mtvU Woodie Awards

The mtvU Woodie Awards, which began in 2005, is an annual program aired by MTV that recognizes the music voted best by college students. Drawing its name from the phrase "woodshedding," referencing how musicians hone their craft in relative obscurity, the Woodie Awards aim to celebrate and elevate the artists, bands, and music under-recognized by mainstream awards. The event reflects MTV's strong commitment to college, independent, and emergent music, recognizing the raw talent and creativity found often outside of the mainstream limelight.

The awards show acknowledges a wide array of music genres and categories, with awards such as 'Woodie of the Year', 'Best Video Woodie', 'Performing Woodie', 'International Woodie', 'Breaking Woodie', 'Promotional Woodie', and even 'Left Field Woodie' for the most original artists. Each category is open to nominees from various music genres, and the winners are determined by the votes of college students, reflecting the preferences of young, emergent music culture.

2005 marked the inaugural year of the mtvU Woodie Awards and set the tone for the years to come. The event featured live performances of nominated artists and bands, infusing the ambiance with exhilarating energy and the raw vitality of fresh, yet-to-be-recognized talent. The awards show taps into MTV's deep roots in music culture, creating a vibrant connection between promising artists and the youth.

The mtvU Woodie Awards doesn't limit itself to just music. Throughout the years, the awards have included categories which recognize the most impactful social activism ("Good Woodie") and the best college radio station ("College Radio Woodie"), uniquely aligning the show with the dynamic trends of the student community, both musically and socially.

The subsequent years saw the Woodie Awards evolve and thrive, embracing a wider variety of genres and capitalizing on the rise of social media for voting processes. However, the inherent ethos of the awards remains rooted in its inaugural year - to act as a platform for discovering and recognizing emerging talent and to embody the voice of the college-age generation.

Taking place in Roseland Ballroom in New York City, the first mtvU Woodie Awards served as a big party for college students across the country with live broadcasts on MTV's website, ensuring the show's reach extended beyond just those physically present. The awards managed to create a unique blend of authenticity and revelry highlighted by the fervor and excitement only live music can offer.

A key factor of the mtvU Woodie Awards' uniqueness, alongside its open-minded embrace of various music genres and audience-led selection process, is the awards themselves. Unlike conventional awards events where trophies are often commercially produced and identical, the 'Woodie' is a block of wood emblazoned with the MTV logo. This iconic trophy, which remains constant across the different categories, reflects the event's commitment to raw, unrefined talent ready to be shaped and sculptured.

The mtvU Woodie Awards holds a unique place within MTV's extensive array of programs. It commenced as a novel means of identifying, amplifying and rewarding unconventional music talents and has since established itself as a year-to-year college tradition that propels emerging artists into the limelight. It recognizes those off-beat, independent artists who may not find mention in mainstream music awards but whose efforts embody the spirit of creativity and originality. They become cultural time capsules, reflecting the college music scene at a given point in time. By its unique and successful first show in 2005, the mtvU Woodie Awards have significantly contributed to democratizing the music awards landscape.