FAQ Table of Contents

WHAT ARE THE KAZOO AWARDS?

A set of awards in variable filky categories, presented at ConChord. The physical award is usually a decorated kazoo, though at times there have been certificates, and iirc ConChord 15 had monoliths in honor of 2001. Exactly what they're given for varies a lot, though there are generally categories of song, plus occasionally specials. See the list below for details. The song categories are voted on at the convention.

Ever since ConChord 5, the Kazoo Awards have been a feature of the convention. This is an attempt to list the awards that have been given to date, or at least the start of one. There will be links to more info about each year, and even photos in some cases, and I suspect there will always be something to update.

The Kazoo Awards were originally suggested by Tera Mitchell, and built and administrated by John and Mary Creasey for the first few years, later by Rick and Deborah Weiss, then by Lee Gold, and currently me. (The kazoos themselves usually come from McCabes. Any excuse for a visit... :))

This is very much a work in progress - in some of the following you will see categories without winners, and at least one case where the categories are themselves a guess, and quite likely derived from an idea list. There are even ConChords for which I have no information at all. Anybody who can provide more information please contact me.

Kay Shapero, KazooKrafter

ConChord 5 - 1989

Bawdy: Mara Brener
Best Dressed Guitar: Tera Mitchell
Computer Song: Kathy Mar
Con Chair: Paul Willett
Duet: Chris Weber and Karen Willson
Liberace: Alan Thiesen
Mr. GoH: Bill Roper
Mrs. GoH: Carol Poore Roper
Osemaster: Gary Anderson
Osemaster: Bill Roper
Parody: Jane Mailander
Schtick: Jane (James) Robinson, PhD
Silent (guitar): Rick Weiss
Sweetness & Light: Cathy Cook-Macdonald

ConChord 6 - 1990

Cheeriose: “Baby Vampire Boogy” by Harold Groot
Charles Babbage Memorial Hacker's Award (Computer): “Vampire Megabyte” by Steve Savitsky and “S-100 Bus” by Frank Hayes (tie)
ConChair: Eric Gerds
Cosmos (Space): “Eyes to See With” by Mary Creasey
Diamond in the Rough: Bob Stoddard for saving Condigeo filking
GoH: Julia Ecklar
Great Communicator: Eric Gerds for DAG BBS,
Great Communicator: Kay Shapero for the Fido FILK echo
Great Communicator: Deborah Weiss for The Filking Times
Great Communicator: Rick Weiss for The Filking Times
Liberace (Keyboardist): Kathy Ring
Grandson of Xerox™ (Look What U Started ): “Calm Down” by Kathy Mar
Most Improved Guitar: Michael Liebmann
Why Me? (Parody): Bob Kanefstky
Program Practices (Totally Tasteless & Tacky):Chocolate Lover” by Cynthia McQuillin
Wind's 4 Quarters (group): Windbourne

ConChord 7 - 1991

Cheeriose: “Robbing the Graveyard” by Rennie Levine
GoH: Michael Longcor
Kazoozaphone: Toastmistress Juanita Coulson
Look What You Started: “Banned from Argo” by Leslie Fish
Osemaster: “Alferd G Packer” by Peter Thiesen
Parody: “Fool to Feed the Drive” by Jordin Kare
Program Practices: Basil St. John Volesmirth VII
Special Achievement: Bob Coleman
Technical: “Do it Yourself” by Bill Sutton
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: L.A. Filkharmonics
Totally Tasteless & Tacky: Chris Thorsen for the TT&T Concerts of 1989 and 1990

ConChord 8 - 1992

Cheeriose: “Kill de Girl” by Jane Mailander
Con Suite: Colleen Savitsky
Drinking Songs: “Booze'll Eat Up Your Liver” by Liebmann & others
GoH: Tom Smith
Group Award: Lee and Barry Gold
Here's Looking at Ya: “Kanefsky Scale” by Dean Thomas
Kazoozaphone: Toastmaster Joe Bethancourt
Look What You Started: “Fuel to Feed the Drive” by Cindy McQuillin
Special Award: Bob Laurent
Totally Tasteless & Tacky: “Rambo Riders” by Arlene Harris
Troika Award: Nick Smith, Rick & Deborah Weiss

ConChord 9 - 1993

Fannish History: “Bouncing Potatoes” by Poul Anderson
GoH1: Dave Clement
GoH2: Molly Bennet
GoH3: Steve MacDonald
Interfilk Harry Hemp Memorial Award: Steve MacDonald
Karaoke Award: Dean Thomas
KazHarp Award: Mistress of Ceremonies Heather Rose Jones
Parody: “Soylent Greensleeves” by Nick Smith
Sand Bag Award: Tom Smith
Song Was Better Than The Book [Movie, TV Show]: “Daddy's Little Girl” by Julia Ecklar
We Teach Better Than Your High School: “Black Powder and Alcohol” by Leslie Fish
Weird Beasties Award: “Take a Walk on the Far Side” by Jane Mailander

ConChord 10 - 1994

3 Hankie: “A Boy and His Frog” by Tom Smith
Dr. On Call: Harry Brener M.D.
Interfilk Harry Hemp Memorial Award: Urban Tapestry
Kazalibut: Jim & Susan Fox-Davis
Kazarp: Moira Breen
Kazoosaurus: Dr. Jane Robinson
Midi-Kazoo: Joe Ellis
Pun-Ishment: “Unreality Warp” by Clif Flynt
Screw de Mouse: “Queen Kali” by Jane Mailander
Vampire: “Eleanor Rigby - She's Back” by Lee Gold
Vampire: “Gay Vampire Boogie” by Cynthia McQuillin

ConChord 11 - 1995

Best Filk Fan: Larry Niven
Concom Award (1) Best Listener:
ConCom Award (2) Best New performer:
Group: Duras Sisters
Green Kazoo:
Kitty Queen:
Toast Award:
Group: Windbourne

ConChord 12 - 1997

Con Chair: Nick Smith
Filk Fan:
Folk Music: Heather Alexander
GoH: Graham Leathers
Greybeard Award:
Instafilk Contest Winner: Lynn Gold (for "I Wanna Hold Your Han")
Interfilk: Lloyd Landa and Karen Linsley
Listener:
Reprint: Wail Songs
Songs We Love To Hate:
Toastmaster: Larry Warner
Trophy: John & Mary Creasey

ConChord 13 - 1998

(I'm not even sure all these were awarded - this may have come from an idea list rather than the award list itself - KS)

“Dolly” Madison Award:
Dawn Patrol:
Glad You Wrote That:
GoH: Mary Ellen Wessels
Greybeard:
Interfilk Harry Hemp Memorial Award: Interfilk guest Steve Simmons
Honorary Degree in Filkology: guest Joanna Cazden
Listener:
Patron of the Arts:
Toastmaster: Kathy Mar
Traveller:
Webmaster:
Why Did You Write That?:

ConChord 14 - 2000

The Year of No Kazoos

ConChord 15 - 2001

Bashin' Balrog Kazoo: “Fellowship Going South” by Leslie Fish
The Golden Snitch Kazoo: “Like a Magician” by Jane Mailander
The Hal 9000 Kazoo: “Vampire Megabyte” by Steve Savitzky

ConChord 16 - 2002

The Cretaceous Kazoo: “Bouncing Potatoes” by Poul Anderson
The Flux Capacitor Kazoo: “The Chap Across the Street” by Mara Brener
The Fool's Gold Kazoo: Lynn Gold
The Insta-Filk Kazoo: “Mus Mechanicus” by Jane Mailander
The Jurassic Kazoo: "The Green Hills of Earth", by Robert Heinlein, melody by Bruce
Pelz
The Micro-Keyboard Kazoo: Interfilk Guest Erwin Strauss (Filthy Pierre)
The Moebius Music Kazoo: “The Horsetamer's Daughter” by Leslie Fish
The Pleistocene Kazoo:
The “Time After Thyme After Time” Kazoo: “Beware of the Sentient Chili” by Chris Weber
The “Toast of Stardust County” Kazoo: Toastmaster Nancy Louise Freeman
The Toronto Tabard Kazoo: GoH Urban Tapestry

ConChord 17 - 2003

Drinking Filksong: “307 Ale” by Tom Smith
Horror Filksong: “Daddy's Little Girl” by Julia Ecklar
Political Filksong: “Leader of the Banned” by Jane Mailander
Romantic Filksong: “Mary O'Meara” by Poul Anderson
Saga Filksong: “The Great Nebraska Sea” by Blake Hodgetts

ConChord 18 - 2004

Dragon:
Space Station:
Speed of Light:
Sword and Sorcery: “Temper of Revenge” by Julia Eklar
Villain:

ConChord 19 - 2005

Aliens on Earth: “Wings” by Cat Faber
Dystopian: “The Hand of God” by Julia Ecklar
Furry: “Little Fuzzy Animals” by Frank Hayes
Hero: “A Toast to Unknown Heroes” by Leslie Fish
Long Lived: “Mary O’Meara” by Poul Anderson

ConChord 20 - 2007

Bones: “Moving the Bones” by Dr. James Robinson
Business: “Once Size Fits All” by Cynthia McQuillin
Ghosts: “Ferryman” by Mercedes Lackey and Leslie Fish
Gifts: “The Murderous Little Toy” by Mike Roberts
Vampires “Gay Vampire Boogie” by Cynthia McQuillin

ConChord 21 - 2008

Bloody Murder: “The Ballad of Alferd G. Packer” by Alan Thiesen
Dead Drunk: “307 Ale” by Tom Smith
Devils & Other Malevolent Spirits:“Vampire Megabite” by Steve Savitzky
Devils & Other Malevolent Spirits:“The Chickasaw Mountain Deal” by Leslie Fish
Ghosts 2: “Dawson’s Christian” by Duane Elms
Night: “Close Your Eyes” by Daniel Glasser

ConChord 22 - 2009

Frogs & Toads:“A Boy and His Frog” by Tom Smith
Games: “Clueless” by David T. Okamura
Harry Potter:“The Harry Potter Spoiler Song” by Jane Mailander & Kate Evans
Kilts:“Brother Michael’s Song” by Mike Carson
Recycled Fish:“Thrill-Seekers’ Waltz” by Steve Savitzky

ConChord 23 aka WesterChord - 2010

Dragons: “Paper Wings” by Steve Savitzky
Fay: “Dance in the Circle” by Heather Alexander
Freedom: “Banned Books Week” by Jane Mailander
Rebellion: “Mal’s Song” by Michelle Dockrey
West: “The Witch of the West” by Rennie Levine

ConChord 24/ConJecture 2012 - 2012

Party!: “Witnesses' Waltz” by Leslie Fish
Anne McCaffrey Memorial: “I Hate Little Firelizards” by Julia Ecklar
Enchanted Places: “Grandmother's Place” by Allison Lonsdale
Role Playing Games and Gamers: “You Bash the Balrog” by Lee Gold
Mischief!: “Jack the Slob and the Goddess of Love” by Leslie Fish

ConChord 25/ConJecture 2013 - 2013

Robot Space Explorers: “Surprise!” by Leslie Fish
Mercenary Schlock: “Jacques Chretien” by Gordon Dickson
I Fell Out of My Chair: “The Wreck of the Crash of the Easthill Mining Disaster” by Brooke Abbey
Travelin': “Big Ty's Ride” by Mark Bernstein
Everybody Sing Along: “I Had a Shoggoth” by Tom Smith

ConChord 26/ConJecture 2014 - 2014

Convention Mis-Accomodations: “Hotel Room Requiem” by Chris Weber
Gone But Not Quite Forgotten: “Vincent” by Helva Peters ("Beauty and the Beast")
Look What We Dug Up!: “How To Survive A Murder Mystery” by Batya Wittenberg
Angels and Deviltry: “The Destroyer” by Bill Roper
Drink Up!: “The Gods Are Not Crazy” by Leslie Fish

ConChord 27/ConJecture 2015/Westercon 68 - 2015

New Horizons: “Absolutely Bonkers” by Brenda Sutton
Mrrrowwwwww….: “Feline American Princess” by Mercedes Lackey/Leslie Fish
Roll the Dice!: “I Put My Low Stat” by Mary Crowell
Parody*: “There is Filk” by Matt Leger
* A rerun category from ConChord 5 and the first ever Kazoo Awards.