mtvU ANNOUNCES “2005 WOODIE AWARD” NOMINEES HONORING FAVORITE COLLEGE ARTISTS

mtvU, MTV’s college network, has announced nominees for its mtvU Woodie Awards, which honors the music voted best by college audiences, charts be damned. Winners will be announced at a live ceremony and concert event on November 2 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City which will premiere on mtvU and mtvU.com on November 10. For the first time, the ceremony will be shot live featuring a full line-up of performers and presenters to be announced in the upcoming weeks. The show will also feature college students from around the country introducing and honoring their favorite music and artists. The actual award is made of wood and once again designed and handcrafted by students at The New School.

The Arcade Fire leads this year’s nominations with five nods, including “Woodie of the Year”—Best Artist; “Left Field Woodie”—Most Original Artist, and “Road Woodie”—Best Tour. The band joins Gorillaz, The Bravery, Death Cab For Cutie and 40 other emerging, influential artists that will be voted on by the college audience.

Last year’s event honored many up-and-comers right before they achieved mainstream success, including big winners Coheed & Cambria and Modest Mouse, who each won two awards. Coheed & Cambria won “Soundtrack of My Life Woodie” honors for Best Album with their release In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3, and the “Road Woodie” for Best Live Performance. Modest Mouse was recognized with the “Woodie of the Year” award for Best Artist, and the “Silent But Deadly Woodie” for Best Music Video honoring their single “Float On.” Other winners included N.E.R.D., Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41, Incubus, as well as The Killers and Fall Out Boy who both went onto win honors at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

To vote, college students around the country are invited to visit www.mtvU.com before October 28, where they can experience interviews, features and music videos by all nominees. Students can also listen to the nominees and cast their vote at mtvU Woodie Awards mobile vehicles that are traveling to campuses across the country.

Nominees are as follows:

WOODIE OF THE YEAR (ARTIST OF THE YEAR):

Fall Out Boy (Island Records)

My Chemical Romance (Reprise Records)

Common (Geffen Records)

The Arcade Fire (Merge Records)

Gorillaz (Virgin Records)

THE BREAKING WOODIE (BEST EMERGING ARTIST):

Matisyahu (Or Music/ Epic Records)

The Bravery (Island Def Jam Records)

Paul Wall (Asylum Records/ Atlantic Records)

Motion City Soundtrack (Epitaph Records)

The Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars Records)

LEFT FIELD WOODIE (MOST ORIGINAL ARTIST):

Saul Williams (Fader Label Records)

M.I.A. (Xl/Beggars US/Interscope Records)

Matisyahu (Or Music/ Epic Records)

The Arcade Fire (Merge Records)

MeWithoutYou (Tooth & Nail Records)

BEST VIDEO WOODIE—LIVE ACTION (BEST LIVE ACTION VIDEO):

Death Cab for Cutie, “Title & Registration” (Atlantic/Barsuk Records)

My Chemical Romance, “Helena” (Reprise Records)

Nas & Olu Dara, “Bridging the Gap” (Columbia Records)

Nine Inch Nails, “Only” (Interscope Records)

Jack Johnson, “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” (Universal/ Brushfire Records)

BEST VIDEO WOODIE—ANIMATED (BEST ANIMATED VIDEO):

Aberfeldy, “Love Is An Arrow” (Rough Trade Records)

Gorillaz, “Feel Good Inc.” (Virgin Records)

Aesop Rock, “Fast Cars” (Definitive Jux Records)

Rilo Kiley, “It’s a Hit” (Brute/Beaute/Warner Brothers)

The Arcade Fire, “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” (Merge Records)

THE GOOD WOODIE (GREATEST SOCIAL IMPACT VIA A PROJECT):

David Banner, Heal The Hood Project

Coldplay, Oxfam International

Common, “Know HIV/AIDS” campaign

U2, DATA: Debt AIDS Trade Africa

Kanye West, Loop Dreams

ROAD WOODIE (BEST TOUR):

Muse (Warner Brothers Records)

The Arcade Fire (Merge Records)

Fall Out Boy (Island Records)

Jack Johnson (Universal/ Brushfire Records)

Common (Geffen Records)

INTERNATIONAL WOODIE (FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST):

Bloc Party (Vice / Atlantic Records)

Muse (Warner Brothers Records)

The Arcade Fire (Merge Records)

Keane (Interscope Records)

A-kon (SRC/ Universal Records)

ALUMNI WOODIE (AKA THE “YOU’RE STILL OK IN OUR BOOK” AWARD):

Green Day (Reprise Records)

Common (Geffen Records)

Coldplay (Capitol Records)

Beck (Interscope Records)

Mos Def (Geffen Records)

STREAMING WOODIE (MOST DOWNLOADED)

(Competition runs four consecutive weeks, with the four winners then battling it out for the Woodie)

Week 1

Hawthorne Heights, “Ohio Is For Lovers” (Victory Records)

Gorillaz, “Feel Good Inc” (Virgin Records)

Usher, “My Boo” (La Face/ Jive Records)

Modest Mouse, “Ocean Breathes Salty” (Epic Records)

Eisley, “Telescope Eyes” (Reprise Records)

Week 2

Aesop Rock, “Fast Cars” (Definitive Jux Records)

Death Cab for Cutie, “Title & Registration” (Atlantic/Barsuk Records)

MeWithoutYou, “January 1979” (Tooth & Nails Records)

Mike Jones, “Still Tippin” (Asylum Records/ Warner Brothers Records)

Straylight Run, “Existentialism On Prom Night” (Victory Records)

Week 3

Taking Back Sunday, “A Decade Under the Influence” (Victory Records)

The Alchemist featuring Nina Sky, “Hold You Down” (Koch Records)

My Chemical Romance, “I’m Not OK (I Promise)” (Reprise Records)

K’naan, “Soobax” (Track 'N Field/Translator.TV Records)

The Unicorns, “Jellybones” (Alien8 Recording)

Week 4

The Afters, “Beautiful Love” (Columbia Records)

Aberfeldy, “Love Is An Arrow” (Rough Trade Records)

Alicia Keys, “Karma” (J-Records)

Matisyahu, “King Without A Crown” (Or Music/ Epic Records)

The Postal Service, “Against All Odds” (Sub Pop Records)