Pitchfork

It's that time of year again-- PLUG Awards! That's right folks, time to look back on 2007, as the best and brightest artists in independent music are once again battling for such honors as Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Live Act of the Year, among many others, and they need your votes.

Battles and Of Montreal look to be the kings and queens of 2007, with seven nominations each. Justice and Arcade Fire follow closely behind with six. Last year's big winners, Band of Horses, are up for five awards.

Here's how it works: From right now through February 8, 2008 head on over to the PLUG website and cast your vote. In addition to the overall categories, PLUG also celebrates the best in various genres (hip-hop, metal, Americana, punk, electronic/dance), extra-musical aspects such as music videos, album packaging, record labels, and concert venues, as well as many media categories, including Record Store of the Year, Radio Station of the Year, and Magazine of the Year.

So who picks the nominees? Why, it's the scary-sounding PLUG Cartel, a not-so-scary group of artists, journalists, label employees, and other music industry insiders (including, yes, myself and several other Pitchfork staffers). But the winners are completely decided by the voters.

The winners will be announced at the PLUG Awards Ceremony and Concert on March 6, 2008 at Terminal 5 in New York City.