2009 Commitee

The 2009 CBAs are not yet underway, but organizing them begins this week. Many of last years’ Operators are continuing their roles, and we want to grow our group to include more bloggers from more genres and backgrounds so we can have a bigger and better awards for 2009. If you’re interested, please contact us at
canadianblogawards -AT- GMAIL.COM
with a short explanation of your background in blogging, and what you’d like to see done. If we can use your talent, we’ll add you to the team of Operators who are responsible for running a fun, and fair awards.

Can’t Get Enough of Canadian Blog Awards? – UPDATED

The CBAs are done for another year, but the unaffiliated Best NWT Blogs are underway as of Wednesday, so you can head over there and check out more excellent Canadian blogs with a northern twist.

UPDATE: And the award winners are announced here.

Best Blog of 2008

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Blog

Presenting the award for Best Canadian Blog of 2008 are Santa Claus (actually CBA Operator Saskboy dressed up, believe it or not) and Dani’s friendly Tim Horton’s employee from Ottawa:

Best Blog Post

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Blog Post

Presenting the award is The Useless Wonder of Useless Advice from Useless Men:

Best Blog Post Series of 2008

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Blog Post Series

Presenting the award is one of the CBA Operators and Probook.ca admin Jonathan Kleiman:

Best New Blog of 2008

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best New Blog

1. ProWomanProLife with 596 votes (59.07%)

2. Zucket 161 (15.96%)

3. XUP with 93 votes (9.22%)

4. Alberta: Get Rich or Die Trying with 92 votes (9.12%)

5. NextGen Player with 67 votes (6.64%)

Total votes: 1009

The New Blog category is a good one to surf through because you never know what you’re going to find. Last year’s winner was a Liblogger from Guelph, and this year’s blog that brought in the most votes is a group blog against abortion. There were a high number of votes for each of the finalists, but I feel I must point out that AGRDT was 1 vote shy of a tie for 3rd place!

Best Pundit/Professional Commentator Blog of 2008

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Pundit/Professional Commentator Blog

1. Antonia – Broadsides    78    30.95%

2. Kady O’Malley – ITQ    56    22.22%

3. Mark Steyn    55    21.83%

4. Inkless Wells    48    19.05%

5. 59 Carden St.     15    5.95%

Total votes 252

Tonight our finalists get a bit of a roast, courtesy of Gabriel at Salted Lithium:

Broadsides, written by Antonia Zerbisias, a columnist for the Star’s Living section, won with a minority of votes over the Parliamentary news column of MacLean Magazine’s Kady O’Malley and the wit, wisdom and drinking games that is the blog of Mark Steyn. I’d expect, given the general politics of the publications and columnists involved, there’s a very good possibility of a coalition. If so I expect Antonia to prorogue the awards until the situation can be sorted out.

A few years ago in a bar in Ottawa I introduced Paul Wells to some friends as “a great columnist for The Post” and one of my friends said “oh, it’s great to meet you Mr. Coyne”. True story. So close. Congratulations Paul, fourth place is almost exactly like winning.

The Guelph Mercury’s blog about city hall politics, 59 Carden St., may be the smallest of the finalists but the Mercury’s city hall reporters, Magda Konieczna and Nicole O’Reilly, do an excellent job reporting on news from the Queen’s City. Fifth place in this category is not a loss.

Best Professional/Career Blog of 2008

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Professional/Career Blog

Presenting the award is Monty Loree of Canadian-money-advisor.ca

Best Religious/Philosophy Blog

As selected by Canadian Blog Award voters, here are the rankings for:

Best Religious/Philosophy Blog

1.  Dennis Gruending: Pulpit and Politics with 142 votes (46.86%)

2. Holy Experience with 64 votes (21.12%)

3. (TIE) Bene Diction Blogs On and Whatever He Says with 36 votes (11.88%) each

4. Felix Hominum with 25 votes (8.25%)

Total votes: 303

The new blog Pulpit and Politics rises to the top this year in the slightly more inclusive Religious Blog category (which now covers philosophy blogs too). And there’s even a tie, the first one in the finals this year. Well done finalists!