UK Music Video Awards 2009: Technical Achievement Categories

With the entry deadline extended to next Tuesday, August 18th, entries are continuing to stream into the 2009 UK Music Video Awards in the best video, technical achievement and other categories.

And with some other craft award shows not happening as live events this year, the UKMVAs' Technical Achievement categories - celebrating technical and creative excellence in the various crafts involved in music video-making -even more important and exciting than ever.

So here's a quick rundown of the Technical Achievement categories - the MVAs very own Craft awards - once again.

? Best Animation in a Video Newly introduced this year (although previously an award at the CADs, the UK music video industry's big awards night prior to the MVAs) to reflect the strong and varied amount of animation work in British videos over the past 12 months. The award specifically honours the technical and creative quality of the animation work in a specific video.

? Best Editing in a Video This award, won by Dan Sherwin (right, who's based at Final Cut) last year for his work on Nima Nourizadeh's video for Hot Chip's Ready For The Flow, has been highly prestigious recognition of the crucial role and contribution of the editor in music video since the days of the CADS. And following that tradition, excitement surrounding this year's MVA for best editing has already been high.

? Best Styling in a Video A brand new music video technical achievement award at last year's inaugural MVAs, the best styling in a video award is an all-encompassing honour covering the best styling work in wardrobe, hair and makeup in a music video - although last year's award produced an exciting range of entries very largely from the wardrobe stylists, with Hannah Glossop and Suzie Coulthard (right, accepting award from host Adam Buxton) taking the prize for their work on the video for The Hoosiers' Cops & Robbers, directed by Diamond Dogs.

? Best Telecine in a Video With the grade arguably assuming even greater importance in the age of digital camerawork, the MVA for best telecine, which celebrates the work of London's hugely talented band of colourists, promises to be another exciting contest. The first winner of the best telecine MVA was grading legend Adrian Seery (based at Rushes) for his work on KT Tunstall's If Only, directed by James Caddick.

? Best Visual Effects in a Video The ever-vital contribution of VFX artistry was always celebrated at the CADs - and that obviously continues at the MVAs, where the first winner of the best visual effects award last year were Corin Hardy and David Lupton (right) for their amazing work on Corin's video for The Horrors' She Is The New Thing.

Each award honours an individual or a team - either British (or including a British member of a team), or non-British working on a UK-commissioned work - for their work in a single video, completed and delivered between August 1 2008 and July 31 2009.

The new and final deadline to get entries for the technical categories is next Tuesday August 18th, before the judging process begins the week of August 24th.