Woodie Awards recognize bands in the college music scene

By Laura Baker
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

MTV U kicked off this winter with the first annual Woodie Awards, which recognize up-and-coming artists in the music scene. Determined entirely by the college audience, this awards show recognizes artists and music that have made an impact on the college scene.

The response to the Nov. 5, one-hour premiere was tremendous, proving there really is no way to overestimate new music, paying tribute to bands like Coheed and Cambria and Modest Mouse were paid tribute. The most important aspect of the show, however, was that students cast their votes online and MTV U had no say in picking the winners.

MTV U executives and the record label "Sub Pop" combined their efforts and came up with idea to make an award of wood. The "Woodie" was created and designed by college students who attend the School of Visual Arts in New York. Many bands are recognized and grow famous due to the number of albums they sell, and many people know of these bands because they "go platinum" or "go gold." However, the idea of the Woodie awards, as Ross Martin, Vice President of Programming at MTV U said, was that these Indie Rock bands are finally being recognized, as they "go wood." He continued with this notion by saying, "The days of album sales depicting popularity and success are over. This [awards show] is about heart, not charts. Everyone knows that there is nothing more important to college students than music."

MTV U is the newest channel from the MTV Networks, and it is available only to college and university students.

"The sole purpose of the Woodie Awards was to give these college students an opportunity to voice themselves; and that is exactly what happened," Martin said.

The Woodie Awards contains 10 categories, including "Woodie of the Year," for the artists who "made the biggest splash on the scene." However, that is not to say that the other categories are ignored. Among the hilarious 10 awards were "The Road Woodie," which recognizes artists who are constantly on the road with no complaint; "The Good Woodie," for artists who have had the greatest social impact, and "The Soundtrack Of My Life Woodie," which is for the album that college students could not live without this year.

The artists recognized at this year's Woodie awards were Coheed and Cambria, Modest Mouse, Taking Back Sunday, The Killers, Incubus, Sum 41, Fallout Boy, and even N.E.R.D. My personal favorite of the awards was the "Left Field Woodie," for the genre-buster band N.E.R.D. who simply came out of left field and surprised many students with their sound.

David French, MTV U spokesman, added to the vice president's enthusiasm for the awards by saying, "Basically, the Woodie Awards is an annual moment of truth. Indeed, these awards are genuine." So, now that college students know and can embrace this great concept, we all should be on the lookout next year for the artists who we would like to pay tribute to; who we would like to see "Go Wood."