Author Games: On Air

Special Awards

Happy Saturday, everybody! We'll be announcing our winners later but to keep you all going until then, we've got some Special Awards to give out. These are to acknowledge those achievers who maybe didn't make it all the way to the final but who still provided us with plenty of entertainment.

Tacky acceptance speeches are encouraged.

On with the show...

BEST NEWBIE

Right from the auditions there was only going to be one candidate for this award. Appearing out of nowhere and blazing a path through to the finals, this writer was not only a breath of newbie fresh air but also one of the most consistent performers throughout the competition, impressing the hosts with her playful style and intriguing character. We predict a strong future for this one!

Winner: tiryme (Shane Underhill)

Honourable Mention: -Raven- (Aries Terrell)

EAGER BEAVER

The eager beaver award goes to the person who has somehow managed to sign up even before we've refreshed the page (despite our constant attempts to get people to slow down and actually read what they're signing up for...). Whether this is because they were sat there constantly refreshing the page from 10PM onwards, or because they got lucky, or because they were gifted at birth with an instinct for when we're going to post, these are the people who make us sit back and go 'whoa...really?'. The crown was previously held by hashtagging, but this competition goes to HeadOnJackwards.

THE DARK HORSE AWARD

As usual, this goes to the person who surpassed our expectations. And, as usual, we were spoiled for choice. Okay, so we knew this girl could write, but we were most definitely not expecting her to blow the hosts out of the water almost every single task. A perfect example of how choosing the right character for your writing style can yield some serious results...

Winner: Tiffany Moore (katniss-everdeen)

Honourable Mention: Michio Masanori (LiveLaughLoveLaw)

BEST ENTRY

Always a tough one, and this competition was no different. There were several nominations for this and only a session of fierce debating could whittle it down to one winner. In the end it came down to simple mathematics: two hosts nominated the same entry, and with good reason! Our winner managed to amaze us with a plot twist that somehow didn't seem like one at all - and that's a skill in itself - proving themselves to be the master of 'stuff that was obvious all along when you think about it'. And that's not to mention the vivid language and clarity!

Winner: Coral Blackstone - The Secret in the Shed (nominated by Emily and Lizzie)

Honourable Mention: Nicholas Stearns - Pick-Me-Up (nominated by Lizzie)

THE IAIN M. BANKS AWARD FOR BEST PLOT TWIST

Is she Lara? Or is she Ellery?

And, for that matter, why does it matter?

Let's be honest, RedTears' form had us scratching our heads and wondering if the strange story behind her character was in any way against the rules. Which it wasn't. And a mind that can come up with that kind of twist deserves recognition.

Winner: Lara/Ellery Hadley (RedTears)

Honourable Mentions: Jeremy Lionfeld (FragileBeast) - on Amanda's 'scripted' appearance. Michio Masanori (LiveLaughLoveLaw) - all of a sudden, a murder had happened.

THE FREDDIE FLINTOFF AWARD FOR SPORTSMANSHIP

A new award this competition and no, it's not as ironic as it sounds. We want a shout out to those people who play competitions as they're supposed to be played; with respect, common sense and a healthy dose of reality. It's people like you who give us a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Winner: Everybody who has voted despite being up for votes themselves

Honourable Mentions: tiryme (for never handing in on the last day), TheDarkHorse (for being gracious in defeat, as ever), CaptainHellYeah (for essentially letting us talk her into not withdrawing and for still giving it her best...and doing brilliantly!)

THE SCOOBY-DOO MONSTER AWARD FOR TAKING THE BAIT

Okay, so this is one of our joke awards, but it's worth a mention. Suffice to say that the discussion on the 'Pick-Me-Up' task ended with the line: 'so let's see how many of them try to claim nobody loves them'...

Winner: Agatha Bennett (HeadOnJackwards)

THE SCRAPPY AWARD FOR BEST NICKNAME

Another new award this competition, suggested and judged by our own Emily (a.k.a. Scrappy/Scraps/Oh_Nostalgia), who just couldn't get enough of the unusual abundance of nicknames. From those that were deliberate to those allocated by the audience to those that arose out of simple misspellings, On Air was certainly rich in people who ended up not being known by the name they were originally given...

Winner: Hagatha (origin currently forgotten)

Honourable Mentions: Michico (mispelling of Michio), Shane Underhill (deliberate)

THE TITANIC AWARD

...for the ship that sank. What, too soon?

On Air was thankfully sparse on ships, leaving us with little choice (and believe me, that's a good thing), but as we all know, romance is a reality TV staple. This award goes to the are-they-aren't-they relationship that had the hosts kind of wishing that both characters had survived for long enough to actually make their minds up. After all, if there has to be a ship, why make it smooth sailing?

Winners: Shane Underhill (tiryme) and Aries Terrell (-Raven-)

Take a bow, everybody!

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And that's it for our Special Awards! Tune in at around 11PM GMT tonight for the announcement of the winner and the official finale of Author Games: On Air! And remember, voting closes at ten...

Thank you!

~ The Hosts:

RobotsWillCry, Oh_Nostalgia and _justcloseyoureyes_