Loyal Viewers, I have breaking news…
On your behalf, I am incredibly pleased to announce a brand new award – and perpetual trophy – to be presented at the Australian National Band Championships. The award comes at your behest, Loyal Viewer. Ever since about 2010 this award has been presented informally, in accordance with (some) of your wishes. But, after a landslide of emails begging for formalization, Brassbanned has gone ahead and bought a trophy. “What is this award?!” I hear you ask, New Viewer?
This award is the ‘Brassbanned: People’s Choice Award’. And, Loyal and New Viewers, guess what? You are vital in determining to which band it will be awarded.
The award will be presented to the A Grade Brass Band that is voted by you to have performed the best across ALL SECTIONS of the National Championships. In many (if not most) ways, this award is superior to the “Fireman’s Helmet”, as that is awarded based only on Hymn, Test, Own Choice and March – and awarded on the opinion of one or two men sitting in the box.
The Brassbanned: People’s Choice Award – already known by many as the “BPCA” – is superior in that it will be awarded by 1000s of Loyal Viewers, and take into consideration the Street March, Overall Entertainment Value, Uniform Fashionability and a myriad other factors.
How It Will Work
- Online Viewers can vote via Facebook, Twitter and Email
- Audience Members can come see me and vote in person
- I’ll very suspiciously look at all votes and work out if anyone is cheating too obviously
- Brassbanned will collate the votes, cross check the number of fake votes, and award the trophy!
Can this ingenious method be beaten by crooks and scoundrels? Won’t this turn into one of those useless popularity contests?
Well, Loyal Viewer, I’ll do my best to make sure not too many obvious crooks and scoundrels get too much sway in the awarding of this prestigious Trophy. As to if this will become a popularity contest? It probably will. But, Loyal Viewer, think of this – the more popularity that brass bands and banding gets – the more we all win?
