//edit// Hey, if you need a drum for your war dance, we have some really cool ones here in the Congo. ;-)

//edit// If you perceive impediments to community involvement, I'm sure Michel Fournier can tell you how he runs the UT Personality of the year. To be clear: Michel sets the process but the community makes the decision.

//edit// Or you might ask the people running VFPX ;-) ... wasn't that name chosen by community poll?

Community involvement won't disenfranchise you (in the plural sense, not you personally;) it will create opportunities to engage with parts of the community you might not otherwise meet, there will be plenty of kudos and the award will be unassailable since it is based on community involvement. If somebody undermines the award by giving one to Crunchy or lampoons it by calling it the "Rick and Marcia's Buddies Award" (names chosen for illustration only,) you simply refer to the community decision.

To be honest, I'm rapidly entering the camp of those who don't care any more about who does or doesn't get one of these awards, so I'm happy to leave it there.