Wow. We are blown away by the number of nominations we've received so far for The Northern Blog Awards 2018!
If you've not already nominated your faves, or you're not sure about something - here's all the info you need.
Be quick though - nominations close on Sunday 29th April!
So who's considered a 'Northern Content Creator'?
The Northern Blog Awards are here to champion content creators in the North of England. We say that's anywhere above Sheffield and below Scotland 🙂 You either need to be living in the North or from the North originally, to be nominated.
We ask that you please follow these few small rules when submitting your nominations:
1. You can only nominate yourself or the same content creator in a maximum of 3 categories (please don't just copy and paste in every category as this will void your vote altogether).
2. Please only copy and paste URL links to blogs or vlogs and make sure the social media handle @xxxxx is accurate (or we cannot guarantee the nomination will be accepted). Do not just write their name.
3. Maximum one vote form per email address please. Duplicates will not be accepted.
Click here for the nomination form!
Our headline sponsor Christy will be there on the night to add some luxury #homeinspo to your evening. This was last year's setup - we're excited to see what they come up with this year!
We'll also be joined by our other fabulous sponsors...
And a big thanks to our Media Partner Key 103!
Check out the fabulous pictures from last year's awards!
We're getting excited looking at how glamorous the night was. 😀
Northern Blog Awards 2018 - FAQ's
What is this event for?
As part of WeBlogNorth, I've always felt passionately about championing the amazing online content creators here in the North of England. It's not all about London you know 😉 and this is the crux of the community. I'm also passionate about recognising the amazing content created by people of all "levels" and experiences, micro-influencers as well as the insta-famous. I found it frustrating that as a smaller blogger myself, I'd often get overlooked for accolades purely on numbers. I wanted to address that and the idea of the Northern Blog Awards was born.
But it's not just bloggers we want to recognise, it's vloggers, instagrammers, social influencers, entrepreneurs, mum-bosses, photographers and designers...if you create content online, there's a category for you!
And you know what? We thought it was time we all had a party and an excuse to get dressed-up...blogging can be a lonely ol' game with much of our interaction happening online, so we thought an in-person event, a chance to meet our peers and make new friends, was what we all needed. Why the hell not?
How do I get nominated for an award?
So, nominations will open at the end of February and all details will be found on the Northern Blog Awards website and across the social channels (linked below) in due course. Anyone is able to nominate anyone they'd like and you can nominate yourself too. All we ask is that you're thoughtful about the category you're nominating in and don't just copy-and-paste your favourites in every category (as I have to sift through the thousands that come in).
How are the winners chosen?
Good question! So as I said before, we don't want this to be purely a numbers game. We want someone with 1000 followers to have just as good a chance of winning as someone with 100,000! So we combine a score given by a judges panel in the short-listing process, with a public vote score to decide who wins. Want to know more? Keep reading...
The Shortlisting: Once the nominations close, we sift through and make sure everyone is in the right category. Each category is then allocated a judge (or two) with an expertise or insight in the chosen area. They then work their way through all the nominees in the category, having a good look at their online content and scoring against a set-matrix of criteria (things like: personality and tone of voice, unique or helpful content, quality of writing and visuals, personal brand, social engagement etc.). This score then forms the decides the shortlisted nominees...the ones eligible of winning.
The scoring: That score also determines 60% of the final scores, with 40% coming from the public vote. That final score, determines who wins. We've chosen this ratio, so that it's not just a popularity contest and everyone has got a great chance of winning!
When is the short-list announced?
Again, full details will be on the NBAs website, BUT, it's likely that we'll announce the short-list some time in June and that's when we'll go to public voting for approx 6 weeks.
When are the winners announced?
On the big night itself 🙂
Do I have to be a blogger/vlogger/influencer to attend?
No you don't! This night is all about content creators, so naturally the majority of attendees are bloggers/vloggers/influencers, but you are more than welcome to bring a guest with you. Or if you haven't started your blog/vlog yet, but are wanting to, that's cool too! You'll meet lots of people of all different experiences at the NBAs, that's the beauty of it!
Do I have to be nominated to attend?
No, not at all! In fact, we encourage everyone to attend to support the nominees (you'd appreciate it if you were nominated wouldn't you?). It's a great chance to make friends, have a laugh, meet some brands and agencies and have a good boogie.
Can I attend alone? Or bring a guest?
Lots of people come on their own so don't worry! There's plenty of lovely friendly faces, waiting to greet you and make you feel welcome. We'll have a special bunch of WeBlog Ambassadors there too, who's sole purpose is to make you feel comfortable. So please don't be afraid of turning up on your own, we've all been there! But if you want to bring a guest, that's cool too. We'll limit the tickets to 3 per person, but if you want to bring more people than that, just get in touch with us to let us know and we'll sort something out. Of course, we encourage you to bring blogger/vlogger friends - the more the merrier!
Do I have to stay all night?
Roughly speaking, the event will run from 6pm 'til 1am. With the main proceedings happening before 11pm. We do ask you to stick around as long as possible - why wouldn't you want to? There'll be drinks flowing and music playing. But, we're aware that lots of our guests will be travelling from all over and may need to leave to get last trains etc. But there's plenty of hotels in Manchester, of varying budgets, if you do decide to make a night of it and the earlier you book, the better deal you'll be likely to get. So why not make the most of it and have a weekend in our lovely city?
Do we get special room rates at The Midland Hotel?
Yes, if you're like me and will be staying overnight (stumbling distance!), there's a special WeBlogNorth room rate. Details over on the NBAs website.
What's the dress code?
We say 2 things: 1. dress to impress, 2. be yourself! It's your time to shine and be yourself, so ultimately wear something you feel comfortable in. It's a red carpet event, with photo opportunities, so lots of people like to come in suits and frocks, but it's totally your call.
What does my ticket include?
So, we've tried our best to keep tickets as cheap as possible, but of course, we have to cover the costs of putting on such a huge event. That being said, we think you get fantastic value for the ticket price. It includes:
A glass of Prosecco on arrival, 3-course sit-down dinner with tea/coffee/chocs, half a bottle of wine per person and an amazing goody bag to take home!
Plus there'll be plenty of opportunities to win prizes on the nights, with competitions from our brands and sponsors. Lots of fun and treats - believe me!
What brands will be there?
There'll be some brands and agencies attending too, as they'd love to meet you and showcase how they work with content creators like you. They will be announced across our social and on the website in the months leading up to the event. So keep your eyes peeled and make sure you say hello on the night - they're a friendly bunch and some amazing relationships were forged at last year's NBAs! If you're not interested in meeting brands and agencies, that's cool too - there'll be plenty of other things to have fun with on the night.
What else happens on the night?
Well we don't want to tell you too much, as we like to keep you guessing...but we're bloggers ourselves so we know what you all like to do! There'll be photo-booths, selfie-opportunities and interactive fun.
The goody bag...tell me more!
I made it my life's mission to make last year's goody bags as amazing as possible and I think you all agreed that were pretty awesome. We spend months interacting with brands that we think you'll like to experience and maybe even talk about...brands you might want to work with. So although we can't tell you exactly what'll be in them, there'll be plenty of treats to take home, so make sure you don't mind carrying a bag home with you!
What have I forgotten?
I think I've answered most things, but if there's anything you're still unsure about or would like to know, then please do just get in touch!
Grab your Early Bird Ticket today - available for a limited time only.
If you've booked your ticket - tag us on social @weblognorth and @northblogawards - we love hearing from you!
https://twitter.com/karenanita/status/983416682235482112
We'll see you there! 😀
Kat & Holly x
