A new award has been spontaneously created: The UK's Top Female Social Media Guru and Speaker 2009.

After a request for a top notch female speakers in social media for an upcoming conference planned on behalf of Brand Republic here in the UK, a request on Twitter was put forward by Jamie Burke, MD of Brando:

" Well I didn't know too many. In fact I am ashamed to say none. Having just put on a social media event of my own with what was later pointed out as an all male cast I felt  like [the need for] some girl power. I reached out to my network across Twitter etc. only to be inundated with recommendations within minutes. The shame of not knowing any of these women has led me to take this one step further and offer up a quest to find the...  UK's Top Female Social Media Guru and Speaker 2009?

As we like the idea, The NextWomen is a media sponsor of this award: Here are the rules:

1st phase is taking recommendations for entrants (this can be self nominated if you're that shameless) over the next 2 weeks starting from today 27.02.09. Simply post to #UKTopFemaleSMGuru the full name, twitter / blog URL and link to a profile. If you have any video footage speaking whack that in too either by embed or a link-to.
Then at the end of the two weeks (on the 12th) we can start voting on what media gurus should go through to the final round.

The final round will see 5 women selected to each provide a 20min presentation to a set social media theme, uploaded to Vimeo.  In the meantime Jamie will try and find some sponsors to provide a prize and perhaps see if the winner can get a speaking slot at a next big event perhaps even this Brand Republic gig. Oh yeah and you get to say you're the... (see the title of this article)

The Gurus mentioned so far:

@suw (Suw Charman-Anderson)
@aleksk (Aleks Krotoski) (see photo)

@lauraoliver (Laura Oliver) of Journalism.co.uk

@mseaons Melanie Seasons
@katyhowell Katy Howell of Immediate Future
@Laurajohnson from Pegasus PR
Emily Dent from St Lukes
Update:
Helen Aspell @hel_razor
Fleur Hicks @ (MD of Pass it Media)
@amanda on your list
@vikkichowney
@littlelaura
@amyrsward (nptech comm)
Joanna Shields from Bebo
Katie Lee (@shinykatie)
Shiny Red MD, Helen Nowicka (@helennow)