As there are more than five of us contributing to this blog, we had to enter as a Corporate Blog, even though we're nothing of the sort.
Within that, there wasn't a category that fit us, even remotely. I realise we're a bit of an odd site to categorise. We ended up in the Arts & Culture category and a strange category, at the request of the UK Blog Awards people, called Most Innovative. So there we were, shoe-horned into two categories we didn't belong and in a corporate world we didn't want to be in.
However, once we entered the awards last year, we were overwhelmed by the support of our readers and the Coronation Street Blog ended up as a finalist in both categories we entered. I honestly can't thank you enough for this, every single person who voted for us.
Our bloggers Emma and Graeme attended the star-studded awards bash in a posh hotel in that London earlier this year. And although we didn't win (and neither would we have wanted to, being in the wrong category and therefore up against the likes of Cancer Research UK - they should win everything going!) Emma and Graeme had a great night and it was an amazing feeling being a finalist in the UK Blog Awards 2016. You can read Emma and Graeme's accounts of that night.
Which brings us nicely to the UK Blog Awards 2017. Someone very kindly nomianted us and I accepted the nomination but today have decided not to take it any further - and here's why...
... once again, we were being forced to enter as a Corporate Blog because we have a team of 12 writing for the site. We are not a corporate blog, we have never been a corporate blog and will never been one. Being corporate is everything I am against. When I started the blog it was to be the voice of Corrie fans, for Corrie fans and so it will always be.
...the category that the UK Blog Awards suggested we enter this year was as a Lifestyle blog. We are not a Lifestyle blog. Even worse, within the Lifestyle category, there are sub-categories, none of which come close to what we do.
I could not, hand on heart, ask our readers to support us as a Corporate Lifestyle Blog.
It is not what we are or will ever be.
The nice people at the UK Blog Awards have been helpful and supportive. I'm very grateful for their help. However, they do realise that we don't fit into any of their criteria and they understand why I have withdrawn our site from the UK Blog Awards 2017. I hope our readers understand too.
What this means however, is that blogs such as ours - funny, exciting, irreverent, exclusive and original - won't be accepted by the UK Blog Awards because there's nowhere for us to fit within their categories. Sad, but true.
Let's hope things will change for the UK Blog Awards 2018 where true blogs, written with passion, knowledge and dedication, can be given a place.
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8 comments:
Sounds like a good and honest decision. Behind you all the way, as a relative newcomer
I support your decision and applaud your transparency. A "corporate lifestyle" blog doesn't fit you at all anyway -- sounds like a diet company or something like that. You win all the prizes in my book already. <3
You are winners in my eyes.
You made the right decision. I hope they add more categories. It seems to me that a fan club blog can't be so rare.
Anyways, this blog is excellent. It's well run and informative.
Why on earth don't they have some kind of "none of the above" or "Anything else" type category to encompass blogs which do not happily 'fit' into their other current categories? Or some kind of TV/Media blog awards - there must surely be lots of amateur blogs that would encompass all non professional/corporate ones, surely? As Maricha rightly said, surely a fan club blog can't be that rare?!
Good on you FN.
You have always been a gold winner in my eyes, in fact you are the only blog I follow. So I raise my glass to you in praise. I'm just really glad that you all love what you do and hopefully will keep on doing it in the future. I have often said and I think there are quite a few viewers out there that will agree with me, that on several occasions I enjoyed reading the blog and the comments much more than actual watching the show. So I still maintain that TPTB should take heed and ask for your advice especially in the continuity dept and major plot lines. Thank you.
That's a shame that they don't have any place for blogs like this, but I agree with your decision completely. Hopefully by next year, they will figure out a way to resolve this situation for you and other blogs with the same problem.
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