FNORD Awards

The People's FNORD Awards refer to annual community recognition awards bestowed upon members of the Anglophone Simulationist Community, typically every January. They are generally considered the most prestigous micronational award.

History of the FNORDS

The awards were first organised by Scott Alexander in 2002, and were organised by the staff of MNN each year until 2008 with the collapse of MNN, when FNORDs were awarded by the MCS. Typically, a judging panel of five veteran micronationalists convenes to decide the recipients of each award from a group of nominees named by the general population.

Typical FNORD Medallion

FNORDs are believed to have been inspired by the similarly named Emperor Norton Award of the seccessionist micronation of Molossia. These were similarly awarded each year and, like the FNORDs, were named after Emperor Norton I, an eccentric citizen of San Francisco during the late 19th century who declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, and known by many as the 'First Micronationalist' To distinguish this new micronational award from the awards issued by Molossia and the seccessionist micronationalists, the new awards were named the Fantasy/Simulated Norton Awards, hence FNORDs.

Prior to 2006, the number of awards varied greatly with very little consistency in recognition categories. Some years, the general public were invited to create the recognition categories, adding further inconsistency between years. In preparation for the 2006 awards, Liam Sinclair, the chair of the awards judging committee from 2004 to 2007, implemented a system of fixed awards year-to-year, with the most prestigious awards being retained. The addition of new awards is dependent on whether or not there is a quantifiable uniqueness to the nature of the award which can be objectively considered (i.e. not awarded on bias). For example, 'most efficient government', awarded to Babkha in 2005, did not qualify as every government has its efficiencies or lack thereof. The FNORD Awards, while named after the year in which they are awarded, in fact recognize achievements in the previous year (for example, the 2007 FNORD Awards recognize achievements in 2006).

FNORD awards are now hosted by the MCS and since 2009 have also been awarded in the form of physical medals, whereas before they were simply forum images.

First Physical FNORD Medal, issued in January 2010 for the 2009 FNORDs

Categories of FNORD award

As of 2008, there were in excess of thirty-five individual awards handed out, the vast majority of which were "one-off" (that is, awarded during one year only). The following includes only the permanent awards named prior to the 2006 ceremony (many of which have been awarded several years prior to that date). Where the names of permanent awards have changed from pre-2006 names, the pre-2006 awardee of the equivalent award is named as a recipient of the permanent award:

Odlum Award for Overall Achievement - Named for Shane Odlum, the founder and leader of the micronation of Blackrock, this award is the most prestigious of all FNORD Awards. It is typically given to a veteran micronationalist in recognition of years of service to the community at-large.

• Abbas Namvari & Charles Beard Award for Conflict Resolution - honouring two of the greatest diplomats in the community's history (Namvari of Babkha and Beard of Attera), this award is given to a micronationalist, or group/micronation, who exhibits great achievement and leadership in diplomacy. The award was re-introduced for the 2007 ceremony.

• Best Revolutionary Concept - awarded in recognition of a micronationalist, or group/micronation, whose innovative concept receives widespread attention and improves the community at-large.

• Bill Dusch Award for Micronational Cultural Development - named for the most prominent creator of the Soloralism micronational culture/religion, the award is presented to a micronationalist, or group/micronation, who makes a significant contribution to the development of culture within his/her micronation or intermicronationally.

• RIMA Award for Excellence in Micronational History - created by Liam Sinclair, this is awarded by the Royal Institute of Micronational Antiquities to the micronationalist, or group/micronation, who contributes most to the preservation of the community's history. It is not awarded to any micronationalist who is a member of the Institute's management. The award was first introduced in 2006.

• Norton Award for Excellence in the Field of Journalism - awarded to the micronationalist, micronation or media service that makes the most significant contribution to journalism and news media in the community each year.

• Peter Little Award for Excellence in Micronational Literature - named in honour of Peter Little, a micronationalist with atrocious spelling and grammar who was active in the community from 2001 to 2003, this award recognizes contributions to the development of the community through literature.

• Best New Micronationalist - as the name implies, this award is given to an outperforming micronationalist who has entered micronationalism within the past year (though in 2007, it was awarded by the judging panel to Jeremy Hart who was in the community just over a year).

Spin-Offs and Imitations

Shireroth has hosted, on occasion, Malarbor Awards, designed as a spoof FNORD award for Shirereithan citizens. Infrequently, members of the MCS host the unofficial MASOM (Micronational Awards Society Of Micras) Awards, also tongue-in-cheek. Therefore although many micronations run their own systems of orders of merit, the FNORDS are the only truly intermicronational series of awards in the Micran Sector and hence the most prestigous.

Judging Panels

Past Chairs of the FNORD Judging Panels:

• Scott Alexander (2002)
• Iain de Vembria (2003)
• Liam Sinclair (2004 to 2007)
• Lachlan Powers (2008)
• Scott Alexander (2009)
• Guido Zambelis (2010)

Recipients

FNORDs for 2002:

• Best micronational website: Tie between Dafydd Young of Baracão and Mik'el Tzion of Attera
• Best micronational forum: Daffydd Young of Baracão
• Greatest Contributions To Micropatriology: Stephen Foong of Morovia
• Greatest Contributions To Micronational Culture: Tie between Cardinal James Murphy of Hanover and Eoin Dornan of Treesia
• Most Insane Micronationalist: Yuri Andropov of Novaya Zemlya
• Most Likeable Micronationalist: Ari Rahikkala of Shireroth
• Norton Peace Prize: Mik'el Tzion of Attera and Harvey Steffke
• Odlum Award For Total Individual Achievement: Erik Metzler

FNORDs for 2003:

• For Achievement in Diplomacy: Johanns fonn Klosso for merging Cranda, Slobovia and Northworthy into Arminy, with honourable mention for delegates of the Argaath Perez Peace Conference (resulting in peace between Attera and Babkha.
• Achievement in Constitutional Framework: Drafters (Liam Sinclair and Mik'el Tzion) of Attera's Fourth Crimson Constitution with honourable mention for the Hano-Pendronian Committee for the attempted merger of Hanover and Pendronia.
• Best Micronational Website: Shireroth, with honourable mention for Babkha
• Best New Micronationalist: Emperor Delphi Augustus of Antica
• For Micronational Literature: Babkha, for The Burning Sands of Tashbaan
• For Micronational Economics: Sander Dielemann for creating the Micronational PhpBank software
• Achievement in Micronational News: Jack Santucci
• Best Forum Design: Iain de Vembria, for Treesia
• Tallini Award for Egotism: Prince Kieran of Breuddwyd and Kuralyov
• Best Speaker: Rakesh Ackbar, with honourable mention for Scott Alexander
• Best New Micronation: Gotzborg, with honourable mention for Feianova
• The Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Alexander I of Hanover, with honourable mention for Presidente Alarico Veto Julia of Baracão

FNORDs for 2004:

(Attended by His Excellency President Kevin Baugh of the Republic of Molossia)

• "Tis But A Flesh Wound" Award for Refusing to Give Up in the Face of Failure: David Redstone
• Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Liam Sinclair, Attera
• Best Message Board: Regio Mayo
• Best Newsblog: Atteran Chronicle World (Liam Sinclair)
• Einstein Award for the Best New Idea: Sander Dieleman, Iain de Vembria and Jack Santucci for the MNN News Feed Development
• National Leader of the Year: Delphi Augustus of Antica
• Best Website: Kingdom of Gotzborg
• Most Efficient Government: Babkha
• Most Culturally Developed Micronation: Babkha
• Saeed al-Sayyaf Award for Best Propaganda: Shireroth
• Most Unusual Micronation: Babkha
• Best Avatar: Shyriath
• Most Committed Micronationalist: Robert Davis of Gotzborg
• Least Arrogant Micronationalist: Tahmaseb Shah of Babkha

FNORDs for 2005:

• Odlum Award for Individual Achievement: Ryan Caruso
• Best Revolutionary Concept: Kingdom of Lovely
• Bill Dusch Award for Micronational Cultural Development: Ric Lyon
• RIMA Award for Excellence in Micronational History: The staff of MicroWiki (former MNN wiki)
• Norton Award for Excellence in the Field of Journalism: Novaya Zemlya
• Peter Little Award for Excellence in Micronational Literature: Greg Russell
• Best New Micronationalist: Carson Smith

FNORDs for 2006:

• The Odlum Award for Individual Achievement: August Charles of Gotzborg
• The Abbas Namvari & Charles Beard Award for Conflict Resolution: Edgard II of Alexandria
• Best Revolutionary Concept: Geographical Standards Organisation (GSO)
• The Bill Dusch Award for Micronational Cultural Development: Maximos of Matbaa
• The RIMA Award for Excellence in Micronational History: Scott Alexander for Microscope
• The Norton Award for Excellence in the Field of Journalism: Liam Sinclair of the Coprieta Standard & Koen Nevens of the Alternative Media Company
• The Peter Little Award for Excellence in Micronational Literature: His Majesty King Jeremy of New Britannia & Johanns fonn Klosso
• Best New Micronationalist: His Majesty King Jeremy of New Britannia.

FNORDs for 2007:

• The Odlum Award for Individual Achievement: Enrique Portela of Alexandria
• The Abbas Namvari & Charles Beard Award for Conflict Resolution: Hesam Jahandar of Babkha and Dr-Spangle of the CIS
• Best Revolutionary Concept: Kingdom of Hanover's SecondLife Colony
• The Bill Dusch Award for Micronational Cultural Development: Tokidoki Magic System
• The RIMA Award for Excellence in Micronational History: Jacobus Kahuneamea
• The Norton Award for Excellence in the Field of Journalism: Liam Sinclair for the Coprieta Standard
• The Peter Little Award for Excellence in Micronational Literature: Jeremy Hart for King Under the Mountain
• Best New Micronationalist: Liam conDoin

FNORDs for 2008:

• Tony Au Award for Economics: DStryker (Andreas Mayer) of Lavalon for the Economic Think Tank project
• Liam Sinclair Award for Micronational History: Jonas Windsor for Wiki articles on Batavia
• Jeremy Bellamy Award for RecWar and Storytelling: Anthony Montague
• Liam conToketi Award for Best New Micronationalist: Peter Ulsnes
• Best New Idea: Dr-Spangle for his Micronational Meetup link chart
• Bill Dusch Award For Cultural Development: Troy Thompson for the creation of the Babkhi language
• Best Graphic Artwork: Scott Alexander for the Quetzal series of MCS maps
• Iain Jacobson Award for Micronational Journalism: Will Tomsett
• Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Hesam Jayatar

FNORDS for 2009:

• Most Promising New Micronation: Victoria
• Award for Graphic Arts: Bjorn Olsen of Victoria
• Award for Leadership: Octavius (Chrimigules) of Antica
• Jeremy Bellamy Award for Literature: Ben Kern for Rauðbjörn's Saga
• Bill Dusch Award for Cultural Development: Aryeztur Mejorkhor of Aryez, Antica
• Josh Coales Award for Best New Idea: Erik Metzler and Ari Rahikkala for the Small Commonwealth
• Tony Au Award for Economics: Andreas the Wise for the Small Commonwealth Unified Economy (SCUE)
• Iain Jacobson Award for Journalism: M.Goltz of Ashkenatza for the Litovsker Tagblatt
• Liam conToketi Award for Most Promising Micronationalist: Andrew Allot of Shireroth
• Shane Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Nathan Shepard of Natopia

FNORDS for 2010:

• Most Promising New Micronation: Normark
• Award for Leadership: Harvey Steffke of Nelaga
• Liam conToketi Award for Most Promising New Micronationalist: Philip Fish of A1
• Iain Jacobson Award for Journalism: Christopher Octavius of Antica for A Speakership in Review: The Speakership of Benjamin Sebastocrator Timothy Quentin Kern
• Tony Au Award for Economics: Andreas the Wise of Gralus
• Josh Coales Award for Best New Idea: Harvey Steffke and Andreas the Wise for the foundation of the Bastion Union
• Charles Beard Award for Conflict Resolution: Shyriath Bukolos as Shirereithan Kaiser B'Caw I
• Jeremy Bellamy Award for Literature: Ryan Caruso for The Retreating Ice
• Bill Dusch Award for Cultural Development: Greg Russell of Nelaga for the Nelagan Naval Guide to the Untrained
• Award for Graphic Arts: Rebecca 'Artz'
• RIMA Award For Micronational History: Harvey Steffke and M.Goltz for work on MicrasWiki
• Shane Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Andreas the Wise