Wednesday, August 19, 2015

1st Annual Just About Write Golden Trio Awards — SPECIAL CATEGORY WINNERS


Thank you all so very much for making the Just About Write Golden Trio Awards (our first ever!) such a booming success. We all here absolutely loved seeing you tweet and Tumble (is that the verb form of Tumblr? It should be) your votes for the people you hoped to see as the top three winners in each category. Just like the Olympics -- except not in every single way -- we bestowed upon each of our top three winners "medals" in the form of rankings. The nominee with the highest number of votes earned GOLD, the one in second place earned SILVER, and -- you guessed it! -- the nominee who rounded out our top three was awarded with a BRONZE medal.

Since our photo galleries crashed part-way through the voting period, our winners post features some blurbs by our writers regarding particular winners and their excitement. Did I mention that we had fun? We totally did.

SPECIAL NOTICE ABOUT OTP OF THE YEAR:  
So, I love shippers. I love their passion and their devotion. I love their creativity and I love their unique voices. I love how they root for love and I love that they care enough about our poll to have participated. (You're all waiting for the 'but', aren't you?)
BUT it was brought to our attention on Tumblr -- by the site itself -- that spam accounts were being used to reblog and like the OTP of the Year posts for a few fandoms, Tumblr worked to shut down any account like this because they flagged them as spam and don't allow any spam accounts on their site. Obviously, the site did not shut down every account and shutting those down or blocking them did not erase the notes the posts had gotten. I was also aware of cheating on the poll itself at this site. We never expected this poll to become as big of a deal as it did for certain fandoms and ships. If we had foreseen this being an issue, we would have worked to place preventative measures (like Captcha) on the poll itself and reconfigured the idea of Tumblr votes altogether. 
Now, for those of you who will say: "But MTV didn't care during Ship of the Year how we got the notes!," you would be right. However, MTV is a multi-billion dollar corporation who paid for advertisements on Tumblr and on the posts themselves. They can afford not to care if there was cheating involved and they actually benefit from the larger number of notes on posts (this being a quantitative way to show advertisers how much the audience is engaging with their posts, wonky as those analytics may be). I don't make ANY money on this site at all -- the little money I put toward it goes to the domain name and, like, paying to buy wine. So when Chelsea and I were made aware that there were a few ships not playing by the rules, we knew we would need to address this issue, simply because not earning any money through this means that my credibility is my currency. Thus, it did not seem fair to reward the fandoms that did use certain methods in order to insanely maximize both the vote count on the site itself and the Tumblr notes while other fandoms did not. 
As a consequence of all this, Chelsea and I determined a method that was most fair to ships across the board who didn't use methods of cheating to garner their votes. We decided to throw out all votes on platforms where we had clear evidence that cheating played a hand in garnering those (as a consequence of that, Olicity, Steroline, and Captain Swan's votes on Tumblr were not calculated and Captain Swan's votes on the poll posted on this page were not counted either). While there was evidence of Olicity and Steroline gaining votes unethically on Tumblr, there is no evidence they gained them unfairly in the poll itself, so their votes remained. As for the remainder of the ships: we calculated their votes (adding Tumblr and the poll votes themselves) together, since there was no evidence of tricky business on those ends. 
Chelsea and I -- along with the rest of our team -- decided that this was the most fair way to handle the situation. I understand you're probably frustrated if you did not use bots or fake Tumble accounts to cheat in either of the polls. I'm sincerely sorry that the ones who did eliminated some of you from your desired spots. However, we found it fair to only reward votes we know were gained ethically by fandoms who tried their hardest. We've learned what to do and not do next year so there will be less of an opportunity for this to happen again.

Just like the nominations, our winners are split up into three separate posts! Be sure to check out each of the others to see who took home prizes. Thank you again for making this first awards experience fun for all of us involved. We look forward to seeing you all again next year. :)

And now... THE WINNERS ARE...


OTP OF THE YEAR


GOLD - Hollstein (Carmilla)



Writer's praise: Hollstein is the ship that killed all the other ships for me this year. They fight like cats and dogs but care for and defend each other no matter the foe. Love may have its sacrifices but these two will sacrifice whatever it takes to make the other happy and safe, even at the expense of their own happiness. - Chelsea

SILVER - Olicity (Arrow)



Writer's praise: The organic nature and undeniable electric chemistry of Oliver and Felicity make them the couple to see on TV now. They spent three years building a solid foundation of trust, mutual affection, and respect, that culminated in one of the most explosively sexy love scenes ever. Olicity fans can’t wait to see what season four will bring for the finally together couple. - Meredith

BRONZE - Steroline (The Vampire Diaries)



Writer's praise: I have shipped this ship for five years without watching a full episode of the show. I blame Tumblr, Beth, and Claudia the best #wife. - Chelsea

PLOT TWIST OF THE YEAR

GOLD - Anything/everything related to Mount Weather (The 100)



Writer's praise: The things people will do for survival. Would you sacrifice the lives of others to help yourself and your community? Mount Weather was the perfect source of conflict for the Sky People this season and will be a great source of conflict and guilt for Clarke in season 3. - Chelsea

SILVER - Harrison Wells is Eobard Thawne/The Reverse Flash (The Flash)



Writer's praise: While we might have known Dr. Wells was the Reverse Flash, Eobard switching bodies with Dr. Wells was one of the most shocking scenes I’ve ever seen. - Hope

BRONZE - Clarke kills Finn (The 100)



Writer's praise: It takes guts to kill off a main character on any show but to have him be killed by his love interest is one of the ultimate risks. Sure, many of us were happy to see him go but The 100 managed to make his death impactful and not in vain. - Chelsea

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR

GOLD - The Dean (Carmilla)



Writer's praise: SHE BURIED HER DAUGHTER IN A COFFIN FULL OF BLOOD AND ABANDONED HER FOR DECADES ALL BECAUSE SHE FELL IN LOVE. SHE ALSO FORCED SAID DAUGHTER TO KIDNAP GIRLS TO BE SACRIFICES AND MADE HER THINK SHE DIDN’T DESERVE LOVE PRE- AND POST-COFFIN. And that’s only the beginning of the crazy things she did to Carmilla and the Scooby Gang. - Chelsea

SILVER - Harrison Wells (The Flash)



Writer's praise: Tom Cavanagh aced the role of Dr. Wells, making the transformation from fatherly team leader to sinister time traveller all the more enthralling to watch. - Hope

BRONZE - The Mountain Men (The 100)



Writer's praise: I mean, we all knew from the beginning that things were weird on Mount Weather but none of us knew morbid it would get. Truly terrifying experiments that made you question your own morals and ethics. - Chelsea


BROTP OF THE YEAR

GOLD - OG3 Team Arrow (Arrow)



Writer's praise: As many Arrow fans will tell you, OG3 Team Arrow (or, Oliver/Felicity/Diggle) is the heart of the show. Their interactions are always on point, and the friendship and closeness among the three characters brings a much-needed relationship dynamic to our screens. The only problem we have with them? We want more! - Meredith

SILVER - Jarvis/Peggy (Agent Carter)



Writer's praise: Any show that can give me a female and a male working together and supporting each other without making it romantic is a show worth watching in my book. Peggy and Jarvis are a dream team when they are on missions together or when they are just bantering and having heart to hearts. I cannot wait to see how these two come along next season. - Chelsea

BRONZE - The "Holy Trinity" of YouTube


Writer's praise: Actual friendship goals. These real life friends have bonded through video collaborations, a movie, web series, writing books, #NoFilterShows, and so much more. You can tell from watching their videos that they really do love and respect one another. - Chelsea

GUILTY PLEASURE OF THE YEAR

GOLD - Faking It



Writer's praise: This show is completely ridiculous and idealistic but it is also kind of amazing. Not many shows let teenagers figure out their sexuality or tackle intersex characters in a thoughtful way or provide them a safe space in media. It’s not perfect by any means but it’s hilarious and you can’t help but love Amy and her journey. - Chelsea

SILVER - Pretty Little Liars



Writer's praise: Pretty Little Liars is the kind of show that in its absurdity, manages to always suck you back in and refuses to allow you to leave with its cryptic clues, love triangles, and murder mysteries. “Game Over, Charles” is complete proof of that. - Jenn

BRONZE - America's Next Top Model



Writer's praise: I mean, I have no real guilt in loving this show or any “guilty pleasure” for that matter. I turn into Miranda Priestly when I marathon the show in my Spider-Man onesie with a bag of Cheetos. It’s ridiculous but fun and you cannot help but watch Tyra teach them how to smize and yell at them when they disappoint her. A+ programming. - Chelsea

MOST TRAGICALLY CANCELLED SERIES

GOLD - Constantine



Writer's praise: Oh NBC, you never really gave this show a fighting chance. With a charming lead, fantastic visuals, and a solid foundation of story where you knew it could turn into something truly fantastic, Constantine should’ve been every fantasy fan’s favorite show this year. Luckily the lead will be resurrected for an episode of Arrow this year but we will have to settle for what might have been with everything else. - Chelsea

SILVER - Selfie



Writer's praise: This show created a perfect and hilarious OTP, a charming ensemble cast, and beautiful character development-- a flawless blend of heart and humor. In the end, it got the axe since no one gave it a chance due to the polarizing title. - Maddie 

BRONZE - Marry Me



Writer's praise: From the great mind behind Happy Endings came Marry Me, starring Penny Hartz herself. While it may not have been as great as Happy Endings, David Caspe’s brand of comedy and voice were sorely missed and Casey Wilson continues to be a comedic force to be reckoned with. I cannot wait to see what they do next. - Chelsea


BEST NEW SERIES

GOLD - Carmilla



Writer's praise: Everyone needs to set aside a few hours and just go watch all the FREE episodes on YouTube. You’re welcome. - Chelsea

SILVER - The Flash



Writer's praise: From its strong sense of humor, to its brilliant and suspenseful storytelling, to its stunning CGI, to its amazing character dynamics and characterization, this show started off on the right foot and just kept running (pun intended). - Hope

BRONZE - Jane the Virgin



Writer's praise: Never judge a show by its name, as Jane the Virgin was the most surprising hit of the television season, seamlessly blending over-the-top telenovela elements with real, genuine heart (and a ton of laughter, strong women, and romance, too). - Jenn

SOCIAL MEDIA KING

GOLD - Stephen Amell



Writer's praise: Without a doubt, Stephen has changed the game for celebrities on social media. His Facebook is the perfect blend of a look behind the scenes, using the power of fandom for good, memes, fan engagement, and his own flawlessness. Also, his commentary on the world through Twitter is hilarious. - Maddie

SILVER - Chris Pratt



Writer's praise: Whether he's braiding hair in an interview or posting tweets about how much he loves and adores his wife and child (be cuter, Pratt), this man is one of the hardest-working and nicest human beings on social media. He deserves every award (and then more). - Jenn

BRONZE - Chris Evans



Writer's praise: Chris Evans His dubsmashes with Hayley Atwell alone garner him this spot. I will never listen to "(I've Had the) Time of my Life" the same way ever again. - Maddie


SOCIAL MEDIA QUEEN

GOLD - Emily Bett Rickards



Writer's praise: Emily brings a quirkiness, graciousness and relatability to social media that is hard to find. Her tweets are silly, her instagram is on point, and she knows how to use social media to promote herself, her show, and her friends. Though she may not be as active as others, the quality of her social media interactions more than makes up for any lack of quantity. - Meredith

SILVER - The transmedia team of Carmilla



Writer's praise: The show not only airs on YouTube but they have character Twitter/Tumblr account that are canon and the cast participates in crazy promotional videos for the channel that also incorporates the brand. They keep the story going between seasons and encourage the fans to create art. The ultimate Internet program. - Chelsea

BRONZE - Hayley Atwell



Writer's praise: Dubsmash wars, reblogs of fan art and fan letters, and a firmly feminist backbone are all things that make Hayley Atwell worth following on Twitter. She understands how important her fans are and respects them accordingly. Plus, she can get Capitan America to do whatever she wants. Long live Queen Atwell. - Lynnie

And now, onto DRAMA or the COMEDY winners!

0 comments:

Post a Comment