The Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards, run by Lib Dem Voice, are back for their seventh year. As usual, they’ll be awarded in a budget lavish ceremony at the party’s autumn conference in Brighton.

Click on the following links to see last year’s Shortlist and the Winners.

This year’s awards are as follows:

To be eligible for ‘Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office’, a blog should be written by a councillor, elected mayor, assembly member, or parliamentarian.

The ‘Best use of social media / campaigning award’ recognises the expanding role of both blogging and the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in political campaigning. Please send us links to good campaigning YouTube videos, effective tweets and Twitter accounts or a successful campaigning website.

The Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog winner will be chosen by you, dear reader (should you choose to take part). Once the judges have chosen their shortlist, these blogs will be put up for public vote here on Lib Dem Voice.

Here’s this year’s judging panel, (who aren’t eligible to win, by the way, so please avoid nominating them):

• Kirsty Williams Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire and Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
• Nick Thornsby , Lib Dem Blogger of the Year 2011
• Tim Gatt ITV News Digital Output Editor
• Stephen Tall Co-Editor, Lib Dem Voice.
• Alan Muhammed, who manages Lib Dem Voice’s social media
• Helen Duffett (that’s me) Co-Editor (Associate) Lib Dem Voice

Liberal Democrat Voice and any official blogs run by the party aren’t eligible either.

You’ve got until 5pm on 14 September to nominate up to 3 favourites per category, but the sooner the better. Please don’t feel the need to round up hundreds of people to nominate your blog as the number of nominations aren’t taken into account.

Send in your nominations by email to [email protected] and remember to state which award category you’re nominating for, in each case.

Photo by Alex Folkes/Fishnik Photography.