Santogold, Lil Wayne, Paramore Score Woodie Nominations

Santogold, Lil Wayne and Paramore are among the campus favorites nominated this year for mtvU Woodie Awards. The trio will battle it out against Tokyo Police Club and MGMT for Woodie of the Year, given to the artist that made the biggest splash on the college music scene. Fan voting will determine the winners, with the ceremony to be held at NYC's Roseland Ballroom on November 12th. Other nominees include Gnarls Barkley's "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" and Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" competing for the Best Video Woodie, while the Good Woodie award for charitable contribution features a battle between Eddie Vedder, Mary J. Blige and Ludacris. Kanye West, N.E.R.D. and the Ting Tings will duke it out for the Performing Woodie. Former Woodie winners include Fall Out Boy, the Killers, Gym Class Heroes and Death Cab For Cutie.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

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