mtvU has entered the awards show arena.

MTV's 24-hour college network announced nominees for the first annual “mtvU Woodie Awards,” honoring the best in emerging music. The award, made of wood designed and handcrafted by college students, will recognize artists and music that have made an impact on the college music scene over the last year.

To vote for the first annual mtvU Woodie Awards, college students around the country can go to www.mtvU.com or call 1-877-VOTE-MTVU before Oct. 15. mtvU will also be inviting students to vote during various mtvU on-campus events held at colleges and universities this fall. Nominated artists will be profiled on air throughout the voting period and on mtvU music series such as The Dean’s List. A special “Woodies Week” on mtvU will unveil the winners of the Woodie Awards on-air in early November.

Nominees for the first-ever mtvU Woodie Awards are:

Woodie of the Year (Artist of the Year): The artists who made the biggest splash on the scene and on mtvU, yet somehow huge commercial success hasn’t intoxicated them just yet.

Nominees:
Death Cab for Cutie, The New Year (Barsuk)
Modest Mouse, Float On (Epic)
Jet, Are You Gonna Be My Girl (Elektra/Atlantic)
Anthony Hamilton, Coming From Where I’m From (Jive)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maps (Interscope)

Soundtrack of My Life Woodie (Best Album): Simply put, the album we couldn’t live without…this year.

Nominees:
Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Epic)
Coheed & Cambria, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (Columbia)
The Postal Service, Give Up (Sub Pop)
Jadakiss, Kiss the Game Goodbye (Interscope)
Akon, Trouble (Universal)

The Breaking Woodie (Best Emerging Artist): mtvU’s “Freshmen” is where new, developing artists are test driven for the first time by the toughest critics around: college students. One of this year’s Freshmen artists will win the coveted Breaking Woodie.

Nominees:
Butterfly Boucher, I Can’t Make Me (Interscope)
Secret Machines, Nowhere Again (Warner Bros.)
Atmosphere, Trying To Find A Balance (Epitaph)
Robert Randolph, I Need More Love (Warner Bros.)
The Killers, Somebody Told Me (Island)

Left Field Woodie (Most Original Artist): They’re genre-busters. They came out of left field and surprised us so much, we’d still have no idea what section of the record store to look for them in. They resist all classification.

Nominees:
Dresden Dolls, Girl Anachronism (Roadrunner)
N.E.R.D., Maybe (Virgin)
Kenna, Freetime (Columbia)
Kinky El Presidente (Nettwerk)
The Streets, Fit But You Know It (Vice/Atl G)

The Sophomore Jump Woodie (Best Second Album): Those artists who dazzled us with an amazing first album, and astounded us all with an even better second album.

Nominees:
Taking Back Sunday, A Decade Under the Influence (Victory)
Sugarcult, Memory (Artemis)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Stop (Virgin)
Nappy Roots, Sick & Tired (Atlantic/Atl. G)
Something Corporate, Space (Geffen)

The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact): The award for the artists whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year.

Nominees:
Sum-41, War Child participation in The Congo (WEA)
Beastie Boys, Free Tibet efforts (Capitol)
Coldplay, Oxfam / Amnesty International (Capitol)
Death Cab for Cutie, Vote For Change/ Move on for Music in America (Barsuk)
P. Diddy, Citizen Change (Bad Boy/Universal)

The Silent But Deadly Woodie (Best Video): The music video that’s so incredible, we’d watch it even without the music.

Nominees:
Kenna, "Freetime" (Columbia)
Steriogram, "Walkie-Talkie Man" (Capitol)
Reggie & the Full Effect, "Congratulations Smack & Katy" (Vagrant)
Modest Mouse, "Float On" (Epic)
Mogwai, "Hunted By A Freak" (Matador)

The Best Showing Woody (Best Tour): For those artists who take to the road and never let up, always giving that memorable live performance.

Nominees:
Phish (WEA)
O.A.R. (Lava)
Coheed & Cambria (Columbia)
The Roots (Geffen)
Jack Johnson (Universal)

Streaming Woodie (Most Streamed): All semester long, students have been downloading and streaming their favorite tunes from their favorite website, mtvU.com. We tally up all the clicks, and see who gets the most downloaded Woodie.

Nominees:
Coheed & Cambria, "A Favor House Atlantic" (Columbia)
Copeland, "Walking Downtown" (The Militia Group)
Fallout Boy, "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Body?" (Fueled By Ramen)
O.A.R., "Hey Girl" (Lava)
Madvillain, "All Caps" (Stones Throw)

The Welcome Back Woodie (a.k.a. The You’re Still OK in our Book Award): For the artists who graduated from our midst but have returned to us with music we love.

Nominees:
Beastie Boys (Capitol)
Slum Village (Capitol)
Dave Matthews Band (RCA)
Incubus (Epic)
The Roots (Geffen)