The Silmaril Awards 2022: Wisest Counselor Award Ceremony

The stage has been set. 

...Not an actual stage. I didn't manage to book the stage/spotlight/audio system setup this year. (They were rented out when I got to the shop. By some people who take their show chickens very seriously.)

Neither do I have a Party Tree, but I do have a enough trees that the garden is full of dappled afternoon light, and there's a nice set of wrought-iron garden chairs in the corner. The fairy lights are set to come on as evening falls, too, which I thought fantasy characters might appreciate more than a glaring spotlight. 

Is this me making excuses for losing the stage and audio system to chicken judging? perhaps.

But, regardless of whether or not I have a stage (with a spotlight), it's time for the winners of Wisest Counselor to be announced!

And now, let me just slip into third person! *snaps fingers aggressively*

The Silmaril Awards 2022: Vote for counselors!

Welcome back, everyone! And first of all, I'd like to call for a round of applause for the nominees for Wisest Counselor. All up you guys have nominated and seconded fifty three wise counselors... and having them milling around my place is so much less stressful than having a hundred and two villains like last year. (My sympathies to DJ Edwardson, who has the task of handling the villains this year.)

My guests have even been giving me advice, because they're so friendly and helpful! Like "Don't procrastinate writing that post, it's better to do what needs to be done straight away," "Looking at your phone isn't a good way of spending your time," "Are you serious right now, child, your time is ticking," "I'M GETTING ANXIETY JUST WATCHING YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE-"

I really should keep these guys around longer. I can learn a lot from them. 

 

Silmaril Awards 2022: Voting for Wisest Counselor!

So here's how it works! While we had fifty three nominations, only five can progress to voting, so I'll introduce the counselors who got the most seconds from you lovely people. Then you follow the link to the voting form, where you have a heavy decision to make: 

Which of the five wise counselors will get your vote?

The Silmaril Awards 2022: Nominations open

Well well well. Here we are, gathered once again for a jolly good time, and I'm very pleased to say I've put on an excellent feed in preparation for a few guests. 

Because! 

 Nominations for Wisest Counselor are open!

And knowing I'm going to be having so many of these highly respected people as guests in my home is a little intimidating, so I've been taking notes from the good folk of the Shire, as they have a bit of experience with hosting parties! I have plenty of food and drink; comfortable chairs from which they can have a good sit-down, a natter, and a bit of a reminisce; and I've set up the backyard in case they want the opportunity to show off their respective skills, like archery or dancing or fireworks.

...I also spoke to some Shire-folk who have a bit of experience with my first house-guest, who is our award-presenter for this category of the Silmaril Awards.... 

Gandalf!

...naturally, he hasn't turned up yet. 

But I'm sure, knowing his history, that he would be fine with us getting started while we wait for him! Firstly, for any newcomers, here's what's going on and how it works: 

Awards Ceremony! | Silmaril Awards 2021

So. The villains who weren’t shortlisted have been politely asked to leave, the edge of a curtain and also an odd circular patch in the lawn have been set on fire, several villain-to-villain farewells have been topped with a promise of eternal friendship (by which I mean "my good friend, your flair for villainy is commendable, if you ever need an ally in a plan I’d be touched if you thought of me, I love murder"), and a portal has been opened up in my bathtub because aPPARENTLY the front door wasn’t dramatic enough to leave by.

I’m just happy I didn’t need to call the dragons to drive them out.

So this leaves us, of course, at the final round of the award:

 

Most Nefarious Villain: Awards Ceremony

Presented, of course, by Saruman, noted Istari from Middle Earth!

Excuse me for a moment while I just blibbityblobbitybloop myself into a third person side character.

*crackling static*

Voting Opens! | Silmaril Awards 2021

So it's one week in, and my house is full of villains. Which I suppose I did sign up for, literally, I put my name in the box an' all, but there are?? One hundred and two of them? Actually it might be a hundred and three, it's difficult to keep track, there are a couple of them currently speedwalking laps of the kitchen table while giving out-of-breath evil monologues and I'm not sure which of them is chasing who.

And among that one hundred and two, there have been some definite reader favourites!

Unfortunately, even among those favourites, not everyone can go in the running for a Silmaril Award. We have to be very picky. After all, there is but one Nefarious Villain Silmaril, and – I believe I might have mentioned already – there are a hundred and two villains. 

Which is why only the top five – as nominated by your good selves, and tallied up by my own numb fingers! – will make it to the voting round. 

So let's have a moment here to applaud all the lovely nominees. Very nefarious, folks, very nefarious. I've heard some quite elegant monologues (and some terrible ones, but I'm not naming names, because I am rather fond of my ears being attached). Three plates and a floral teapot have fallen, as poor innocent bystanders (again, I'm not naming names here, but to save myself from the wounded honour of the English villains I will specify that it was not any of them. Or any of the other tea-drinkers. Of which there seems to be an unreasonably high percentage among the villains, and if they haven't been spotted drinking tea they always give me the impression of being tea-drinkers, so I have some questions here. Namely, does evil naturally gravitate to tea, or does too much tea make one evil.)

I think someone ate my petunias. I'm afraid to ask who.

Nominations Open! | Silmaril Awards 2021

(So. Let me just. Take a moment for the jitters.)

(Stress? who, me? there is absolutely no reason that I would be nervous, wha-ha-hat– Did you hear an explosion outside or was that just my imagination? I'm in sudden fear for the lives of my petunias–) 

 

Anyway, it's my pleasure and stress to announce to you all, shouting into the depths of the blogosphere like the slightly hoarse and crazy-eyed gremlin I am:

 

Beloved friends and tolerated acquaintances, it's time
for the 2021 Silmaril Awards!

And not only! am I! hosting?? a category! but also!

It's the villains.

Nominations For the Most Nefarious Villain!

 

How to nominate your favourite bundle of death:

• Jump in the comments of this post and yell their name! Usually it's "I nominate Captain Hook! his mustache is the epitome of nefariousness in villains!" or something like that, but if you feel like hiring a herald or something to jazz your nomination up a bit, go for it. It's what your villain would want.
  
  

a note

This is just a very brief post to let you know: 

You should definitely go and check out Jenelle Schmidt's blog! Preferably in the next uhhh immediately. The next immediately. Do that. 

 

(Some of you know what's happening! Some of you have been keeping an eye on the calendar! Some of you are more like me and life sneaks up on you sometimes and you turn around and it's nearly September which is basically pre-Christmas already and wow 2022 huh I didn't get anything done at all but hey it was nice knowing you, life.)

((Don't mind me. I'm just sitting at my laptop, still sweaty from basketball, and wearing a bright yellow Madeline hat because it's Book Week in Australia and I need to dress up for work but I had to mAKE the costume, rude.))

(((Everything is fine.)))

Buuut anyway yes go and read Jenelle's blog. *hyperventilates*