Nominations for this year’s Irish Blog Awards have been open over a week and there is a week left and I’m only now getting round to thinking about who I’m going to nominate in some if not all of the 20 categories on offer this year. The awards this year are being held in the Peoples Republic of Cork – in the Cork International Airport Hotel on February 21.

Cork and the hotel in particular looks like it’s going to be the base for a Bloggers holiday camp for the weekend judging by the numbers who have booked in to stay and the hundreds who are going to attend the awards and are registered already. (Fleeting thoughts of Damien/Gladys doing ‘Hi-de-Hi Campers’ announcements just passed by brain) I’m really looking forward to it!

Back to nominations – one important thing to remember is that you don’t have to be a blogger to nominate – and this is not a case of getting lots of votes in as there is a two stage judging process after nominations where the wheat is sorted from the chaff or something by lots of judges. I think it’s so important that blog readers (who don’t blog themselves) are able to take the most important seat in getting their spake in at the start.

There are a few changes in categories reflecting trends and the ever widening diversity that is blogging in Ireland. There are no nominations for Best Blog with all the category winners going into the Grand Prix for judging/selection at the end. To be nominated the Irish Blog or Blogger has to have been actively blogging between July 15th and December 15th 2008.

So go on off to the nominations page and have a look and nominate some blogs! Nominations close on January 14th.