Bloggers Choice Awards are like the Oscars for bloggers. To be honest, I am not a fan of the Oscars, too much glitz, not enough substance and debatable voting. When blogging is at stake, though, I thought that maybe I should peel back my cynicism of this style of competition, and get stuck into the Bloggers Choice Awards. So I did.

Best of what award section?

I maintain that at this stage of my blogging career, it is daft to try to enter as Best of...blogger in one of 29 sections, because I am not even 7 months old in bloggy years. So, to play fair, I have tried to get nominated for best blog design, the theory being, that judging for that category relies totally on the here and now, an instant impression.

With a design, there is no requirement to dive through the archives to the first post, then shoot back to the here and now to compare the consistency of writing. No need to hunt through the content looking for Best of... material to eulogise about. Just load one page and go on your gut instinct.

I am still awaiting a nominator, but when I get one, I will be glad to do my bit to further raise awareness of the many designers striving for recognition in their field of endeavor. Especially Bonsai Studio, who designed our theme.

My Best Bloggers Choice votes so far

As far as worthy Bloggers Choice Awards winners in other sections, I've been busy-ish. I did vote for Mikes money Making Mission as Best Business Blog, Polliwogs Pond is a Best Blog about Stuff winner in waiting, MyBlogLog has an outside runners-up chance at Best about Blogging, Bobbarama will do well with his best humor blog, and MyExtraLife Radio should be Best Podcast, based on the review we did of them, alone.

And I went mad and selected Wil Wheaton for best celebrity blogger. (I felt for Wil Wheaton when Diggers get thuggish with him, just for being him, and he responded with plenty of gusto.)

Talking of Oscars

The definition of Oscars is: a panel of pompous judges who waffle over lunch about what they think is the most politically correct winner.

This was never illustrated better than when El Woody Allen won best foreign film at The Spanish "Oscars" at the Santander Film Festival last year. It was so obvious he was going to be the winner when they announced the nominations. He was simply the biggest box office name, giving the competition most credibility. Shame the cynics saw straight through the strategy, and the quirky Mr Allen earned 3000 pesetas for the 3 DVDs that got sold outside the ceremony that night.

As I say, I feel a little skeptical of any Oscar-like competitions, in whatever sphere of endeavor, but in blogging, I think any good excuse for a mutual love-in, and a bit of extra publicity for the winners, is fair enough, and no harm done. Keep track of our voting.