mtvU Unveils its "2013 mtvU Woodie Award" Nominations: fun., MGK, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Grimes, Zedd, A$AP Rocky, WALK THE MOON, Jack White, Kendrick Lamar and more vie for Woodie Awards

Students from New York University, Greenville College and Belmont University Begin Battle to Open the "2013 mtvU Woodies Festival" in Austin, Texas during South by Southwest in Advance of the "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards" on Thursday, March 14

"2013 Woodie Awards Special" to Air on MTV and mtvU on Sunday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

New York, NY - February 12, 2013 - MTV's 24-hour college network, mtvU, today revealed the categories and nominees for the "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards." The annual musical moment of truth honors the artists who are infiltrating the music landscape, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, MGK, Jack White, fun., Avicii, Kendrick Lamar, Skrillex, Best Coast, Grimes, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, Zedd, twenty|one|pilots and more are vying for chunks of wood this year. Woodie Award voting opens today at Woodies.MTV.com and runs through March 14, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards" and Festival are returning to Austin, Texas for a full day of musical performances on Thursday, March 14, 2013 during the SXSW Music Festival. MTV and mtvU will air a half-hour "2013 Woodie Awards" special on Sunday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. mtvU will announce performers at a later date.

The Nominees

Jack White, a Woodie Awards veteran who performed with his band Dead Weather at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards, is leading the nominees list this year with two nods, as is EDM artist Dillon Francis, who took part in Steve Aoki's high-energy performance of "Steve Jobs" during last year's show. Many of the artists up for "Woodie of the Year" - which recognizes artists who made an indelible stamp on the music scene this year - also have history with the Woodies: in addition to performing at the "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival," MGK took home a chunk of wood for the "Breaking Woodie" category that year; A$AP Rocky, fun., and WALK THE MOON also performed at last year's Festival, and got nods in the 2012 "Breaking Woodie" category, as did Kendrick Lamar; Grimes and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are newcomers to the Woodies.

"Two years ago I was in the crowd at the Woodies, the next year we won the Breaking Woodie, now this year we're nominated for the Woodie of the year!!! I just want my fans to be proud of how far we've come, dreams are coming to life. Lace up," said MGK.

"Frikkin' whoa!! 'Woodie of the Year??' We're blown away. What a fantastic honor! Thank you!" said WALK THE MOON.

A number of MTV's 2013 "Artists to Watch" are also infiltrating the nominees list this year, with Gold Fields, Alt-J, Zedd, and twenty|one|pilots all up for a "Breaking Woodie." Dillon Francis, Earl Sweatshirt, and The Lumineers are also nominees in this category, which recognizes artists on the brink of breaking through to mainstream. Winners of the 2012 "Best Video Woodie," Best Coast, are back in the running in the same category honoring artists with the best video this year alongside Chairlift, Danny Brown, Father John Misty, Major Lazer, Of Monsters and Men, and Skrillex.

New categories this year include the "Tag Team Woodie," which honors perfect combinations in music, "FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Woodie" for the biggest "can't miss" performance or cultural moment, and the "Branching Out Woodie," which honors artists who are finding innovative, creative ways to use social media. Kanye West, who won the "Left Field Woodie" in 2011 for "Runaway," received a nomination in the "Tag Team Woodie" category for his collaboration with Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz for "Mercy." Artists vying for the "FOMO Woodie" include Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Fiona Apple, Swedish House Mafia, Flux Pavilion, Jack White, and Death Grips.

One of MTV's 2013 "Artists to Watch," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are up against Dan Deacon, deadmau5, Amanda Palmer, The xx, Jack White, and Avicii for the "Branching Out Woodie." In December, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hosted a concert for fans live on YouTube; EDM artist Dan Deacon let fans become the light show with a live concert mobile app; deadmau5 used vocals from a fan on a track sourced via Twitter; Amanda Palmer raised $1.2 million via Kickstarter; The xx debuted their new album to a single fan, then watched as it spread virally; Jack White explored non-traditional forms of record distribution by releasing 1,000 balloons into the sky with flexi-discs containing his new album track attached and then monitored where they landed on Third Man's Web site; and Swedish DJ Avicii launched the crowd-sourced challenge "Avicii x You," which invites fans to submit melodies, bass lines, rhythms and vocals for his next single.

Chevrolet Sonic College Artist Woodie

Each year the "Woodies" pay homage to the artists who are breaking through, and this year the show is partnering with Chevrolet Sonic to also spotlight the best emerging musicians on campus. Chosen by a panel of industry insiders including Matt Pinfield, Kiah Victoria from the New York University Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, The Madison Letter from Greenville College, The Lonely Biscuits from Belmont University and Little Sur from New York University and The New School are all battling to take home the first-ever "Chevrolet Sonic College Artist Woodie." Each will be profiled on-air on mtvU, MTV and on MTV.com, and one band or artist will have the chance to hit the road, traveling to Austin to kick-off a day of incredible performances as they play the opening set at the "Woodies Festival," before receiving their very own chunk of wood in this new category. Fans can check out the bands and vote for their favorite at Chevy.MTV.com today through midnight on March 1, 2013.

"It will be a huge opportunity for the winning band to travel to SXSW and perform at the Woodies," said Matt Pinfield. "I think there are real stars in this group of nominees and I'm blown away by the talent on college campuses these days."

College Radio Woodie

Once again, mtvU is also honoring the pioneering college radio stations committed to bringing students the latest indie and emerging music, and today revealed the top 25 stations. Lauded for championing artists before they achieve mainstream success, these student-run radio stations represent the new music vanguard long since abandoned by traditional FM radio. The top stations are chosen based off accolades from the Princeton Review top list, online nominations through Rate My Professors and independent questionnaires completed by a cross-section of industry tastemakers. Fans can vote for their favorite stations at http://blog.ratemyprofessors.com/college-radio-woodie/.

The Woodies Festival and Award Show

To harness the power of live music, MTV and mtvU are touching down in Austin, Texas during the SXSW Music Festival on Thursday, March 14, 2013. The day will begin at 2:00 p.m. CT with a host of live performances by up-and-coming artists during the open-air "Woodie Awards Festival." Open to all SXSW badge holders and music fans over the age of 18, the performances will lead up to the "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards," which will take-over the Festival beginning at 8:00 p.m. CT on March 14, 2013. Music fans without SXSW badges will need a "Woodies" ticket for entry. Tickets are free and available in the Austin Convention Center (additional details to be announced soon). On Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, mtvU will bring the best moments from the show to MTV and mtvU in the half-hour "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards Special." The hosted special will showcase some of the best "Woodie Awards" performances and celebrate the artists who are walking away with Awards this year. Additionally, the biggest celebrities, comedians and artists will join the special to give a nod to their favorite artists.

The ninth annual "mtvU Woodie Awards" promise to be an unforgettable night of music and performances. The "mtvU Woodie Awards" originate from the indie tradition of giving a wooden record to those artists who generate a passionate response to their music. The show was established in 2004 and has since propelled numerous recognized acts to the next level of their careers - including surging record sales, headlining tours and mainstream acclaim. Examples include: The Killers (Breaking Woodie '04), Death Cab for Cutie (Best Video Woodie '05), Muse (Performing Woodie '07), Gym Class Heroes (Woodie of the Year '07), Lupe Fiasco (performed at Woodies '07), Paramore (Woodie of the Year '08), Kings of Leon (Woodie of the Year '09), Vampire Weekend (performed at '09 Woodies), Matt & Kim (Best Video Woodie '09), Wiz Khalifa (Woodie of the Year '11), Odd Future (performed at '11 Woodies), MGK (Breaking Woodie '12) and Mac Miller (Woodie of Year and Performing Woodie '12).

The nominees for the "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards" are:

Woodie of the Year (Artist of the Year)

Nominees:
A$AP Rocky (RCA Records)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (Community Music)
fun. (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic Records)
Grimes (Beggars Group)
Kendrick Lamar (Interscope Records)
MGK (Interscope Records)
WALK THE MOON (RCA Records)

The Breaking Woodie (Best Emerging Artist)

Nominees:
twenty|one|pilots (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic Records)
Alt-J (Canvasback/Atlantic Records)
Dillon Francis (Mad Decent)
Earl Sweatshirt (Columbia Records)
Gold Fields (EMI Capitol)
The Lumineers (Dualtone Music Group)
Zedd (Interscope Records)

Best Video Woodie (Best Video of the Year)

Nominees:
Best Coast "The Only Place" (Mexican Summer)
Chairlift "Met Before" (Columbia Records)
Danny Brown "Grown Up" (Fool's Gold)
Father John Misty "Hollywood Forever Cemetery" (Sub Pop Records)
Major Lazer "Get Free" (Downtown Records)
Of Monsters and Men "Little Talks" (Republic Records)
Skrillex "Bangarang" (Atlantic Records)

Tag Team Woodie (Best Collaboration)

Nominees:
A-Trak and Dillon Francis - "Money Makin' (Fool's Gold)
Kimbra featuring Mark Foster & A-Trak - "Warrior" (Warner Bros Records)
Meek Mill featuring Drake - "Amen" (Warner Bros Records)
Morgan Page featuring Tegan and Sara - "Body Work" (Nettwerk)
Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz - "Mercy" (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam)
Steve Aoki and Angger Dimas featuring Iggy Azalea - "Beat Down" (Ultra Records)
Swedish House Mafia versus Knife Party - "Antidote" (EMI Capitol)

FOMO Woodie (Fear of Missing Out: Biggest "Can't Miss" Cultural Moment and/or Performance)

Nominees:
Death Grips (n/a)
Fiona Apple (Epic Records)
Flux Pavilion (Big Beat/Atlantic Records)
Frank Ocean (Def Jam Recordings)
Jack White (Columbia Records)
Swedish House Mafia (EMI Capitol)
The Weeknd (XO/Republic Records)

Branching Out Woodie (Artist Finding Creative Ways to Reach Fans via Social Media)

Nominees:
Amanda Palmer (n/a)
Avicii (Republic Records)
Dan Deacon (Domino Record Co)
deadmau5 (Ultra Records)
Jack White (Columbia Records)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Macklemore LLC)
The xx (Beggars Group)

Chevrolet Sonic College Artist Woodie (Best Emerging College Artist)

Nominees:
Kiah Victoria, New York University Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music
Little Sur, New York University and The New School
The Lonely Biscuits, Belmont University
The Madison Letter, Greenville College

College Radio Woodie - (Best Campus Radio Station)

For the station out there breaking the latest, emerging music, acting as pioneers in the industry. The top 25 finalists are listed at http://blog.ratemyprofessors.com/college-radio-woodie/.

Eric Conte, Amy Doyle and Gina Esposito are the Executive Producers of the "2013 mtvU Woodie Awards." Joe Buoye is the Executive in Charge of Production. Produced by Tracy Hellerud.

About mtvU:

Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches nearly 9 million U.S. college students - making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S., as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on the campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with hundreds of events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com