ABOUT THE BCA
CONTACT US
The Thirteenth Annual Brass Crescent Awards
The Brass Crescent Awards are an annual celebration of the best Muslim voices online - whether they be on blogs, social media, or other online venues. Nominations are taken from the public, who then vote for the winners. Created in 2004 by Shahed Amanullah and Aziz Poonawalla, they are named for the Story of the City of Brass in the Thousand and One Nights. Today, the Brass Crescent - bloggers, artists, writers, and filmmakers - is that book's modern equivalent. Our stories are not about genies and sultans, but our faith, our culture, and our identity. The Brass Crescent Awards exist to promote our modern storytellers, who are forging a new synthesis of Islam and modernity, and are the intellectual heirs to centuries of philosophy that were the hallmark of Islamic civilizations past. Islam transcends history, and the Brass Crescent is forging history anew for tomorrow's Islam.
Nominations are now open until August 12, 2016. Polls will be open August 26, 2016 to September 12, 2016. Winners will be announced on Eid al-Adha, around September 13, 2016
How the Brass Crescent Awards Work
The Awards will take place in two phases. First is the nominations phase, where readers nominate their favorite online expressions in each of several categories. All submitted nominations will then be narrowed down to a maximum of five nominees per category, as selected by our team. We will then have the final voting round on this site.

Note: With the exceptions noted on this site, any blog is eligible for any category, including blogs authored by people of other faiths. In defining the Islamsphere, we are not relying solely on adherence to the faith, but an affinity for parts of the diverse cultural fabric that Islam embraces and is embraced by worldwide.
Submit your nomination for the Brass Crescent Awards
The award categories
BEST MUSLIM BLOG: Even in the age of social media, blogs are still alive and relevant. Which one does everyone still need to read? This category honors the most indispensable, Muslim-authored blog there is. Period.

BEST FEMALE BLOGGER: The woman's voice is often unheard, unless we make extra effort to listen. And online spaces are filled with talented and important voices. Which blogs best represents those voices and are deserving of attention?

BEST ARTICLE OR BLOG POST: Even in a world of social media, people still tend to share links to actual articles or posts that connected with them in some way. Which article or blog post provoked the most discussion this year?

BEST WEBSITE: Some of the best platforms to express Muslim identity are traditional websites that convey information in both traditional and innovative ways. Which websites did the best job this year in contributing to Muslim online spaces?

BEST MOBILE APP: Mobile apps allow you to take an experience with you, and can connect you with communities, information, and events. Which mobile apps are designed to best enhance the Muslim experience?

BEST CAMPAIGN OR INITIATIVE: We now have multiple tools to help organize people, raise funds, and bring awareness to situations that need our attention. Which campaign best exemplified Islamic values and made the most difference?

BEST TWITTER HANDLE: Twitter has become a powerful tool to project ideas, organize for change, and influence the influencers. Which Twitter feed has done this in creative, consistent ways over the past year?

BEST HASHTAG: Hashtags can be used on any social media platform to convey so much more than the sum of their letters: a social campaign, meta commentary, or layers of sarcasm. Which hashtag grabbed the attention of the world?

BEST TWEET: Sometimes a sentence of 140 characters or less can travel the world and touch millions of people in only a matter of hours. Which tweet from last year made an impact that generated a vital conversation?

BEST PHOTO OR GRAPHIC: Whether it is an unfiltered iPhone 6 photo, a filtered Instagram post, a creative infographic, or a Photoshopped composite, which one of these spoke the proverbial thousand words to its viewers?

BEST MEME: They are so simple to make - a photo with words on top and bottom - but they convey ideas and humor effectively over social media. Which ones really strike a nerve or funny bone among digital Muslims?

BEST PODCAST OR VIDEO BLOG: It's one thing to put out great online content - it's another thing to do it on a regular basis and keep people continually entertained and/or informed. Which podcasts, video blogs, and YouTube channels make the cut?

BEST VIRAL VIDEO: These days, anyone can take a GoPro, a laptop, and a copy of FinalCut/Premiere and make something amazing. What short video took creativity to a new level, spread like wildfire, and made people laugh or think?

BEST INSTAGRAM FEED: Instagram is not just for foodie pictures anymore - it is used by journalists, small business owners, and celebrities. Which Instagram feed is the most creative and engaging online photo feed?
Follow the Brass Crescent Awards on social media
Brass Crescent Awards
About the Brass Crescent Awards
Aziz Poonawalla and Shahed Amanullah started the Brass Crescent Awards in 2004 with the purpose of promoting the best writing of the Muslim web and exposing them to a greater number of readers, and with your help we seem to have succeeded. We are humbled and overwhelmed by the response that the awards have been given by the nominees, winners, and voters, and hope to improve and expand the awards to more effectively serve the growing community of Muslim bloggers.

The Brass Crescent Awards are awarded on an annual basis, based on the Islamic calendar. Nominations begin immediately after Ramadan, with a panel of judges narrowing the nominees down to five in each category. Voting then begins and concludes shortly before Eid al-Adha, when the winners in each category are announced.