The Anime Podcasters' Choice Awards

Rym

Considering the farce that was the American Anime Awards, we're going to run with this idea of creating our own awards body. I've already started sketching out exactly how to manage it, but I want your input. Thus, I ask the following broad questions.

What do -you- want out of this sort of thing?

What do you care about? What factors would make you pay attention to the Anime Podcasters' Choice Awards? What would you want to take home from them?

What kinds of awards should be given?

Should they be modeled after the Oscars? Should voice acting be a factor? DVD releases? Genres?

What anime should qualify?

Should we count American release dates? Japanese ones? Others? Fansubs? What would qualify an anime for consideration?

Who should nominate?

We will vote, but who should submit for nomination? Who should actually nominate? The industry? Creators? Ourselves? The Internet?

kenjura

I definitely agree that you should ask for a vote from every director, producer, key animator, etc. in the business. Even if 99% of them ignore it, as you said, you can include them in your list of voters, and I don't doubt the voting percentage will increase with the success of the awards.

Other major issues:

• Absolutely limit the awards to anime that came out in the award year. The original Japanese releases would be eligible for Best Anime. English dubs would be eligible for Best Translation or Best Dub.
• It should be similar to the Oscars in that, as above, the people doing the voting are industry insiders. Yes, this makes it political--i.e. people just vote for themselves and their friends--but that's what makes the Oscars valid (as much as they are, at any rate). The people already get a vote; they cast it in dollars. Critics voice their opinion without a ceremony. That leaves only the insiders, whose opinion, though certainly carrying different biases than the general public, is no less valid.
• Voice actors deserve their own award categories. Call them "voice actors", not "actors", because it's a very different thing. DVD releases should be up for best DVD, which would basically be a shoutout to people who put together good DVD's. If it's the first release of the content, it can be Best Anime, but otherwise, it had its chance.
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• Best Fansub should be an award. The award would be for good fansubbing in general. The anime in question would qualify for Best Anime.
• Nomination should be possible by any of the voters. To begin, that would be the anime podcasters and the industry insiders.

This leaves a few questions, like "what if a dub is so good it deserves Best Anime when the original didn't" and such. Personally, I think the rules are there to be broken. It's much more interesting to award Best Translation to a mere fansub when that isn't the "normal" way. It'll clue in some of these clueless commercial translators (cough Azumanga Daioh cough).

Erwin

Awesome

What do you want out of this sort of thing?

I care about fun and good things, and I know no matter what you guys will do I am gonna be ok with that. The factor that I would pay attention the most would be the reason why the nominee that wins, win over the rest. It has to be kind of detailed. However, at the end of the day I just want to have a good time.

What kinds of awards should be given?

Well, I would love to give credit to old anime. I want this awards to not be bias and give old anime that inspired new anime.
I think that the format that the Oscar uses is ok but for anime I would like to go to the Golden Globe awards, since that format is more wide and can covers OAV, movies and Tv series.
I believe voice acting is a good factor, but only in the Japanese, I think there can be another category such as best translation on an anime tv series. I think DVD releases would be good if only because maybe you guys would get free goodies from the industry :P .I have a big list so here it goes:

Best Animated Cast (if any on that year)

Best Character on a Animated Drama (I do not think gender would matter in anime)

Best Character on an Animated Comedy (ditto)

Best Mecha/ Giant Robot Show (if any where release in that year)

Honorary Award to a Giant Robo show that influenced Anime but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Original Score on an OVA (if any OAVs have being release in that year)

Best Original Score on a Tv Series

Best Original Score on a Movie

Best Opening on a TV series

Best Ending on a TV Series

Honorary Award to an Japanese music artist that influenced Anime music but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Shonen Anime

Honorary Award to an old Shonen Anime that influenced Anime on that category but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Shoujo Anime

Honorary Award to an old Shoujo Anime that influenced Anime on that category but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Drama/Horror Anime

Honorary Award to an old Drama/Horror Anime that influenced Anime on that category but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Original Screenplay on an Anime

Best Adapted Screenplay on an Anime

Best Cinematography on an OAV/ Movie

Best Translation from Japanese to English language in an Anime

Best Character Design on an Anime

Honorary Award to a Character Designer that influenced Anime but does not have any recognition in nowadays.
Best Special Effects on an Anime

Best Director on an OAV/ Movie

Honorary Award to a Director that influenced Anime but does not have any recognition in nowadays.

Best Female Voice actress (Japanese language)

Best Male Voice actor (Japanese Language)

Best Anime of the Year

And you gotta have the Worst Anime of the Year

What anime should qualify?

I think you should count the original Japanese Dates. However, I would consider the anime for the year it ended. And example is that if an anime is really good but started at the end of 2006 and finished on 2007 then it should be count for the 2008 awards (if it is good the voters will remember). And if a show happens to start on 2008 and finish on 2008 then it should be count for 2009. I think Fansubs should qualify. However, I know that Dave and Joel are not down with that , But I know you guys can work something out.
I know AWO can give a good list for honorary awards :P

Who should nominate?

I think the podcasters and theirs listeners should nominate.

Well, I will be looking forward to those awards.

kenjura

The funny thing about TV series is that they are judged by season. In a manner not too different from how some movies are awarded as a representative of their series (Return of the King comes to mind) rather than as an individual, so, too, are TV series seasons. They don't usually give the same award to the same show twice, but they'll consider it each year until it wins. You shouldn't have to wait until a series ends.

CC, you said you want to give credited to old anime, but then said you should count which year a date falls into. Which is it? Just one year, or all years?

The honorary awards can be given to something that popped up from an older era, such as if Akira gets a re-release, or something. The point of the ceremony is to reward innovation and encourage the anime industry to keep making better anime. Rewarding shows everyone knows are good is purely sentimental, and belongs in the realm of top 10/20/50/200 lists.

Erwin

CC, you said you want to give credited to old anime, but then said you should count which year a date falls into. Which is it? Just one year, or all years?

All the years before 1990, and they should be honored every year. Because, I am taking this is gonna be an annually awards ceremony, right?

Sail

I believe that there should be an equivalent to a "life-time achievement award", except instead of giving it to a person give it to a deserving anime. Something that can be cited as being influential by, for example, "defining the giant robot genre", or the like.