Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2009

I remember my first blogger event. It was way back in 2006 when Jolene had asked me to attend it. Long before I had even started Nuffnang.

It was meant to a blogger gathering at Burger King in KLCC.

Everybody went there, bought their food then went to this area that was closed off just for us. We felt like such VIPs!

Then just about a year after, Nuffnang had one of our first blogger gatherings in Food Loft, Penang.

We didn't have much money then so we managed to get Food Loft to sponsor us the venue and some food. They closed off most of the restaurant for us and again we felt like VIPs!

In March 2008, Nuffnang planned the first cross-border blogger event that involved 200 bloggers in Malaysia meeting up with 100 Singaporean bloggers who came down from Singapore to the event.

Over 300 Nuffnangers attended the Chipster Pajama Party.

It was one hell of a party.

Last Saturday though, I attended the largest and grandest event that Nuffnang had ever undertaken. The Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2009 sponsored by Pringles and held in Uniquely Singapore. Also thanks to the other sponsors that night: Canon, Exabytes, Link Hotel and AsiaPRWerks.

The gala dinner involved over 400 people with Nuffnangers dressed their best, all there to see who would take home these awards.

The entrance was a red carpet where our Nuffnangers walked down having their pictures taken on many sides.

Some Nuffnangers even brought their children and they too came well dressed.

One of our Nuffnangers from Australia even brought her cute little daughter all the way to walk down the red carpet.

We had Nuffnangers from all 4 countries that Nuffnang is in show up.

Here's Candice and Violet from Nuffnang Australia. Both came with a contingent of Nuffnangers from Australia.

And here are some of the bloggers from the Philippines.

Hannah here is from the Philippines.

She's this bubbly little girl who came up to me and said she reads my blog and leaves comments sometimes! I remembered her and I was so excited I had to take a picture with her later on.

And last but not least, we of course had our platoon of Nuffnang bloggers from Malaysia and Singapore.

Before the dinner started, we all mingled outside at the cocktail reception taking lots of pictures of each other.

The event started soon enough with a welcome speech from Ming and a short speech from me.

Man I totally winged the speech. I prepared something to say the afternoon before and showed it to Ming but he didn't like it. So there I was standing right next to Ming smiling away but inside my head trying to think of what to say.

Finally the time came and the words just somehow came out of my mouth. Benjicajess took a video of this and fortunately I didn't end up looking too stupid.

Then it moved on to a video we made that illustrated the growth of Nuffnang. We haven't uploaded that video on YouTube yet so I'll share that maybe next week when we do :)

The rest of the night went really really well and I gotta credit Ming and Nuffnang Singapore for that. I like the way we presented the nominees for the Awards with a video to showcase each nominated blog.

Here's how one of it is like. An video taken by one of MrGadget's friends (I presume) who was seated near the stage when he won the Best Geek Blog. Congratulations Mr Gadget.

Some more pictures from the night.

Here's Allan Wu who was the emcee for the night

Allan Wu is the host of Amazing Race Asia. I heard all the girls were going crazy over him.

Here's Joanne Peh and Xiaxue at their tables.

Joanne Peh ended up winning the Best Celebrity Blog and Xiaxue went home with 3 awards that night. She won the Best Original Blog Design, Most Influential Blog and Region's Best Blog.

Some other guests at the event.

Budiey and Beautifulnara sitting next to each other. Both nominated for the "Best Entertainment Blog".

Here's Ming and Joanne Peh outside the ballroom after the Awards.

If you don't recognize Joanne Peh, she's one of the actresses from the famous Singapore drama "Little Nyonya".

Kennysia who won the "Best Entertainment Blog".

Kenny damn funny lah! When Xiaxue was giving her acceptance speech for the "Best Original Blog Design", Kenny barged on stage and took the mic from her.

Then he said.

"Imma let you finish... imma let you finish... but Steven Lim has the Best Original Blog Design Evah!!!"

Everyone laughed so hard. Good one Kenny.

A section of the ballroom that night.

Patty who works at Nuffnang Philippines and Hannah again who's a Nuffnanger there.

Here's Beautifulnara, Rina and David.

And some other fellow Nuffnangers!

Here's Monoxious.

I was reading their tweets about going to the Nuffnang Awards just before I met them.

ieatishootipost who won the "Best Food Blog".

Some of the fashionable bloggers.

Xiaxue winning her one of her awards, presented by Marytn from FrankMedia.

Picture of Alodia, Mark and Ashley from the Philippines.

Princess and me.

Princess looked really cute in her dress. She even had a little hat on her head. Look on the left.

Ming's parents and sister came that night too.

It was the first time they had ever attended a Nuffnang event. They were feeling really proud about Ming.

My parents weren't able to make it because my Dad's birthday fell on the same weekend and he had to entertain some of my relatives that went down to Penang just for his birthday.

And lastly... a picture of Ming and I.

Hope you guys enjoyed the event!

If you'd like to see more pictures of the Nuffnang Blog Awards, click here.

If you'd like to see the full list of winners click here.