Update (11/28): Homeschooling bloggers are having a “best blog” contest, too.
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Nominations for the 2005 Weblog Awards close today, and voting begins December 1, 2005.
I’ve had very little time to read a wide variety of blogs this year. These days I read more business blogs than political blogs, but I still have a few favorites. I’ve endorsed blogs only from categories I read:
Best Blog — Captain’s Quarters: Last spring prolific blogger Ed Morrissey began blogging about a scandal in Canada called Adscam that involved government corruption. The Canadian government allegedly banned publication of the testimony of three key witnesses during the trial, but through an informant, Ed was able to feed information to readers. Canadians flocked to his site to find out what their government didn’t want them to know.
As a result, Ed gained recognition from the media and credibility with readers, and his reputation as a blogger-journalist was solidified.
Best New Blog (Established after November 19, 2004) — Performancing is a new group business blog that is a growing goldmine of information for the professional and hobbyist blogger. In this blogger’s opinion, Performancing is the best new blog of the year.
Best Group Blog — Polipundit: Not to slight the other contributors, but I read Polipundit mainly for Lorie Byrd’s commentary. She has a personal blog, but the group dynamic on Polipundit seems to inspire her best political writing.
Best Humor/Comics Blog — BlameBush!: Sometimes a little racy, Liberal Larry has done what most of us don’t have the talent to do: write parody so well that liberals and conservatives have a hard time figuring out whether he’s a liberal or a conservative, although his blogroll gives him away.
Best Conservative Blog — One of the hardest working conservatives in the blogosphere, Michelle Malkin is simply the best. Despite the nastiness she has to put up with, she’s out there day after day blogging, breaking stories, writing books and a weekly column, and speaking to sometimes hostile crowds. Michelle is the embodiment of the First Amendment.
Best Blog Design — Mom 2 Mom Connection is a good-looking blog. The design is engaging, simple, and clean. The effect is very calming.
Best Podcast — IMAO: Funny stuff! Frank J. and his group of podcast buddies — fiancée SarahK, fellow PM blogger Laurence Simon, spacemonkey, Right Wing Duck, and Harvey — put together a very funny, very non-PC show that’s too short and too infrequent for me, the mark of great entertainment. If you’re not into podcasting, let the IMAO podcast be your first foray into the latest online adventure.
Best Religious Blog — Evangelical Outpost: Joe Carter is an understated and underrated Christian blogger, although he’s been a Mortal Human for a long time. His readership should be at least four times what it is now. Read his blog!
Best Business Blog — For readers unfamiliar with business blogs, check out the PR/Marketing blogroll on my business blog for a few examples. The best business blog I’ve found is Entrepreneur’s Journey, hosted by Yaro Starak. Yaro is an entrepreneur and podcaster who runs a blog filled with useful and priceless free content. Peruse at your leisure.
Best UK Blog — Seeing that he’s the only UK blogger I read, I don’t know how much my endorsement means to Adrian Warnock, but he’s got it. 
Related post: 2004 “Best Blog” Endorsements
