NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ MTV) - mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, today announced that college favorites Santogold, Vampire Weekend,
Lykke Li and
All Time Low will take the stage for a night of unforgettable live performances at the 2008 "mtvU Woodie Awards" - the definitive college music awards. All four are nominated for Woodie Awards this year, as voting continues on mtvU.com/woodies. Additionally, four college radio stations progressed today to the final round of voting as they battle to be named Best Campus
Radio Station and five college bands were named as finalists for the "Best
Music on Campus Woodie Award," each vying for a chance to be declared best college band in America.
The only awards to honor the music voted best by the college audience, the 2008 "mtvU Woodie Awards" will take place on November 12, 2008 at Roseland Ballroom in New York City and premiere on-air November 19, 2008 at 8pm ET on mtvU, mtvU.com and in high definition on Palladia. MTV, MTV2 and MTV News will also broadcast highlights from the musical performance-packed show.
A culmination of emerging artists hoisted to the forefront by college students, this year's acts represent the best up-and-coming music celebrated by college fans across the country. Santogold returns to the "Woodie Awards" this year as a "Woodie of the Year" nominee, having surprised the crowd last year with a guest appearance alongside Spank Rock in the 2007 "mtvU Woodie Awards."
Philly-based artist Santogold quickly caught the attention of college fans and mtvU with her new-wave, hybrid sound. Vampire Weekend, a New York quartet, emerged from Columbia University with a self-produced first album and songs like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" that continue to generate buzz. mtvU has broadcast all of Vampire Weekend's music videos since premiering "Mansard Roof." Newcomer Lykke Li, nominated for a "Breaking Woodie," was recently named one of mtvU's "Freshman Five," a semi-annual list of emerging artists poised to break-through to mainstream acclaim. Both of her videos, "Little Bit" and "I'm Good, I'm Gone" are currently making noise in the college music scene and on mtvU. Fresh off their killer performances headlining mtvU's 2008 VMA Tour, "Breaking Woodie" nominee All Time Low will also perform. mtvU first premiered the Baltimore band's "Six Feet Under the Stars" video in September 2007.
Acting as vanguards of emerging music, four college stations including KSSU, Sacramento State University; WICB, Ithaca College; WEGL, Auburn University; and WGRE, DePauw University; moved on to the final round of competition in hopes of bringing home the inaugural Best Campus Radio Station Woodie Award. Lauded for championing artists before they achieve mainstream success, these student-run radio stations were first chosen based off accolades from CMJ College Radio Awards, Princeton Review Nominations, and independent questionnaires completed by a cross-section of record labels. After four weeks of voting, college students have hoisted these musical pioneers into the final round of battle, with final voting beginning today.
For the second year in a row, mtvU is teaming up with www.bestmusiconcampus.com to recognize the student artists who resonate most with their peers nationwide. Today, mtvU announced the top five artists or groups that will have a shot at taking home the "Best Music on Campus Woodie," capturing a $5,000 cash prize and air-time on mtvU. These artists include Panda Force, Duke University; The Hollow Sound, Emerson College; Chasing Arrows, Christopher Newport University; The Bride Wore Black, New York University; and The Rocketeers, Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. Voting continues online through the end of the week to determine the top two acts that will perform on-stage at the "Woodie Awards."
Powered by college students from across the country, the fifth annual "mtvU Woodie Awards" will feature students in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as they present, introduce and honor their favorite music and artists. The "mtvU Woodie Awards" have a legacy of tapping into artists before they hit mainstream.
Acting as a catalyst for the top emerging artists, college students established the "mtvU Woodie Awards" as a crystal ball for the industry, propelling some of their favorite acts to new heights - including surging record sales, headlining tours and accolades at other award shows such as the MTV Video Music Awards.
Since the first "mtvU Woodie Awards," artists such as Fall Out Boy (Streaming Woodie '04), the Killers (Breaking Woodie '04), Death Cab for Cutie (Best Video Woodie '05), Plain White Ts (Breaking Woodie '06), Boys Like Girls (Breaking Woodie '07) and Gym Class Heroes (Woodie of the Year '07) catapulted to new heights after winning big at the Woodies.
Voting is open through November 7, 2008 online at https://www.woodies.mtvu.com
