CityLife

Girls on Top at Manchester Blog Awards 2009

Organiser Kate Feld with the winning writers

Manchester Blog Awards saw the girls take centre stage on Wednesday night, with newcomer Emily Morris winning two awards for her touchingly honest personal blog ‘My Sh***y Twenties’, where she has diarized the last five years of her live as a single mother.

Emily, who has built up a following of hundreds of visitors to her blog, said the act of blogging was a way of dealing with the challenges of her life. "When I was feeling down I used to cry, but starting the blog about my life was cathartic and a way of letting off steam. It just so happened that people like reading it."

Organiser Kate Feld said: ‘All of the blogs represent a combination of talent, passion and a great deal of work that people are doing independently and in their own time.’

‘I think it's especially interesting that the awards turned out to be dominated by women this year, which I see as a very positive indication of how diverse and well developed Manchester's blogging scene has become.’  

And the winners are.....  

Best City and Neighbourhood Blog - Lost in Manchester

What the judges said: ‘Sometimes it's easy to forget to look at what's right under your nose. I love its unashamed raw passion for Manchester.’

Runner-up - The Manchester Zedders.  

Best Personal Blog: My Shitty Twenties

What the judges said: ‘Moving, thoughtful, funny and wise. Sometimes heartbreaking, always uplifting’

Runner-up:Cynical Ben.  

Best New Blog - Words and Fixtures

What the judges said ‘It was the only blog out of the twenty-four shortlisted that made me laugh out loud’

Runner-up - Songs From Under the Floorboards.  

Best Writing on a Blog - My Shitty Twenties
 

What the judges said - It's almost impossible not to get drawn into the story that this blog tells.

Runners-up - I Thought I Told You To Wait in the Car and Dave Hartley's Weblog.  

Best Arts and Culture Blog - Run Paint Run Run

What the judges said: ‘Opinionated, heartfelt and pleasantly rough-around-the-edges, a blog with an infectious enthusiasm for art.’

Runner-up - The Manchester Hermit  

Blog of the Year - Lost in Manchester. (This was awarded to the blog with the highest aggregate score in the competition)

What the judges said: Quirky, original and focused, with an eye for detail. Putting the extra into extraordinary.’