YNOT EUROPE – Fan voting for the 2012 SHAFTA Awards is well underway, and organizers are both surprised and pleased by the extent to which social networks are playing a role in the process.

The SHAFTA Awards, presented annually by London-based broadcaster Television X, are determined entirely by fan votes. This year’s nominees are displaying extraordinary new-media savvy in the ways they connect with their fans and solicit votes, according to Thomas Dennis, head of the network’s web department.

“The SHAFTAs represent the perfect event for social media, as all nominees out-post, out-tweet and out-blog each other in order to get the most from their fans,” he said. “Include the [YouTube] promo video, and it gives performers an excuse to post.”

The first safe-for-work SHAFTA Awards YouTube video became a viral sensation, amassing thousands of views in only a few days. The short advertisement — a parody of a Lynx deodorant ad which is a massive hit in the UK — features bikini-clad British adult talent like Megan Coxxx, Syren Sexton, Jasmine Webb, Katie K, Paige Turnah and Tanya Tate racing through a forest and onto a beach, then converging on a lone man holding a penis-shaped SHAFTA trophy in each hand. A not-safe-for-work version is available here.

Twitter also is proving to be an important part of the 2012 SHAFTA campaign, as nominees and fans have been using #SHAFTA to tag their tweets, creating a convenient community for comments in 140 characters or less. The official Television X twitter account, @TVXmole, retweets all relevant posts to create a greater awareness of the event.

To incite even more interaction, a Facebook group was created specifically for the 2012 SHAFTA Awards. There, fans are encouraged to discuss who they are voting for, why, and who they think will take home the golden award.

For more information or to vote, visit SHAFTA.xxx.