…. is it a Rockstar?! Oh I know…. I missed my vocation! I should have been a stand-up comedian (NOT!). Did you know that some genealogists hold the accolade of ‘Rockstar Genealogist’? I am sure you most likely didn’t! It’s not quite as high profile as The Queen’s Birthday Honours List, though I have never understood why.
Now in its fourth year, there are over 150 nominees across the globe – a vast number! Some amateur genealogists, some professionals, some new in the field and some with longer CVs, the list brings together the great and the good of the genealogy field c/o John D. Reid of Canada’s Anglo-Celtic Connections. The term ‘Rockstar genealogist‘ is defined by John as those people “who give must attend presentations at family history conferences or as webinars…..Who, when you see a new family history article or publication by that person, makes it a must buy…. Who you hang on their every word on a blog, podcast or newsgroup, or follow avidly on Facebook or Twitter….”.
With so many nominees to choose from, the list is becoming overwhelming to search through. That’s certainly no bad thing and shows what great talent there is in the field. John has been ‘canny’ over the years, taking feedback from the genealogical public but not allowing the criteria for nomination to become too rigid. If someone is nominated, then they are in the voting list. Simple!
The first year I was nominated, I had no idea what the awards even were and was overwhelmed to find out that I had been placed top in the UK …. especially as I had been congratulating the Silver and Bronze winners on social media in the morning of the announcement, before I was informed I had won!
So folks, if you would like to vote for your Rockstars of 2015, take a look at the list of nominees first and then cast your vote. You can only open the voting window once on each device you own, but you can vote on multiple devices! The closing time for voting is 12noon EDT (which is 5pm BST) on Sunday…..