mtvU HEADS BACK TO AUSTIN, TEXAS FOR THE "2012 mtvU WOODIE AWARDS" AND GIVES FANS A FULL DAY
OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCES LIVE ONLINE ON MARCH 15

Woodie Award Nominees Include Skrillex, The Black Keys, Mac Miller, Foster the People, J Cole, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino and more; Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, Martin Solveig and more Battle for New "EDM Effect" Woodie Award

MTV and mtvU to Kick-Off "Woodies Week" on-air beginning March 11th and closes week with "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Special"
Debuting Sunday, March 18th at 8pm ET/7pm CT

New York, NY - February 9, 2011 - MTV's 24-hour college network, mtvU, today announced that the "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards" are returning to Austin, Texas on March 15, 2012 during the SXSW Music Festival. A musical moment of truth honoring the artists who are infiltrating the music landscape, Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Foster the People, Frank Ocean, J Cole and more are vying for 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards. Additionally, mtvU added a new category, the "EDM Effect" Woodie Award, which recognizes artists who are breaking ground in the electronic dance music scene and bringing the genre to a new fan-base. Beginning March 11, 2012, "Woodie Awards Week" will take over MTV, mtvU and MTV.com with interviews, performances and updates from the SXSW Music Festival. The "Woodies" performances will be available live online on March 15, in advance of the "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Special" which will debut on-air on MTV and mtvU on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at 8pm ET / 7pm ET. mtvU will announce performers at a later date.

The Woodies Festival and Award Show
To harness the power of live music, mtvU is touching down in Austin, Texas during the SXSW Music Festival on March 15, 2012. The day will begin at 1pm CT with a host of live performances by up-and-coming artists during the first-ever, open-air "Woodie Awards Festival." Open to all SXSW badge holders and music fans, the performances will lead up to the "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards," which will take-over the Festival beginning at 8pm CT on March 15, 2012. Fans outside of Austin can catch the killer performances and backstage mayhem live, soon after doors open at Noon CT at www.Woodies.mtvU.com. On Sunday, March 18, 2012, mtvU will bring the best moments from the show to MTV and mtvU in the half-hour "2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Special." The hosted special will showcase some of the best "Woodie Awards" performances and celebrate the artists who are walking away with chunks of wood this year. Additionally, the biggest celebrities, comedians and artists will join the special to give a nod to their favorite artists.

The Nominees
Skrillex, who was the official DJ of the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards, is leading the nominees list alongside The Black Keys and Mac Miller with nods in the "Woodie of the Year" and "Performing Woodie" categories. Other artists up for "Woodie of the Year" - or the artists who made an indelible stamp on the music scene this year - include Frank Ocean, Foster the People, and J Cole. In a new "Woodie Award" category, mtvU is spotlighting the artists who are bringing EDM to a new fan-base. Calvin Harris' "We Found Love" with Rihanna will compete with Benny Benassi's "Beautiful People" with Chris Brown, Martin Solveig's "Ready 2 Go" with Kele, Flux Pavilion's "Who Gon Stop Me" with The Throne, Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke for "Turbulence" featuring Lil Jon, and Avicii for "Good Feeling" with Flo Rida.

"I am honored to be nominated for 'Best Performance' and 'Woodie of the Year,'" said Mac Miller. "Big thank you to MTV for the continuous support over the past year."

Recognizing artists on the brink of breaking through to mainstream, this year the "Breaking Woodie" category includes more nominees than ever: Porter Robinson, Electric Guest, Lana Del Rey, Childish Gambino, fun., Walk the Moon, Cults, Tune-Yards, A$AP Rocky, Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks, The Weeknd, Fake Problems