With 2011 well underway, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and honor contributors who made lasting impressions in 2010. We are proud of everything our community has accomplished and we’re excited to see what lies ahead in 2011.

The following is a list of community members who illustrate strong commitment to quality and passion for Demand Media Studios. It is with great pride that we award these individuals with a ‘DMS Contributor Award’ plaque as well as a cash prize.  Please join us in celebrating the following DMS community members.

Writers

Overall Excellence in Writing - $3,000 each

August McLaughlin      Devra Gartenstein
Andrea Cespedes       Don Amerman
James Highland         Glenda Taylor
Gail Cohen                Joanne Lewis
Elle Esse Smith          Wendy Gould
Kevin Lee                  Tess Miller
Dacia Rivers               Leah James
John Csiszar              Barbara Dunlap

Site Specific Award - $2,000 each 

August McLaughlin – LIVESTRONG.COM Nutrition
James Highland – eHow Money
Tess Miller – typeF
Glenda Taylor – eHow Home & Garden
Andrea Cespedes – LIVESTRONG.COM
Barbara Dunlap – Content Channels/USAToday.com Travel Tips

Copy Editors
This group of veteran copy editors brings considerable experience (an average of 15 years each) to  every article they edit.  Whether they are guiding new writers as one of our Senior Editors or working with our veteran writers in their areas of expertise, the copy editors below always provide clear and concise feedback that enables writers to produce well-researched and engaging articles.

Excellence in Copyediting –$3000

Suzanne Tarrant                  Bud Knecht 
Adam O’Connor Rodriguez    Carolyn Williams
Steven Millioti                     Mary Kay Linge
Matt Olberding                    Ward Triplett
Pete Gatlin                          Sarah Ogle
Suzanne DeRouen                Sarah Pike


Copy Chiefs
Having already proven their considerable skills as copy editors within Demand Media Studios, our Copy Chiefs are committed to advancing the skills of their teams and providing the DMS Editorial Team invaluable feedback on our editorial tools and methods. In addition to  auditing and reviewing copy editors, our chiefs also help writers with their editorial queries. For their continued excellence in 2010, we are awarding each of our Copy Chiefs $1000.

Thank you to our 12 chiefs: Trevor, Anamary, Jim, Karen, Sherry, Jerri, Steve, Bob, Carolyn, Cathy, Kim and Heather.

Filmmakers
These filmmakers are constantly producing informative and entertaining videos that show a high level of skill and a willingness to go above and beyond what is asked of each assignment.

Excellence in Video  - $3,000

Christopher Rokosz / Rokosz Media
Dylan Steinberg
Michael Burton
Max Cusimano
John Baldino

Titling Community
Members of our titling community are often asked exactly what it is that they do.  Our titling community is actually made up of several different roles that work together to craft the titles that become assignments for our writing and filmmaking communities.  Their diligence, attention to detail and precision are the first step in shaping the articles and videos produced. We’d like to thank and recognize the following members of the Titling Community for their excellence.

Excellence in Titling – $3,000 each

Hayley Harrison    Joni Moskovitz 
Erik Steel             Kim Kirsch
Misha Safranski    Tasha Swearingen
Stephanie Hoyt     Dawn Werner

Bloggers
With varied backgrounds and perspectives, these members of the Blog Distribution Network use their expertise and passion to produce posts, videos and articles that continually delight and inform their audiences us. 

Excellence in Blogging –$1,000 each

Jody Devere – Ask Patty
With a strong voice, daily posts and a commitment to follow the auto world for everywoman, Ask Patty is a blog we count on for straightforward and helpful auto advice and news for everyday folks. (Secret: it's not just for women, either!)

Charlotte Andersen   - The Great Fitness Experiment
The best blogs make you feel as though you're in the blogger's own skin while you journey through a topic. Charlotte Andersen makes her fitness journey real with a palpable sense of trials and triumphs, all in the context of a bigger discussion about fitness. Fitting photos, a sense of humor and a supporting cast of gym buddies and family make this one of our favorites.

Matt Loede - 49ers Gab

Obsessiveness may not be a valued quality in family members or friends, but it's a hell of an attribute in a football blogger. 49ers Gab takes a relentlessly close view of the Niners on the field, off the field, and even during the off-season.

Cindy Lee Bergersen - Decoding Decor

A professional interior designer, Cindy Lee Bergersen writes with a “gameplan” style in most of her posts. When she’s not writing practical articles, she takes a bookish approach to design and dives into home design theory and history. A great read no matter what the topic, and always has engaging headlines that catch our eye among the hundreds of others we see every day.

Over the past year, we’ve awarded 14 grants to our community members for exciting creative projects. We have an incredibly talented community and the DMS Grant Program aims to showcase those talents.

Beginning in April, we’re opening up our grant program by offering three unique grants. Our hope is that these new grants help you follow creative pursuits, open doors and perfect your work/life balance.

Professional Resources Grant
Each month we will award a laptop computer to one community member who needs it for professional endeavors. The laptop will come pre-installed with Microsoft Office Suite.

Work/Life Balance Grant
The main perk of being a freelancer is your ability to schedule work around your life. Still, you may find yourself lacking the time and funds to enjoy your life the way you want. The Work/Life Balance Grant will award four community members with $250 to use on something that will help them balance life with work.

Short Film Grant
DMS will award $1,000 to one community member working on a short film. The film must have a completed script and a completion date scheduled within 60 days of the award.

These three new grants are open to active writers, copyeditors, filmmakers and members of our titling community. With six grant awards given each month, these new grants will replace the monthly single grant award.

Eligibility requirements and application forms will be available in the “Help” section of your Resource Center later today.

If you have any questions, head over to our forum post.

Good luck!

Editor’s note: Every Friday from now until April 1, we will be announcing the winners of our contest Fierce Friday on the blog. Fierce Friday was launched as a way to highlight our best writers and copy editors working on the brand-new Tyra Banks’ Beauty & Fashion website, typeF.com. Each winning writer will receive $300 in Concert Cash for LiveNation.com, and each winning copy editor will receive $100 of the same. Congratulations to this week's winners, writer Heather Vecchioni and copy editor Bonny Jones on their fun article about keeping skin healthy using at-home products.

How to Keep Your Face Clean & Clear From Home Products

by Heather Vecchioni, for typeF.com



Oh, acne: You're like an annoying ex that won't go away. You rear your ugly head in the worst possible times and make normally fierce, confident gals second-guess themselves. And just when you seem like you're on your way out, you pop up again. What's a gal who wants clear skin without the hassle of having to use prescription medications to do? Why, use home treatments, of course. Over-the-counter products are much cheaper than their prescription counterparts, and are often successful in clearing up acne.

Step 1
Remove blemish-causing oil and bacteria from your face. This may seem like a no-brainer, but removing the materials that cause blemishes in the first place is the most important step in preventing them from making an appearance. Look for an oil-free cleanser that contains a gentle exfoliant and is made with benzoyl peroxide. As you are washing away dirt and oil from your sexy skin, you are also removing any dead or dry skin cells that like to create a pimple party in your pores. Wash your face with lukewarm water twice daily, or as indicated on the cleanser's label.

Step 2
Apply a toner to your face, if you have oily or combination skin. Contrary to what you might think, a toner doesn't kick your skin into gear and get it to tighten up its flabby areas; toners simply clean down into pores and help them to shrink a bit. Use a cotton ball to apply the effective liquid to your skin once or twice a day, depending on the product.

Step 3
Treat your skin with a topical product. Use over-the-counter creams and ointments that contain ingredients that kick acne in the tush, such as salicylic and glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Apply these treatments to your entire mug to keep blemishes from showing up unexpectedly. If a blemish does end up crashing your party, using these products should send it packing.

Step 4
Use a moisturizer that won't clog your pores. This may sound like common sense, but some gals simply assume that all moisturizers are good for their skin, which is so not the case. Since keeping your skin hydrated is important, you can't get away from using a moisturizer. If you use one that is non-clogging or non-comedogenic, it shouldn't wreak any havoc and cause blemishes. Use the moisturizer any time you wash your mug, or if it feels tight and dry.

Tips and Tricks
Avoid touching your face with your hands. Oil, dirt and bacteria often take up residence on your hands and will eagerly move onto your face if allowed, which often results in unsightly blemishes.

FOR MORE BEAUTY AND FASHION FUN, visit typeF.com!