The Clamshell Awards 2020

Kind of can't believe we're here again, but welcome to The Clamshell Awards 2020! In a year full of as much shit and sadness as 2020 I'm so pleased to be able to offer something like this to the theme park community to give us all a chance to focus on something positive and all about celebration, s'kinda nice. As a bit of background for if this is your first time getting acquainted with The Clamshell Awards, essentially I started them back in 2017 after I noticed that between things like THEA, Golden Ticket and IAAPA, there were no awards that looked to celebrate content creators within our most talented community. So, I took some initiative and created The Clamshell Awards as a way of taking a step back and rewarding and celebrating the diverse range of content creators we have here in the theme park community. 

I'll get on with the categories in a sec, and veteran Clamshell Awards followers will notice there's a few new ones this year, I wanted to explain something you'll notice is a little different this year. Usually we're lucky enough to have some fantastic category sponsors, from fully paid short breaks to Liseberg to backstage tours of Kentucky Kingdom. However this year, given that many attractions weren't even able to operate and those that did certainly didn't have as fruitful a season as they may have hoped for pre-COVID, I didn't feel right reaching out for donations. I hope you understand and please know that I fully plan to have the sponsors back for next year all things going well. 

So with that said, here's the TWELVE categories for this year's awards - the most yet!

Returning for a third year - the Best Established Channel! This is your bread and butter of theme park content creators, the one whose videos constantly pop up in your feed who you need no extra prompting to sit down and inhale their content. Everybody in the theme park community knows who they are and usually for good reason - that being they're pretty damn good at what they do!

A celebration of the up-and-coming theme park content creator whose stuff might be new to your feed but who you just can't stop watching! From the first video you were hooked, smashed the subscribe button and haven't looked back since and have quickly become a regular in your theme park content viewing habits. Nominations for Best Newcomer will only be considered for channels who have been uploading for a year or less.

After an extremely popular debut in 2019 the Best Small Channel award is back! The algorithm can be a cruel mistress, and just because you're not necessarily a newcomer doesn't mean you're raking in the subscribers either. But it's often said that good things come in small packages isn't it? Exclusively for channels with less than 10,000 subscribers, this one is for the channel that more subs than they currently have.

NEW for 2020, I'm pleased to introduce a category for Best Production. I'm sure I'm not alone in noticing that the overall quality of content we've seen coming out of the community this year has been absolutely incredible - nearing professional standards (with some creators even being hired to work with some major theme park and attraction brands!) This category is for the creator who constantly nails the transitions, is creative with their cinematography and knows how to nail the visual effects that keep their subscribers hooked.

It's not all about the rides themselves - sometimes the joy of a theme park vlog comes from the presenter! This category is for the person who is so utterly watchable and whose face and opinions on theme parks and coasters has you tuning in time and time again.

In celebration of stunning theme park photography! Whose account gives you camera envy, knows how to work a filter and has the best eye for capturing all the magic and joy we find on a day out at a theme park? But not just that, whose Instagram stories have you drooling and scrolling for more? Who's the master of Instagram sharable templates that you see pop up in everybody's stories over and over again? Instagram has evolved, and it's time to celebrate that top!

It's all about the community! Which Facebook group has left you with lifelong friends, in-jokes that have you creasing up like a weirdo whilst you're meant to be working from home and up bickering til 4AM to get the last word in?

Another new for 2020 category - Funniest Account, because lord knows we've needed it these year! Whose memes are always on point? Whose ridiculous video subject matter has your sides creasing? Who has you crying with laughter with their...interesting insight? The community is full of hilarious bastards, time to let them know!

Returning for its third year is the Best Gamer category! Who consistently blows you away with their intricate and elaborate designs in Planet Coaster or leaves you praying for their design to become a reality in NoLimits?

Which podcasters had you roaring with laughter in 2020, brought you info and facts you never knew about your favourite parks and really made you feel like you were along for the ride as they debriefed about their most recent theme park trip or got stuck in to the latest community gossip?

Sometimes it's nice to take a break from YouTube and sit back with a scroll through your favourite theme park blog. Which blogger has you always on the lookout for their latest content, has all the best info on trip planning and advice and whose opinion do you always research before heading off on trips of your own?

And finally, couldn't let the year of 2020 go by without a celebration of those who really went out of their way to keep us all entertained while the parks were closed - this is Best Live Content. Whose quizzes did you get stuck into every week? Whose Instagram lives from parks kept you entertained if you were stuck in quarantine? Whose livestreams gave you something to keep you occupied when you it seemed like lockdown was finally getting the better of you? This one is for them!

So there we go. More categories than ever, more content creators than ever, but certainly a year where we need to be celebrating and uplifting one another wherever we can, so why the hell not?

So, here's how it work:

NOMINATIONS

Nominations are now open! Please DM me on the Cupcakes & Coasters Facebook Page with your nominations using the below template. Nominations are now open and will close at midnight on Wednesday 9th December, so please make sure you've submitted your form by them as any shared after will not be considered! From those nominated, a shortlist will be created and a voting period will follow. The winners will be announced on the evening of Monday 21st December.

I'd recommend two creators nominations per category. You don't have to nominate for every category if you don't want to, nor do you have to select two for each category, but it helps keep the nominations varied and hey, it's more fun that way! But it's entirely up to you the way you do this.

There's a few house rules, but nothing too heavy unless stated otherwise in the category descriptions above. Essentially if the content creator in question produces content that fits said category then they will be considered. And for the sake of variety and fairness, and as The Clamshell Awards are a celebration of the diversity of the content the community creates, a maximum of two categories can be won per creator. Should a creator win a third category then the win will be voided and the prize will go to the runner up. It's no fun if one channel sweeps the entire awards!

Also whilst we're here, I was incredibly flattered once again last year to find that I was nominated by some of you for several categories last year. As I'm the organiser of this shindig, please opt to nominate someone else as it'd be a little weird for me to win at my own awards (as much as I'd love the ego boost haha!) And finally, the final decision will be that of myself and Cupcakes & Coasters based on the public vote - however results will be available upon request should you wish to see them.


**The Clamshell Awards Nominations Template**

Best Established Channel

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Newcomer Channel

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Small Channel

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Production

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Vlogger

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Instagrammer

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Facebook Group

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Funniest Account

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Gamer

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Podcast

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Blogger

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Best Live Content

Nominee 1

Nominee 2


Terms & Conditions

You may make up to two nominations per category

You may not nominate yourself

You may not amend your nomination once submitted

Nominations close at 11.59PM on Wednesday 9th December

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So there you have it - all you need to know about The Clamshell Awards 2020 - so go get nominating! And don't forget to use #TheClamshellAwards20 to let everybody know you're involved.

Good luck!


4 comments

  1. Best live content I'm going for Coaster Gen

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also new channel and funniest zero g roll

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll go for once again Tom and Stace and Andy Rumney from Coaster Crazy

    ReplyDelete
  4. We've put our nominations in :D
    I Wonder if anyone will Nominate us for anything?

    ReplyDelete