It's time for the 2012 Top 13!

Hi all! It's your 2011 Blogger Idol: Lisa (or Mama Spags as some people prefer to call me) from The Spaghetti Westerner.

I am honored to be your host this afternoon to bring you the real, official, BIG announcement of the Top 13 contestants for Blogger Idol, Season 2.  (It's ok, go watch the video first.  As long as you promise to come back and read the rest.)

First, a word of caution to the Top 13:  During the announcement video last year, I almost had a heart attack.  Or overdosed on adrenaline.  Or peed my pants.  (Maybe all three).  And the anxiety and suspense only gets worse from here on out; welcome to the club.  But...it IS all worth it.

I want to give a shout out to all the judges.  They've worked so hard already, and I know there's much more to come.  And a special thank you to Heather Reese (My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream) who is the creator of Blogger Idol.  She works harder than just about anyone I know, and I'm pretty sure she never sleeps.  She's all about giving back to the blogging community.  Blogger Idol is just one (awesome) way that she does that.

We had so many great auditions this year (thank you to everyone who applied!), and I think we've got a great Top 13.  As last year's runner up, Justin from Daddy Knows Less said "I'm not surprised by any of the people who made it. What did surprise is me is some of the names that didn't make it. THAT is how good the competition is."

Buckle up: It's going to be a wild, fun and exciting competition.  And all of you readers out there, get ready to vote like mad for your favorite.  I promise you that every vote matters.

To those of you that didn't make the Top 13, we hope you'll come back next year and audition again.  If it had been up to me, we would have picked a top 40 (but Heather tells me the competition would be WAY too long).  Seriously, though, so many of you are such talented writers.  I think all of the judges would agree that we can't wait to see what's to come from many of you.

For the lucky Top 13, you'll get an email today with more information on what happens next!  Welcome, and I can't wait to see which of you will join me as Blogger Idol (I'll even share my tiara...or crown...whatever you want to call it)!

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The Top 13.... Who's it going to be?

Auditions have come to a close, and the judges are slaving away at scoring. In 48 hours, in this VERY place, you will find out which one of your favorite bloggers has a chance to compete in the greatest year yet, of the greatest blogging contest ever.

In the mean time, while we are scoring away, could you guys be awesome and do us a couple of favors? None of this would be possible without help, and we need to show some appreciation for those that make it possible.

1. Go to the Facebook pages of Izea, Duck Brand, and GIANTmicrobes, and tell them how much they rock for being one of our sponsors this year.

2.  Pick a judge.... any one of them, and hit them up on Twitter or Facebook, and give them a HUGE thank you. They are slaving over all 167 of these auditions, completely unpaid. It takes DAYS to get this done, and they are simply giving up their time to do it.

3. If you auditioned, remember to BREATHE! You only have 48 hours to wait, and the worst that can happen is that you don't make it, and have to audition again next year when the contest is even bigger and better!

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN CLOCK

Less than 24 hours left to audition for Blogger Idol 2012!

If you've waited this long to audition, chances are, you are on the fence about whether or not you should. Our question is... Why not?

• The worst that can happen is that you don't make it to the Top 13 and get to try again next year.
• It doesn't matter how big your fan base is. Blogger Idol is NOT a popularity contest, and even those that have a small following can win.
• Even if your audition isn't FANTASTIC, you still have a chance to make it to the Top 13. For more info, read our big announcement.
• The Top 6 contestants will win prizes.
• You'll get great feedback from the awesome panel of judges.

Auditions for Blogger Idol 2012 close at 11:59 PM CST TONIGHT! Get your audition in now, or you'll have to wait until next year!