Blogging: Stiff Competition As Women Dominate The 2018 BAKE Awards

Since 2012, The Bloggers Association Of Kenya (BAKE) has organized the BAKE Awards to award amazing bloggers in different categories. Over the years the number of bloggers submitted has grown together with the total number of votes cast. This is a true testament to the fast-rising numbers of creatives in the blogosphere and the creative space in general. This is also in turn to an increase in readership and following with bloggers recognized as influencers in the community.

This year, the Winners Gala event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi. There were 33,000 blog entries in all 23 categories. Three categories were added; Best Video Blog, Best Environmental Blog and Best Beauty and Hair Blog. They were added to incorporate the different types of blogs with niches not represented in the existing categories.

One of the biggest highlights of this year’s awards was the clear dominance of women in the blogging industry. Out of the 23 categories awarded, 15 awards were given to the women. Photographer Tatiana Karanja emerged the winner in the Best Photography Blog category becoming the first woman to win that award since 2012. Travel blogger Alouch Bonita also won the prestigious Kenyan Blog of The Year Award. Our blog www.potentash.com also won an award for the best Lifestyle blog and Rayhab Gachango, our Managing Editor, picked the award on behalf of Potentash.

Some other highlights included the win by Magunga in the Best Creative Writing Blog category. After 4 previous nominations, he finally got the award. It just affirms the value of persistence in this industry not only bagging awards but also in creating quality content. There were also some first-time winners such as aluochbonnita.com, izmazingira.com, Over 25, businesstoday.com and cravingyellow.com.

To further affirm the growing influence of the blogging space in Kenya this year was the vote tally in the individual categories. A closer look into the number of votes cast and you can tell that there was very stiff competition. The Kenyan Blog of The Year category had the closest margins with the winner, Alouch Bonnita leading with less than 50 votes. Other hotly contested categories included Best Agricultural Blog, Best Topical Blog,Best Technology Blog, Best Lifestyle Blog and Best Fashion and Style Blog. Find the pictures of the awards here.

Here is a list of the rest of the winners along with their vote tally.

1. Best Agricultural Blog

http://theorganicfarmer.org -1,591

http://graduatefarmer.co.ke/blog-1,371

http://topfarmer.co.ke-1,001

http://farmerstrend.co.ke– 986

http://kenyanvet.wordpress.com-765

2.Best Beauty and Hair Blog

http://cravingyellow.com-2,085

http://justmargie.com– 1175

http://kurlykichana.com -1053

http://oliviaakumu.com-896

https://justnimu.com/ -709

3. Best Business Blog

http://businesstoday.co.ke-1982

http://biznakenya.com-1491

http://kenyanwallstreet.com– 1485

http://herbusiness.co.ke-792

http://lydiakamaubizhub.com-467

4. Best Corporate Blog

http://brightermonday.co.ke/blog-2,579

http://pawa254.org/#blog-2,139

http://epicenterafrica.com/blog/-453

http://tufilamupictures.com/blog/-420

http://pesacheck.org-371

5. Best County Blog

http://lifeinmombasa.com– 1,829

http://amazingkisumu.co.ke-1,537

http://ameru.co.ke-990

http://northriftmirror.co.ke/-804

http://eldoretleo.com-645

6. Best Creative Writing Blog

http://magunga.com-2,842

http://catemukei.com-1,404

http://dennispeters.blog-768

http://medrine.co.ke-646

http://jamesmurua.com-611

7. Best Education Blog

http://thediscoverycentre.co.ke/blog/-1.310

http://teachersnoticeboard.co.ke-1,148

http://magazinereel.com-1,028

http://magazine.kampozone.com-910

http://legalscholarsite.com-577

8. Best Entertainment Blog

http://buzzcentral.co.ke-2,425

http://lamusicjunkie.wordpress.com-782

http://forlackofabettersound.com-684

http://heavyandthebeast.wordpress.com-662

http://darksales.wordpress.com– 542

9. Best Environmental Blog

http://lizmazingira.com-1,816

http://iamjusticeforwildlife.blogspot.co.ke-1,406

http://conservationatheart.wordpress.com-1,375

http://kelvinswildchronicles.wordpress.com-1,107

http://falsafa.co.ke-710

10. Best Fashion and Style Blog

http://luciamusau.com-1,804

http://lizmadowo.co.ke/-1,713

http://thefashionmobster.com-1,399

http://itgirl.co.ke-909

http://kagendobeatrice.com-815

11. Best Food Blog

http://kaluhiskitchen.com-3,189

http://kulanini.org-1,008

http://kaaris-kitchen.com– 970

http://afoodiescollective.com-693

http://thiskenyanvegan.com-643

12. Best Lifestyle Blog

https://potentash.com– 1,429

http://kenyanstory.com– 1,309

http://lilmissbelle.com-1,211

http://wachanikwambie.com-876

http://mwendengao.com-586

13. Best New Blog

http://kalekyehealth.com-1,946

http://fithealthytalk.co.ke-1,242

http://mumenough.com-1,001

http://www.newafropolitan.com/-675

http://kibibi-chemsto.co.ke-568

14. Best Photography Blog

http://tatianakaranja.com-2,644

http://thementalyst.net-1,508

http://antonytrivet.co.ke-913

http://k63.studio-686

http://petersize10.com-579

15. Best Public Health Blog

http://healthkenya.co.ke-2,001

http://afyasmilekenya.co.ke/-1,415

http://saringin.com-665

http://sihayako.co.ke-607

http://lheritierblog.com-374

16. Best Religious or Spirituality Blog

http://ourmarriagechronicles.com-1,958

http://www.therelationshipmirror.com/blog/-1,380

http://karwirwalaura.com-1,065

https://elegantlytrendy.wordpress.com/-687

http://pauliemugo.com-536

17. Best Social Issues and Active Citizenship Blog

http://wandianjoya.com-2,013

http://theelephant.info-1,288

http://ghettotales.wordpress.com-998

http://kituochasheria.wordpress.com-887

http://maunduville.blogspot.co.ke-418

18. Best Sports Blog

http://futaa.com-1,683

http://soka.co.ke-1,375

http://magongo.com-889

http://RagaHouse.com-737

http://osbke.com-486

19.Best Technology Blog

http://techweez.com-1,886

http://techguy.co.ke-1,232

http://androidkenya.com-1,223

http://tech-ish.com-1,207

http://incubateafrica.net– 731

20. Best Topical Blog

http://owaahh.com-1,800

http://mummytales.com/-1,781

http://goodlifekenya.com-1,237

http://kenyaemploymentlaw.com -999

http://meetrendy.com-546

21. Best Travel Blog

http://www.violayasmineadventures.com-4,168

http://aluochbonnita.com– 1,849

http://thekenyancamper.com-1,750

http://dnomadz.com-906

http://gamachu.com-886

22. Best Video Blog (Vlog)

http://youtube.com/channel/UChKyC8GgChB5_JEW7p8nkFA-2, 768

http://youtube.com/user/ThisIsEssVideos– 1,568

http://youtube.com/channel/UCcGi7m9WFSmrLS8zyqDRANA– 991

http://youtube.com/channel/UCWQlq5ckw5dN5ZvPNsggN2w– 791

http://youtube.com/user/Nanciellah– 772

23. Kenyan Blog of the Year

http://aluochbonnita.com– 1,763

http://owaahh.com– 1,723

http://graduatefarmer.co.ke/blog– 1,117

http://farmerstrend.co.ke– 906

http://mumenough.com-825

Just in case you are interested in finding out more about the blogging scene in Kenya, Check out The Blogging Scene Has Changed. 4 Ways To Stay Ahead Of The Curve