Announcing the Nominees for the 3rd Annual Cyber Horror Awards!

It's the award season again, and here in The Vault of Horror, that means it's time for the Cyber Horror Awards. Voted on exclusively by the online horror blogging/journalism community, the CHAs are now in their third installment, and have been gaining momentum each year thus far. I'm hoping this year's edition will have the strongest votership yet.

2010 was an interesting year for horror, and I think the nominees this time around reflect that. To check out the full list of nominees in the full 13 categories, proceed to the official website of the Cyber Horror Awards. Meanwhile, for you short attention-span types, here are the nominees for the the main prize, the Val Lewton Award for Best Film of 2010:

Black Swan, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Agnes b. Productions

Let Me In, Hammer Films

Survival of the Dead, Blank of the Dead Productions

Piranha 3-D, Dimension Films

I'd like to thank Paul Bibeau (author of the best-selling Sundays with Vlad) and Max Cheney of the Rondo Award-winning blog The Drunken Severed Head for helping me put together the list of nominees, and also the highly talented B-Movie Becky of The Horror Effect for once again coming through with an updated award banner.

As in previous years, the ballots have been sent out to a veritable cornucopia of the horror blogosphere's best and brightest. Votes will continue to be tabulated until the middle of March, at which point the official winners of the 2010 Cyber Horror Awards will be announced. So stay tuned, keep your eye on the Cyber Horror Awards website, and right here.

The Vault of Horror Presents the 2nd Annual Cyber Horror Awards!

So apparently there are some kind of movie awards happening this weekend? Well forget those, because it's time for the 2009 Cyber Horror Awards--the second annual installment of the only horror movie awards (to my knowledge) voted on strictly by the online horror journalism community. Just like last year, I polled a whole bunch of excellent horror bloggers and writers to get their picks for the best of the best in horror film. And I'm proud to say that this year I got well more than twice the amount of responses as last year, which only makes this thing that much cooler--so thanks to all who took part.

The results were also a little more evenly spread out than last year's, making it that much more interesting as well--although a few big-time favorites did, naturally, stand out. Including the one movie that (nearly) everyone seemed to agree was the most downright enjoyable horror flick of 2009.

You can check out a detailed looked at all the winners over at the official site, but in the meantime, here's a down and dirty list:

Ray Harryhausen Award for Best Visual Effects
Coraline

Albert S. D'Agostino Award for Best Production Design
Steve Saklad, Drag Me to Hell

Tom Savini Award for Best Makeup
Greg Nicotero, Drag Me to Hell

Bernard Herrmann Award for Best Score
Christopher Young, Drag Me to Hell

Molly Arbuthnot Award for Best Costume Design
Magali Guidasci, Zombieland

Karl Freund Award for Best Cinematography
Anthony Dod Mantle, Antichrist

Curt Siodmak Award for Best Screenplay
Michael Dougherty, Trick 'r Treat

Linnea Quigley Award for Best Supporting Actress
Lorna Raver, Drag Me to Hell

Dwight Frye Award for Best Supporting Actor
Bill Murray, Zombieland

Vincent Price Award for Best Actor
Woody Harrelson, Zombieland

Jamie Lee Curtis Award for Best Actress
Isabelle Fuhrman, Orphan

David Cronenberg Award for Best Director
Michael Dougherty, Trick 'r Treat

Val Lewton Award fort Best Film
Trick 'r Treat, Bad Hat Harry Productions

And there it is, the best of 2009 as voted on by the horror blogosphere. Thanks once again to the talented and insightful crew who took part this time around in my little online experiment, including:

Heidi Martinuzzi of Pretty-Scary
Stacie Ponder of Final Girl, 2009 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
Peter Hall of Cinematical, HorrorSquad & Horror's Not Dead
Alison Nastasi of Cinematical and HorrorSquad
Sarah Jahier of Fatally-Yours
John Cozzoli of Zombos' Closet of Horror, 2009 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
BC of Horror-Movie-a-Day and Bloody-Disgusting
John Kenneth Muir, horror critic (Booklist Editor's Choice)
BJ-C of Day of the Woman, 2009 Ms. Horror Blogosphere
Fallon Masterson of Scars Magazine
Corey of Evil on Two Legs
Johnny Boots of Freddy in Space
Max Cheney of The Drunken Severed Head, 2009 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
Andre Dumas of The Horror Digest
Brian Matus of Raising Hell
Monster Scholar of Monster Land
Cortez the Killer of Planet of Terror
Emily I. of The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense
Rev. Phantom of Midnight Confessions
Casey Criswell of Cinema Fromage and Bloody Good Horror
Christine Hadden of Fascination with Fear
Pax Romano of Billy Loves Stu
Rhonny Reaper of Dollar Bin Horror, 2009 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
Matt-Suzaka of Chuck Norris Ate My Baby
Chuck Conry of Zombies DON'T Run!
Mike Snoonian & Chris Hallock of All Things Horror
B-Movie Becky of The Horror Effect (who also designed the spiffy new CHA logo)
Mr. Johnny Sandman of The Paradise of Horror
Aleata Illusion of Gore Gore Dancer's Movie Reviews
The Divemistress of Zombots! and The Avod
Jen of Zombies Are Magic!
Ms. Harker of Musings Across a Continuum
1twistedmind of Inside 1twistedmind
Cyberschizoid
Ken Cronin of KarlHungus.com
Marilyn Merlot, Vault of Horror contributing writer
Tarah Judah of Midnight Movie Review
Zombie Hayes of Hayes Hudson's House of Horror
Theron Neel of Slammed & Damned
Justin of Send More Cops
OducerProducer of OductionProduction's Midnight Time Warp
StoneCypher of Cannibal Hollywood
Anna McKibben of Dreams in the Bitch House
Patrick Campbell of Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing

Announcing the Nominees for the 2nd Annual Cyber Horror Awards!

The time is upon us again. Long-time readers may remember this from last year, many of you are new to it. The CHAs are, to my knowledge, the only horror movie awards voted on exclusively by online horror bloggers and writers, and I'm happy to be hosting it for the second year. And they said it wouldn't last! Well, actually, no one said that. Anyway, moving right along...

Just like last year, I've enlisted the help of some of the best and brightest online horror critics and writers out there, and I'm proud to say that the number of invited voters is nearly triple what it was last year. Which reminds me--I have made every effort to include all of you, but please, if you're a horror blogger or online horror critic with whom I'm familiar, and you find that you haven't received a ballot, do not take offense. In any undertaking like this, some folks are bound to slip through the cracks. So just be so kind as to send me a gentle reminder, and I will rectify the situation post-haste!

Unlike last year, when I did all the nominating by my lonesome, this year I invited LoTT-D founder John Cozzoli and horror critic/author John Kenneth Muir to take part, as well. I think it's a pretty solid and eclectic list of nominees. For example, here I present to you the 2009 Cyber Horror Award nominees for Best Film:

• Drag Me to Hell

• Trick 'r Treat

• Zombieland

• Thirst

• Grace

For the remainder of the nominees, plus videos and photos, head over to the official site for the Cyber Horror Awards, where you'll also find the spiffy new header created by B-Movie Becky of The Horror Effect.

What will happen now is that between this week and the first week of March, ballots will be coming in. I will tally up said ballots, and announce the award winners by the end of that first week of March. Exciting, right? Also, for the voters, keep in mind when you're checking out the nominees, and find you disagree vehemently with the choices--write-ins are always more than welcome! The only requirement is that it be a film that was released--either to theaters (film festivals don't count) or direct to video--during 2009.

This year's awards are shaping up to be even cooler than last year's and I'm honored to have a bunch of really great participants to make it as legit as possible. Hell, last year I even got some thank-you responses from winners like David Hackl, which you can read on the right-hand sidebar of the awards site. So here's to recognizing the best of 2009, and celebrating the one thing that unites us all--the love of horror films!

VAULT VLOG: Cyber Horror Award Nominees Coming This Week!

For more on the Cyber Horror Awards, go to the official site...

The 2nd Annual Cyber Horror Awards Are Coming!

Hope 2010 is treating everyone right so far! And now that we've officially put 2009 behind us, it's time to look ahead to the 2nd annual edition of The Vault of Horror's Cyber Horror Awards! That's right, it's the return of the only horror movie awards voted on exclusively by online horror journalists.

Those who have been following the VoH for a while will recall last year's inaugural awards, in which a select group of horror bloggers and other online writers were asked to take part in picking the best of the best in horror in 2008. If not, then you can find a quick refresher here at the CHAs' official website.

This year, for the first time, I've instituted an actual nominating committee, so it won't be only yours truly dictating what everyone can vote on (although write-ins are always welcome, anyway). I'm happy to announce that the committee includes James Zahn, Fangoria Entertainment's Director of New Media; John Cozzoli, founder of the League of Tana Tea-Drinkers (LoTT-D); and award-winning horror critic and author John Kenneth Muir; in addition to little ol' me.

By the beginning of next month, I'm hoping to have a definitive list of nominees, which will then be sent out to a wide array of online horror bloggers and writers--a list greatly increased from the original awards last year. In fact, if you're one of my esteemed colleagues reading this right now, then chances are you can expect a ballot in your inbox at some point in early February!

So sit tight kiddies, because the 2009 CHAs are on the way!

* * * * * * * * * *

P.S. Mucho thanks to BJ-C of Day of the Woman for this delightful little "postcard" from her recent Florida vacation!

The Vault of Horror Presents the First-Ever Cyber Horror Awards!

After weeks of debate and downloading, the balloting for the 2008 Cyber Horror Awards, the very first horror film accolades bestowed by online horror bloggers/writers, is complete. I'd like to thank the wide spectrum of talented and discerning participants who took part in voting on the nominees.

The results are in, and as many foresaw, the story of these awards' first year is the story of an unlikely foreign film that took the online genre community by storm in 2008. Let the Right One In captured seven of 12 CHAs, including every category in which it was nominated.

For a more detailed look at the winners, head over to the official page of the CHAs, but if you want to cut right to the chase here at the good ol' Vault, here you go:

Ray Harryhausen Award for Best Visual Effects
The Ruins

Albert S. D'Agostino Award for Best Production Design
David Hackl, Repo! The Genetic Opera

Tom Savini Award for Best Makeup
Greg Nicotero, Diary of the Dead and Mirrors

Bernard Herrmann Award for Best Score
Johan Soderqvist, Let the Right One In

Karl Freund Award for Best Cinematography
Hoyte Van Hoytema, Let the Right One In

Curt Siodmak Award for Best Screenplay
John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In

Linnea Quigley Award for Best Supporting Actress
Lizzy Caplan, Cloverfield

Dwight Frye Award for Best Supporting Actor
Vinnie Jones, The Midnight Meat Train

Vincent Price Award for Best Actor
Kare Hedebrant, Let the Right One In

Jamie Lee Curtis Award for Best Actress
Lina Leandersson, Let the Right One In

David Cronenberg Award for Best Director
Tomas Alfredson, Let the Right One in

Val Lewton Award fort Best Film
Let the Right One In, EFTI

There you have it, dear readers, the horror blogosphere's take on the very best of 2008. I'd like to specifically thank the excellent writers who joined me in this exciting experiment:

• Iloc Zoc of Zombos' Closet of Horror, 2008 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
• Wes Fierce of Horror Film Magazine
• Vince Liaguno of Slasher Speak, horror novelist
• Max Cheney of The Drunken Severed Head, 2008 Rondo nominee for Best Horror Blog
• Casey Criswell of Cinema Fromage and Bloody Good Horror
• John W. Morehead of Theofantastique
• The Lightning Bug of The Lightning Bug's Lair
• Jeff Allard of Dinner with Max Jenke and Shock Till You Drop
• Justin of Send More Cops
• Gary D. Macabre of Blogue Macabre and The Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster, 2008 Rondo nominee for Best Website
• BC of Horror-Movie-a-Day
• Peter Hall of Horror's Not Dead
• Unkle Lancifer of Kindertrauma
• John Kenneth Muir, horror critic (Booklist Editor's Choice)
• Pax Romano of Billy Loves Stu
• Scott Weinberg of FEARnet, Cinematical, Horror.com and Rotten Tomatoes
• Brian Matus of FangoriaOnline
• Corey of Evil on Two Legs

If you're a horror blogger, or an online horror critic of any other variety, and you want to be considered for participation in next year's go-around of the Cyber Horror Awards, give me a holler.

Announcing the Nominees for the First-Ever Cyber Horror Awards!

Dear readers, I'm a simple man, with simple dreams. One of those dreams was to create the first horror film awards ever determined by the online horror community. And now, thanks to the associations I've made via the VoH, that dream is soon to become a reality.

It's simple, really. There has never been a set of awards recognizing excellence in horror, as voted upon by the writers/bloggers whose passion it is to cover the genre on the internet. With our world transforming the way it has, online writers and bloggers have gained an amazing level of visibility in mainstream culture--some would say even supplanting the role enjoyed by traditional film critics. They have their awards, why shouldn't we have ours?

To that end, I have assembled some of the best and brightest of those who dedicate themselves to all things terrifying, many of which have taken part in the past in the Vault's "Cyber-Horror Elite" lists. As I write this, in fact, they are deliberating the list of nominees you're about to read. The results will be tallied at the end of he month.

It's an idea whose time has come: The web's first horror movie awards.

2008 Cyber Horror Award Nominees

Val Lewton Award for Best Film
Eden Lake, Rollercoaster Films
Let the Right One In, EFTI
The Midnight Meat Train, Lions Gate
The Strangers, Rogue Pictures
Tokyo Gore Police, Fever Dreams/Nikkatsu

David Cronenberg Award for Best Director
Tomas Alfredson, Let the Right One In
Bryan Bertino, The Strangers
Ryuhei Kitamura, The Midnight Meat Train
Matt Reeves, Cloverfield
James Watkins, Eden Lake

Jamie Lee Curtis Award for Best Actress
Jennifer Carpenter, Quarantine
Mylene Jampanoi, Martyrs
Lina Leandersson, Let the Right One In
Kelly Reilly, Eden Lake
Liv Tyler, The Strangers

Vincent Price Award for Best Actor
Simon Callow, Chemical Wedding
Kare Hedebrant, Let the Right One In
Andy Serkis, The Cottage
Keifer Sutherland, Mirrors
Jonathan Tucker, The Ruins

Dwight Frye Award for Best Supporting Actor
Anthony Head, Repo! The Genetic Opera
Vinnie Jones, The Midnight Meat Train
Jack O’Connell, Eden Lake

Linnea Quigley Award for Best Supporting Actress
Morjana Alaoui, Martyrs
Julie Benz, Saw V
Lizzy Caplan, Cloverfield

Curt Siodmak Award for Best Screenplay
Jeff Buhler, The Midnight Meat Train
Pascal Laugier, Martyrs
John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In
Scott B. Smith, The Ruins
James Watkins, Eden Lake

Karl Freund Award for Best Cinematography
Maxime Alexandre, Mirrors
David A. Armstrong, Saw V
Michael Bonvillain, Cloverfield
Hoyte van Hoytema, Let the Right One In
Peter Sova, The Strangers

Bernard Hermann Award for Best Score
Charlie Clouser, Saw V
Johan Soderqvist, Let the Right One In
Darren Smith & Terrance Zdunich, Repo! The Genetic Opera

Tom Savini Award for Best Makeup
Paul Hyett, Eden Lake
Greg Nicotero, Diary of the Dead & Mirrors
Yoshihiro Nishimura, Tokyo Gore Police

Albert S. D'Agostino Award for Best Production Design
David Hackl, Repo! The Genetic Opera
Tony Ianni, Saw V
Grant Major, The Ruins

Ray Harryhausen Award for Best Visual Effects
Mirrors
The Ruins
Shutter