The Kenyan blogging scene has experienced explosive growth in the last couple of years and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Be it technology, fashion, food, poetry or even photography, the variety and talent among the Kenyan blogging community is mind-blowing.
These talented folks keep us informed and entertained and they do it, not because we’ll be reaching into our wallets, but because they love it.
This year, in 2012, the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) held the very first BAKE Blog Awards, giving us, the readers, a chance to appreciate the very best in blogging in the 14 categories.
A total of 300 submissions were received and a team of judges chose the best five in each category. The list of nominees was then published online and the BAKE website was then opened for public voting. A whooping 10,000 people voted for their favorite blog in each category.
The winners were then announced at a gala dinner at the Nairobi Serena Hotel on 5th May 2012, hosted by media personality Larry Madowo.
Since then, even more blogs have come up including some by corporates.
Missed the 2012 awards? No worries; the 2013 BAKE Kenyan Blog Awards are here! Here’s your chance to reward and recognize exceptional bloggers in their respective fields and to promote online content creation in Kenya.
A few changes to the awards have been made such as the addition of the ‘Blog of the Year’ category and the removal of the two twitter categories i.e. ‘Best individual Tweep’ & ‘Best Corporate Tweep’.
The timeline of the Blog Awards is as follows:
a. The submission phase is from today, December 1st 2012, to February 1st 2013 where blogs will be nominated in 15 categories as below:
1. Best Technology Blog
Blogs that cover technology matters like social media, internet usage, consumer electronics, mobile phones, tech startups etc.
2. Best Photography Blog
Blogs that showcase original photos or have photography related content.
3. Best Creative Writing Blog
Blogs that feature original creative writing in the form of poetry, book reviews, fiction and essays.
4. Best Business Blog
Blogs that feature business content like business development, entrepreneurship, startups, stocks, investments, banking etc.
5. Best Food Blog
Blogs that focus on food, cooking tips, restaurants, wines and recipes.
6. Best Environmental/Agricultural Blog
Blogs that focus on the environment and agriculture.
7. Best Fashion/ Beauty/ Style Blog
Blogs that highlight current trends in fashion, beauty and style.
8. Best Politics Blog
Blogs that cover political issues in Kenya.
9. Best New Blog
Outstanding blogs that were set up from January 24th 2012 onwards.
10. Best Corporate Blog
Blogs run by companies.
11. Best Topical Blog
Blogs with a clear niche that is not represented in any of the other categories.
12. Best Sports Blog
Blogs that feature sports content.
13. Best Entertainment/ Lifestyle Blog
Blogs about Kenyan lifestyle and the entertainment industry.
14. Best Travel Blog
Blog about travelling.
15. Kenyan Blog of the Year
Best overall blog by a Kenyan with a focus on any aspect of Kenya.
b. From February 4th 2013 to February 28th 2013, judges comprised of bloggers and media experts will decide on the 3 blogs that advance to the next round in all 15 categories.
c. After the judges pick their best 3 in each category, they will then be voted for by the public from March 1st 2013 to April 30th 2013.
d. The winners in each category will be announced at a gala event on May 5th 2013.
For more information, kindly visit the BAKE Kenyan Blog Awards website or email: info@bake.or.ke