Yes, there are a plethora of awards at this time of year, which is a good thing because it stimulates discussion, debate and blazing rows. Our aim with the 'Spiral Awards' is to take a slightly different angle on it all, yes, there are 'best group', 'duo' and 'live act' categories but there are also 'best event', 'instrumental album' and 'debut' categories. We've even listened to you all and defined Show of Hands as a group rather than a duo, apologies to Steve and Phil, congrats Miranda.

We have made the voting as simple as possible for you, just click a checkbox and a submit button on as many categories as you like, you don't have to register, log in or send us any of your money. However for the philanthropists amongst you donations towards our considerable bar tabs and any declarations of undying love are always welcome. You have until the 12th February 2010 to cast your votes and the awards will be made soon after.

Ooh, and another thing, in the interests of being open and transparent and not fiddling it, you can actually view results on any category at any time to see how the voting is going.

The categories are:

Album
Songs from the Floodplain - Jon Boden
In The Shadow of Mountains - Bella Hardy
An English Arcanum - Telling the Bees
Map Or Direction - John Smith
Sand & Soil - Maclaine Coulston & Saul Rose
Arrogance, Ignorance & Greed - Show of Hands

Instrumental Album
Border Tunesmiths - Borders traditions vol6
All Dressed in Yellow - Fiddlers' Bid
Lightbox - Spiro
Make Me A Dancer - Monster Ceilidh Band

Compilation (or best of) album
Three Score and Ten - Topic Records
Best Of - Clive Gregson
Albion - Chris Wood
Looking for a new England - Free with fRoots magazine

Original song
Winter Moon - Lau
Walking Through Ithonside - John Jones
Going down to the Wasteland - Jon Boden
Home Again - Martin Simpson
Yellow Sign - Sam Carter

Trad song
Keys of Canterbury - Show of Hands feat. Jackie Oates
The Pleasant Month Of May - Jackie Oates
British Man O' War - Maclaine Coulston & Saul Rose
Sir Patrick Spens - Martin Simpson
Jimmy Mó Mhíle Stór - Cara Dillon

Male singer
Seth Lakeman
John Jones
Jim Causley
Roy Bailey
Kris Drever

Female singer
Cara Dillon
Alyth McCormack
Kelli Ali
Heidi Talbot
Lauren McCormick

Duo
Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley
Sam Sweeney & Hannah James
Maclaine Coulston & Saul Rose
Megson

Group
Mawkin:Causley
Levellers
Mumford & Sons
Bellowhead
Show Of Hands

Live act
Levellers
Karine Polwart
Demon Barbers
Kelli Ali
Edward II
Lau

Club or venue
Pull up the Roots/ ElectroAcoustic Club
Folklahoma!
Bath Folk Club
For Folks Sake!
Cecil Sharpe House

Debut
Shadows & Half Light - Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts
Intro - The QP
Samson & Delilah - Samson & Delilah
No Man's Fool - Rachael McShane
Tales We Might Know - Black Peak

DVD
Live at Shepherds Bush Empire - Bellowhead
Live at the Minack - Seth Lakeman
Transatlantic Sessions 4 - Various

Event
Shooting Roots at Towersey Village festival
Topic at 70 concerts at the Southbank
The BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards
Morris, a life with bells on

Overseas artist
Diana Jones
Chris Smither
Tinariwen
Rachel Harrington
Devon Sproule

Click here to go to the awards section and cast your votes