted from January 1st through October 31st. A panel of select judges whittles down the nominees in each category according to a pre-determined set of criteria, and a list of the top five nominees is announced on December 1st. The judges then choose the best three weblogs in each category, and the winners are announced on January 1st, 2011.

Where?
Well, right here, of course. The Canadian Weblog Awards headquarters are technically located in Regina, Saskatchewan, but they occur across not only the vast expanse of this country but also the entire globe, because anyone from anywhere is free to nominate a Canadian weblog for the honour.

Why?
Even the best weblogs can get buried under the swathes of information that flood the internet, and the Canadian Weblog Awards are determined to bring good Canadian weblogs to light. This is why we use a panel of judges rather than the popular vote to unearth our best and brightest. The use of a judging panel that follows a specific set of criteria to evaluate the nominees helps to ensure that the winning weblogs are chosen more for their quality rather than by how many people they can mobilize to vote.

We're a talented lot, we Canadians, and we should show it off. We deserve it.

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Qui?
Un concours avec jury, le Grand Prix des blogues canadiens a été créé à l'initiative de Schmutzie du blogue Schmutzie.com, qui assure la coordination de son « bébé ».

Quoi?
Le Grand Prix des blogues canadiens a pour but de célébrer les meilleurs blogues au Canada, tous genres confondus, grâce à des entrevues et articles de fond. Le public est invité à suivre le déroulement de la compétition, des mises en candidature jusqu'à la remise des prix du jury aux trois blogues gagnants dans chaque catégorie, annoncés le 1er janvier 2011.

Quand?
Les mises en candidature seront acceptées du 1er janvier au 31 octobre 2010. Un jury sélect passera en revue les nominations et, sur la base de critères préétablis, révélera les 5 finalistes dès le 1er décembre. Par la suite, le jury devra sélectionner les trois meilleurs blogues dans chaque catégorie, les gagnants étant proclamés le 1er janvier 2011.

Où?
Ici, bien sûr ! Si, techniquement parlant, Le Grand Prix des blogues canadiens émane de Régina en Saskatchewan, il se tient non seulement à la grandeur du pays, mais du monde entier. En effet, quel que soit votre pays, vous avez le droit de mettre un site canadien en candidature.

Pourquoi?
Même les meilleurs blogues peuvent se perdre dans le flot d'information circulant sur Internet. Le Grand Prix des blogues canadiens s'est donné comme mandat de mettre en lumière la crème des blogues canadiens. C'est pourquoi les grands gagnants seront déterminés par jury et non par vote populaire. Un jury qui se base sur des critères stricts pour évaluer les candidatures permet de s'assurer que nous récompensons la qualité — et non la capacité d'un blogue à mobiliser le vote en sa faveur, par exemple.

Il y a beaucoup de talent au Canada, à nous de le montrer et de le célébrer. On le mérite bien.