(and don’t forget to remind your readers that the nomination period ends on Oct 23rd!)

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BEST RETIRED BLOG: What blog or blogger, now retired or on extended hiatus, do still remember fondly and most wish were still with us? This is a way to honor those blogs of yesteryear that remain part of our history, and our memories, whether their archives remain or not.

Of course, sometimes old blogs remain online and sometimes they do not (though as Mr Moo points out using SunniSister as an example, you can usually find them on the Wayback Machine archive). It’s all the more imperative we highlight these now-silent blogs for posterity. In a sense, we are filling in the gaps of our collective heritage by taking the time to remember these blogs, many of them pioneers in making the Islamsphere what it is today.

Nominate your favorites now! And don’t forget to write a few words in the nomination box about what the blog meant to you and why you are nominating.

BEST BLOG: This category honors the most indispensable, Muslim-authored blog there is. Period.

BEST WRITER: Who is the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophically wise among us? This category is intended to highlight a blogger who may not post daily, but when they do post, they really make an impact.

BEST NON-MUSLIM BLOG: Which blog writen by a non-Muslim is most respectful of Islam and seeks genuine dialogue with Muslims?

BEST BLOG DESIGN: Which blog has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion?

BEST POST OR SERIES: Which single post or group of posts in the Islamsphere was the most original and important, above all the others?

BEST FEMALE BLOG: The woman’s voice in Islam is equal to the man’s, and in the Islamsphere we seek to make sure the female perspective is highlighted and given its rightful due. Which Muslim woman’s blog has done the most to explore the role that women play within Islam and society?

BEST NEW BLOG: Which blog is a true diamond in the rough, one that everyone should be reading but who most just haven’t heard of (yet)?

BEST GROUP BLOG: Which multiple group blog in the Islamsphere has the best diversity of writers and the most interesting debate on Muslim issues?

BEST HUMOR BLOG: Which blog gets their point across by using humor in the most effective way?

BEST MIDDLE EAST/AFRICAN, EUROPEAN, SOUTH ASIAN, AND ASIAN BLOGGERS: The Islamsphere is truly a global phenomenon. In Iraq, despite the chaos and uncertainty, there is a sea change of free speech and expression, the vanguard of which are blogs. There are also bloggers in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Palestine, Jordan, and most other countries that host Muslims, all of whom have their own perspectives on faith, culture, and politics.

and one new category for this year,

BEST RETIRED BLOG: What blog or blogger, now retired or on extended hiatus, do still remember fondly and most wish were still with us? This is a way to honor those blogs of yesteryear that remain part of our history, and our memories, whether their archives remain or not.

The nominations phase is now underway, so start nominating your favorite blogs now!

We also would like to thank our judges’ panel and our sponsor, Kube Publishing!

Congrats to all of our Honorable mention winners!

One of the comments expresses surprise that Muslim Matters was “left in” the Awards, making the assumption that the selection of the Awards nominees is done with an explicit agenda in mind. That’s simply false; the methodology for the Awards is very straightforward and public. We invite everyone to comment on our methodology and suggest improvements.

UPDATE: Discussion at Talk Islam on this topic. Please feel free to join the debate there, especially if you agree that the Awards are unfairly balanced towards one group or another, we need to hear everyone’s views!