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*The S47 Gemini Media Awards - Baron1898 - 06-01-2024
![[Image: FgWDSdT.png]](https://i.imgur.com/FgWDSdT.png)
Recognizing Merit in the League
S39 | S40 | S41 | S42 | S43 | S44 | S45 | S46
Welcome to the S47 Gemini Media Awards! My name is Baron1898, and I'm here to present some recognition for the best works of media created during the past season.
There is no excuse for how late this is. People frown upon making promises you can't keep, so I will not promise again to release next year's installment in the actual offseason, even though it is absolutely my goal. I do want to make that goal more possible, and that is why I have been quietly winding down some of my other league responsibilities so I can focus on what I love (writing and reviewing media). Here's to hoping this is the last introductory screed I have to focus on my increasingly sloppy timetable.
Speaking of the media, though. In my now nine years of covering the scene, only Season 40 has managed to rival the sheer volume and impressive depth that Season 47 brought to the table. Faces both new and familiar contributed greatly to the selection. It has actually been so difficult choosing a single winner in some of these categories that even now, as I write this opening monologue, my heart has not settled on a final winner. It makes me sad to think that so many quality efforts will go unrewarded, but everyone nominated here – and everyone who made the effort to publish media, no matter how grand or unassuming – is worthy of praise. Through your energy, the media landscape remains alive and well.
Also, happy Pride.
The Rules
- Any piece of written media published during Season 47 is eligible for an award. This runs from the end of Ultimus 46 to the end of Ultimus 47, or from March 8 to May 3. While pressers technically count, the nature of a presser means it would have to be truly exceptional to even register. Graphics and podcasts do not qualify; I know nothing about the former and do not have enough time for the latter.
- There are four award categories: Best Article (Limited), Best Article (Series), Best Author, and Best New Author. Best Article (Limited) and Best Author have ten nominees, while Best Article (Series) and Best New Author have five.
- The winners of each award will receive a $3 million prize from Head Office.
- An article can only be considered for one of the two relevant categories. Any article published as part of an ongoing series, regardless of whether that series was started in Season 46, is only eligible for the latter category. The exception is any article intended to start a series that so far is the only entry.
- Articles published by groups (for example, the SFWG) are not eligible for awards. Articles that are just lists of statistics or players with no added contribution by the author are also ineligible. Finally, my own articles are ineligible for the obvious conflict of interest.
- Any author can qualify for Best Author. Quality as well as quantity of work is heavily rewarded. Only authors who joined the league in the last three draft classes (for this year, the S47, S48, and S49 classes) and who have never won Best Author or Best New Author before are eligible for Best New Author.
- This is only my opinion. Every piece of media has creative value and brings something new to the table.
Best Article (Limited)
This category honors the media pieces from the past year that have risen above the competition to bring creative and professional content to the league at large.
Honorable Mentions
The Nominees
If you ever doubted that data can be beautiful, you will be utterly blown over by the quality of presentation in many of these contenders. To nobody's surprise, caleb absolutely shines. There is a consistent excellence in the framing of this article as a data-driven investigation and how it elevates the information at hand, not to mention the captivating content in question being elevated – a thorough statistical tackling of the age-old question of draft value in an ever-fluid draft system.
Caleb is a regular at the Geminis, but DocLars makes his debut in contention here with a banger of a piece analyzing fantasy football. Doc sets up an incredibly effective combination of both retrospective and prospective, discerning where the winning squads of the year drew their value and how best to replicate this value-conscious thinking in your next draft. It is vibrant and satisfying, rigorous in its scope, and flawless in its execution.
Thank you, lemon, for specifying that this isn't a series. I appreciate you doing my work for me. No matter the category, though, this work deserved to receive applause. There is such an incredible depth of data that lemon has drawn from to create art, digging around in the same general subject of draft value as caleb but creating an entirely unique focus that wows the reader with impressive table after table. The quantity and quality of fascinating content on display is somehow both astonishing and entirely normal for lemon at this point.
Immediately, this article invokes the same general sense of wonder as the aeonsjenni pieces on trading trees, just applied to a different topic. And just like those, this piece really makes you appreciate just how massive the research must have been to produce something of this shine. The simple format and supplementary lemon commentary allows the images to do all of the talking necessary, showing off the ugliness and beauty of league connections across the ages.
Here is one that I wish was a series. Nylar rose from the ashes of inactivity like his namesake to deliver a wonderful history piece, one that eschews the creative resplendence of the contenders thus far in favor of raw historical storytelling. This is no mere dry recitation of facts and stats of league players past but a comprehensive encapsulation of their career and legacy. Nylar really digs at whether these much-hyped prospects were worth the value placed on them, and I find this easily engaging enough to warrant a continuation should he feel up to the task.
Strangely enough, this is the only statistical analysis among the nominees to actually be published in the long-neglected forum of the same name. It certainly lives up to the promise. Here is an article overflowing with interesting visuals and graphs, guided by the simple yet compelling premise of analyzing how different attributes affect player contribution across positions and leagues. Everything on display here is so well put together, and papalinator's interest bleeds through even the sparse prose.
Have you ever been so angry that (only two) awards voters failed to even consider the best kicking campaign of the year for recognition that you wrote an entire in-depth media about it and managed to diss Venus Powers along the way? Yes, said lock Pvtpenne, as he put together this wonderful piece combining statistics both pre-existing and original in a slurry of historically-driven propaganda that benefits from its simplicity of purpose. There is an amusingly cavalier tone that keeps the writing engaging all the way through.
This article has a funny and interesting premise at its core, and the question of the title powers the whole thing with great momentum. Roastfuego sets a great mood from the start by dismissing the potential for any grand analysis; rather, he chooses to go small, setting the stage for what turns out to be a rather lopsided battle of the attributes between the blazing fast Birddogs and the unfortunately named Clams. In its relative brevity the piece harbors a real sincerity and charm that is simply a breeze to read.
If the tragedy of the Delaware Clams was a comic farce, that of the S40 Hahalua reads more like a Sisyphean nightmare. Rusfan composes this astoundingly excellent funeral dirge of media, armed with a simple premise and calling to mind something similar to the Breaking Madden article on Tom Brady sneaks. What formatting and structure exists is spare, which in itself proves an effective stylistic representation of Rus's futile repetition and which complements the wildly swinging emotional state and focus of his running commentary.
It's a crying shame that this article received no comments. Wiggli's first-ever article is an astounding piece that shows a great intuition for aesthetically solid formatting and using a wealth of data to tell a story. Wiggli explores the statistical variations between defensive players in the two titular leagues and how they vary in an authorial voice that is all killer, no filler and leaves no stone uninterpreted. It helps too that the charts and tables provided are both visually appealing and easy to interpret.
@Rusfan!
Where so many of the other nominees here read as captivating dances across a panoply of interesting topics, Rus’s bluntly single-minded piece hits like a sledgehammer. It is so incredibly effective at communicating the author’s descent into despair and ends with a tragic absence of resolution that ironically pulls together the whole experience. What a creative effort by Rus, and what a deserving choice for the Gemini.
Best Article (Series)
This category recognizes the media that has been published as part of an ongoing series of articles. United in theme or in branding, these media collections can tell stories and capture an audience through the use of sequenced publishing.
Honorable Mentions
The Nominees
One of last year's nominees for this same category, THE DOGHOUSE underwent a radical midseason shift from the tabloid periodical to another once-trendy genre: the weekly bet analysis. Despite the complete changeover in tone, style, and content, what remains for the series is the rock-solid voice of Brad Woof as an author, now paired with a new format and style that serves his purpose well. One has to wonder if this series will continue to completely alter its own identity year-over-year like a chameleon.
Last season's Gemini winners – and boy were they ever proud to flaunt it – returned for a sophomore campaign just as full of the bright, heightened, and often ludicrous commentary that made them so infamous to begin with. Once again the formatting and tone are simply impeccable, with the wonderful cover pages to boot, and there is such a rich voice that the authors bring to the table even considering the sheer quantity of content covered. Can they be the first in Gemini history to repeat as Best Series winners?
Of course, there are still other challengers in the ring looking to knock the Mirror off its throne. The ever-prolific lemon churned out this semi-companion series to one of his previously nominated articles on TPE/S and the draft, here looking at how prospects from different DSFL teams stand to fare in terms of career development. This is a fantastic outing anchored by a really unique perspective on the league and by the typical lemon fare of exquisite construction, polish, and pacing.
The longest series in the media scene this year came from the newcomer Muddym13. Simple though the concept of weekly game reviews may seem to be, Muddy packs quite a lot into this unassuming framework: a perfectly structured format, broad commentary and analysis on the games and their star players, and even the inclusion of weekly power rankings and playoff chances. This is the perfect way to stay informed on the sim without watching the sim; in other words, it's quite amazing.
It was perhaps inevitable that yet another tabloid-esque running commentary would pop up in this media ecosystem. Higbee and wetwilleh evoke the feeling of a gossip circle in their nakedly unashamed, notably lengthy diatribes, with many of the same familiar and effective stylistic trappings. And while I would need a bachelor's degree to comprehend the interconnected lore of all these different series by now, seeing the frequent references and drama and even crossovers here is, if nothing else, morbidly fascinating.
@griis and @jreed12!
If the Weekly Mirror truly is being laid to rest for good, griis and jreed can hang their hats on a truly exemplary run. It is an incredible feat to achieve such a combination of consistency and volume over four months, not to mention how their work seemed to effortlessly achieve a focus of style that came to dominate much of the league zeitgeist. For the second year running, this Gemini is split in twain.
Best Author
This category honors authors whose work in the past year has contributed significantly to the media scene. These individuals have proven to consistently provide quality content for the press and include some of the most inspired and dedicated members of the community.
Honorable Mentions
The Nominees
It is always noteworthy to see rookie authors who grow more comfortable in their style over the course of a season, and ACynicalGamer is a good example of such. From their initial takes on the well-worn player intro and interview, they found a better rhythm and polish – along with a serious knack for lengthy content – across their two short series on DSFL positional power rankings and the Prospect Bowl, while the article on DSFL draftees as Pokémon shines with a contrasting humorous tone.
I am obligated by the watchful eye of the Golden Hawk to put my teammate up for contention here. Sure, he may have authored one of the foremost contending articles up for Best Article (Limited) and one of the honorable mentions, and he may remain near unrivaled in terms of his command of presentation and compelling prose, but trust me, that's definitely not enough to get on this list without some coercion involved. For sure.
Another compelling new voice on the scene, Doc's Gemini-nominated effort on the fantasy season was an incredible work in all respects. But that is not the end to the merits of his writing portfolio, all of which are well researched and argued and of which the DSFL mock draft stands out for both its creative usage of player activity through "yapping" as a gauge for success and for the great presentational quality, especially for one's first ever media post.
Can lemon break the ceiling and become the first person ever to win four career Geminis? Fittingly for someone who GMs for that one team no one likes, lemon has continued to embody an aura of excellence and a domination that defies all reason. He was the most prolific author of non-series articles and obviously boasts quality to go with it, seeing as he already received three nominations for his work.
It's notable to look like a nerd in a league full of people who watch dots run around for fun. But when more than half of your media output brings in Pokémon, Marvel Snap, and Town of Salem to either compare to teams or spin narrative yarn, what other conclusion is there to reach? Omg is clearly a natural writer both as a storyteller and an analyst, and though I enjoyed reading through The Fiesta I think my actual favorite article is their abbreviated DSFL draft recap and its sudden ambush of humor.
Even discounting completely papalinator's short Pokémon analysis of Tijuana (and at this point in writing I am completely through with pretending to care or know anything about Pokémon) they delivered a truly stellar one-two punch of statistical analysis with the Gemini-nominated piece on wideout traits and its sister article on quarterbacks, which received an honorable mention. If you love math and statistics, and you can appreciate a matter-of-fact presentational style that elevates substance above all, then this is the author to watch for you.
Among Best Author nominees, the general types usually wind up either being perennial media stars or energized rookies, so seeing an older fresh face among the list is heartening. I adored the Speed VS Talent article that made it onto the Best Article (Limited) stage, but the same elements of satisfying layout and an unpretentious, charming attitude can be found both in his grading of the ISFL scouting departments and the analysis of which color produces the best teams.
Rusfan took home the prize of Best Article (Limited) against an incredibly crowded field, and that alone would put him up at least in the shortlist for Best Author. While he didn't have the overpowering volume of some other contenders here, he did have a second noteworthy piece grading every Ultimus on entertainment value, one whose simplicity in format and length in scope calls to mind something like what ztarwarz writes. In my opinion, though, Rusfan failed to consider that Ultimus XVIII and XLIII are obviously the worst because those are the ones I had to watch.
Wetwilleh boasts to his name co-authorship of the Gemini-nominated WHAT'S YAPPENING? but gains the nomination here off the supporting strength of his other works. Although all came pretty early in his career, willeh's four main articles demonstrate clear evolution as he improves the thoroughness of his analysis and seriously raises the bar for layout and visual design. His media on the prospect bowl is the strongest of the quadruplet and admirably put together on all fronts.
No one seems to love the DSFL quite as much as yonggarius does. From scouting reports on his own player to looks behind the scenes at the DSFL draft process, from mock drafts to big boards, yonggarius made it their mission to educate and inform. What is obvious through the tone of each piece is a presence of experience and quality, and especially in the behind the scenes and big board media the amount of information contained within paragraph after paragraph without growing stale is commendable.
@lemonoppy!
Sort of like caleb and other authors of generational talent (cough Jenni), I feel bad for running out of different ways to say that lemon's media is just consistently, endlessly amazing in every respect. Lemon really kept up a killer pace of quality this season, with a few articles that practically radiated with inspiration, and for that he can take home his second consecutive victory as Best Author.
Best New Author
This category recognizes the newcomer authors on the block, whose early dedication and hard work shines through their content.
Honorable Mentions
The Nominees
"According to Pokémon legend, Rayquaza has existed for millions of years, soaring high above in the ozone layer. Is it not poetry, that Willeh Strong should soar above us forever more as the number 1 pick of the draft?"
"As a wise man once said, "Sam Coverdale is cool, Sam Coverdale covers all, and Sam Coverdale has that dawg in him.""
"The only other thing I'll note is that the Dallas Birddogs drafted like 80 people, and for that I give them a nod because it's difficult finding a job as a young person these days, so it's admirable for them to employ so many and empower them to reach their dreams."
"I am a simple TE, who was barely included into my DSFL team’s draft war room (and I suspect it was by default)."
"Just so you know, getting married is 21+. I get special privileges though due to my mom."
@DocLars!.
Although there was a real variety in the choices this year, and a lot of inspired options at that, I have to give this Gemini to DocLars. He has such a solid basis for his writing evident in everything he has churned out thus far and clearly possesses the potential for more should he choose to continue adding his voice to the media landscape. Anything close to what he gave this season would be a treat for readers everywhere.
Congratulations to @Rusfan, @griis and @jreed12, @lemonoppy, and @DocLars for your Gemini victories, and congrats to everyone else who was nominated or who contributed to the media scene in any fashion this year. These were some tough decisions. I encourage anyone who hasn't read any of the media pieces mentioned above to take some time out of your day and peruse; I promise it will be time well spent.
And for all the new people who recently joined the league, or anyone who hasn't written media in a while, I hope you are inspired in some capacity to write something of your own. This award could soon be yours.
I'll see you in Season 48!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - Rusfan - 06-01-2024
Incredibly honored by this victory. It almost makes all those hours futilely hitting the "simulate season" button worth it.
Almost
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - wetwilleh - 06-01-2024
"Just so you know, getting married is 21+. I get special privileges though due to my mom."
Elite quote
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - jreed12 - 06-01-2024
This post has been fact checked by real Weekly Mirror journalists. Thanks Baron!!!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - wizard_literal - 06-01-2024
(06-01-2024, 07:28 PM)Rusfan Wrote: Incredibly honored by this victory. It almost makes all those hours futilely hitting the "simulate season" button worth it.
Almost
An entire $677.200903 per sim!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - DocLars - 06-01-2024
Looking through this list it's incredible how many excellent media pieces were written last season. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and thanks for putting this together!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - caleb.grim - 06-01-2024
(06-01-2024, 07:18 PM)Baron1898 Wrote: @caleb.grim
I am obligated by the watchful eye of the Golden Hawk to put my teammate up for contention here. Sure, he may have authored one of the foremost contending articles up for Best Article (Limited) and one of the honorable mentions, and he may remain near unrivaled in terms of his command of presentation and compelling prose, but trust me, that's definitely not enough to get on this list without some coercion involved. For sure.
It seems the coercion wasn't good enough...
But seriously, congrats to all the winners this season and thanks Baron for putting this together!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - ACynicalGamer - 06-02-2024
MOM I MADE IT! I WAS NOMINATED FOR AN ISFL GEMINI!!
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - omg - 06-03-2024
Always an honor to be nominated.
RE: The S47 Gemini Media Awards - Muddym13 - 06-03-2024
Really appreciate the nomination! Congrats to all my fellow nominees and the winners this season, lots of great media pieces