The mtvU Woodies are once again heading to SXSW, with plans for a day-long festival leading up to the awards themselves. By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images The mtvU Woodie Awards are heading back to South by Southwest, and this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever. That’s because on Wednesday (February 8), mtvU announced that, in addition to the awards themselves, the Woodies will channel the SXSW spirit and become a day-long festival. It begins March 15 at 1 p.m. CT with a host of live performances — open to all SXSW badge holders (though, if you’re not going to be down in Austin, you can watch the fest unfold live on Woodies.mtvU.com ) — and culminate with the 2012 Woodie Awards. The best moments from the awards will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18 at 8 p.m. ET, though the music lovers can stay up to date on all Woodie-related mania — interviews, performances and SXSW updates — beginning on March 11, when “Woodie Awards Week” kicks off on MTV, mtvU and MTV.com. Woodie performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but the nominees have already been announced, and fans can vote for their favorite nominated artists beginning Wednesday through Woodies.mtvU.com . Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Frank Ocean, J.Cole and more lead the field that will vie for the coveted big hunks of wood in categories like “Woodie of the Year” (given to the artist who left their mark on music in 2011) and the “Performing Woodie” (given to the year’s best touring musician). And this year, the Woodies have unveiled a brand-new category to honor electronic dance music: the “EDM Effect Woodie.” Voting in all Woodies categories closes March 9. Here’s a look at all the nominees. Woodie of the Year