The Clamshell Awards

Theme park enthusiast social media nowadays is rife with awesome fan-made content. You can barely scroll through Twitter or flick through Facebook without bumping into a plug for somebody's latest vlog or a new request to like a page. And I love it! What a way to celebrate our love and passion for the industry than by producing butt-loads of content for us all to enjoy. And whilst we don't necessarily do this for the praise (well, I'd hope so anyway haha) it seems to me it's high time we had some sort of recognition...thing for us all to get involved with.

So, I'm proud to introduce The Clamshell Awards! I've created these awards as a way to celebrate theme park fan made content, nominated and voted on by fellow theme park enthusiasts. All too often we bitch and moan about each other's content, so let's take the time to show our love and appreciation instead. And the categories are...

Our first category is for the staple theme park content creator. Somebody who has been around for a while and would be a household name on most theme park enthusiast's lips who consistently puts out engaging, entertaining and high quality content.

Next up we're giving a shout out to the newbies. This person may not have been around for ages, nor may they have as many subscribers as they deserve, but you just can't seem to stop watching. For the person who deserves more recognition than they perhaps currently get.


It's not all about the rides themselves - sometimes the joy of watching theme park content comes from the presenter! This category is for the person who is just so utterly watchable, and whose face and take on things you often prefer to watching the actual coasters!


That one channel that always seems to have their hands on the breaking news first, but that also puts it forward in an entertaining and imaginative way. Your go-to for the latest updates from the crazy world of theme parks.

It's not all about the video content - whose Facebook Page had you hitting the follow button and never looking back? This person consistently puts out engaging and imaginative content and is a joy to find in your newsfeed.

It's all about the community! Which Facebook Group has left you with lifelong friends, created legendary threads of comment bickering that had you up til 4AM to get the last word in and is usually your first stop when you open up the Facebook App?

In celebration of stunning theme park photography! Which Instagrammer has the best eye for capturing the magic and joy that we all share for theme parks and whose style constantly has you green with envy?

Sometimes you just fancy a break from YouTube and a nice read with some pretty pictures. Who's always got you on the lookout for their latest content, has your sides splitting with laughter or opens your eyes to a side of the industry you never knew existed?

Here's how it'll work...

NOMINATIONS
Nominations are now open! Please DM me on the Cupcakes & Coasters Facebook Page with your nominations using the below template. Nominations will be open for two weeks and will close on Friday 8th December. From those nominated, a shortlist will be produced and a voting period will follow. The winners will be announced on the evening of Sunday 16th December.

I'd recommend nominating two options per category. You absolutely do not have to nominate for every category, nor do you have to nominate two selections for each category, I just think it makes it more fun and mixes things up a bit. It's entirely up to you!

There's a few house rules, but nothing too heavy. Ultimately if the content creator in question produces something that fits the category of 'theme park' then they will be considered. And for the sake of variety and fairness, and as The Clamshell Awards are a celebration of the diverse content the community creates, a maximum of two categories can be won per channel. It's no fun if one channel sweeps the entire awards! The final decision will be that of myself and Cupcakes & Coasters based on the public vote, however I will absolutely share the final tally of the votes upon request if anybody so wishes.

**The Clamshell Awards Nominations Template**
Best Established Channel
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Newcomer Channel
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Vlogger
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best News Channel
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Facebook Page
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Facebook Group
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Instagrammer
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

Best Blogger
Nominee 1
Nominee 2

• You may make up to two nominations per category
• You may not nominate yourself
• You may not make changes to your nominations once submitted
• Nominations close at 11.59PM 08/12/17

So, go get nominating and don't forget to use #TheClamshellAwards to let everybody know you're involved!