The RinkAwards are annual awards given out in recognition of excellence in the RinkChat Archives. All registered users of RinkChat are permitted to vote both on the initial round of nominations and also on the final round of winners. The winners are announced live on RinkChat in a special ceremony and will then be reported here.

About the RinkAwards The Rules - Look here to find out what this is all about and how it works.

• Sting II Stings Competition -- "The Sting, Part II" blew away its competition at the RinkAwards ceremony, which lasted nearly four and a half hours. It won the Best Archive award, edging out fellow nominees "The Sting, Part I," "Dave Makes Dinner," "Split Stephen," and "The Great Ginger Ale Tragedy." (Samuel Stoddard, 3/31/01)

• List of Winners -- The list of RinkAwards 2000 winners for all 24 categories.

• Interview: Dave -- David J. Parker was nominated for more RinkAwards than any other nominee this year, and a brief look at his credentials explains why. A veteran content provider for RinkWorks, Parker has appeared in numerous archives dating back to RinkChat's humble beginnings. I spoke with Dave on the eve before the RinkAwards ceremony to learn his thoughts and hopes about the awards. (Samuel Stoddard, 3/30/01)

• RinkAwards Ceremony Date and Host Announced -- The RinkAwards ceremony will take place on March 31, 9 p.m. EST, an official announcement said Wednesday. The announcement also named the host of the ceremony: Samuel Stoddard, the founder and proprietor of the RinkAwards. (Samuel Stoddard, 3/28/01)

• Interview: Stephen -- RinkChat regular Stephen Keller, of California, is one of the most frequently archived RinkChatters. I spoke with Stephen on the last day of the final round of voting to discuss his feelings about his work and the awards. (Samuel Stoddard, 3/27/01)

• Interview: Nomination Analysis -- A crowd of RinkAwards enthusiasts listened intently as the nominations were announced. Among the spectators was Dr. Veronica Cronch. I spoke with her shortly afterward to discuss her take on the selections. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/21/01)

• Dave, Brunnen-G Top Nominations -- Dave and Brunnen-G enjoyed a wealth of success Tuesday night when the RinkAwards nominations were announced. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/20/01)

• List of Nominees -- The list of RinkAwards 2000 nominees for all 24 categories.

• Interview: Nomination Predictions -- Dr. Veronica Cronch, a Ph.D. in statistical analysis and predictive awards theory, has been studying the RinkAwards for over a month now and is consequently the world's leading authority on the RinkAwards. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/20/01)

• Voters Excited As Nominations Voting Draws To a Close -- Voters are in a flurry as the last day of voting in the RinkAwards nominations round draws to a close. Last minute voters have just a few short hours left to cast their ballots, and anticipation is building for the live nominations announcement, which will take place in Mountain Stream tomorrow at 9 p.m. EST. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/19/01)

• RinkAwards Trophy Unveiled -- The official RinkAwards trophy was unveiled this morning by RinkAwards producer Samuel Stoddard. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/16/01)

• Press Release: Nominations Announcement Announced -- The RinkAwards nominations will be announced live in Mountain Stream, RinkChat, on February 20, 2001, at 9pm EST, the day after the first round of voting closes. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/12/01)

• Archive Star Discusses Her Career -- Sakura Tsukihoshi keeps a low profile on RinkChat and is characteristically humble about her contributions, and so it is not always immediately apparent that she is one of RinkChat's most prolific and enthusiastic participants. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/7/01)

• Interview: Liface -- RinkChat regular Liface, of Oregon, has been participating in RinkChat archives since he was 12 years old. He made his archive debut in "I Have Eyes Everywhere," a short archive in which he played a young upstart who puts his foot in his mouth when he wrongly assumes webmaster Sam isn't watching. (Samuel Stoddard, 2/5/01)

• Commentary: Gearing Up For the RinkAwards -- Everyone on the entire face of the Earth is talking about the RinkAwards. (Eric McGill, 2/3/01)

• RinkChat Expansions Not For RinkAwards -- RinkChat's room capacity was drastically increased Friday, shortly after last week's announcement that Mountain Stream would be expanded to accommodate the large crowd expected at the upcoming RinkAwards ceremony. But Samuel Stoddard says the timing of these changes was unrelated to the RinkAwards. (Samuel Stoddard, 1/30/01)

• RinkAwards Ceremony Won't Feature Broccoli -- The upcoming RinkAwards show, to be held sometime in late March, will not feature broccoli as a sanctioned component of the ceremony, an official announcement said Friday. (Samuel Stoddard, 1/26/01)

• RinkAwards Bring Out the Usual Gang of Sign Bearers -- The voting for the RinkAwards is well under way and, while many people are turning out at the polls to cast their ballots, the familiar sight of protesters is present as well. (Scott Johnson, 1/24/01)

• Mountain Stream To Be RinkAwards Ceremony Venue -- Mountain Stream, one of the two rooms that comprise RinkChat, has been designated as the venue for the 2001 RinkAwards ceremony, an official announcement said Monday. (Samuel Stoddard, 1/23/01)

• RinkAwards Idea Might Work For Movies Too -- At a casual glance, the thrill of the RinkAwards appears to be limited to chat fans. But the concept has excited a few lateral thinkers. These people believe it could be adapted for use with other media -- perhaps even movies. (C. Patrick, 1/22/01)

• Voters Mull Over Ballots For Hours -- Although there is no fear of dangling or dimpled chads with this year's RinkAwards ballots, voters are still faced with the challenge of making decisions. With a total of 93 archives eligible for the the Best Archive category, narrowing it down to the top five is no easy task for voters. (Ellmyruh, 1/20/01)

• "RinkyDink" Declines To Vote -- With voting for the RinkAwards now open, many "RinkyDinks" are flocking to the polls to ponder and place their votes. Others merely see the voting procedure as something to be observed from a distance. (Ellmyruh, 1/19/01)

• RinkChatters Campaign For Votes -- With the first round of voting for the RinkAwards only in its third day, contenders for the program's 24 awards are already on the campaign trail. (Samuel Stoddard, 1/18/01)

• Cultural Bias Suspected In Archive Selection Procedure -- As chat fans gear up for the hype surrounding this year's RinkAwards, keen observers point to what they suspect may be a dark undercurrent of ethnocentricity. (C. Patrick, 1/17/01)

• History of the RinkAwards -- This morning marks the beginning of a long and glorious tradition that will be held dear in the hearts of RinkWorks fans for years to come: the RinkAwards, also known as, The Sammies. (Samuel Stoddard, 1/16/01)