The listeners of the official podcast of the JREF, Skeptics Guide to the Universe, have cast their votes, and former President of the JREF, Phil Plait has emerged victorious. Honorable mentions included Richard Dawkins, Simon Singh, and Wired Magazine's Amy Wallace.

Phil states on his blog that "I have arrived as a skeptic," and we at the JREF have to agree. With his incredibly popular blog, and upcoming TV series, countless apearances on podcasts, radio shows, and documentaries, Phil Plait is a skeptical tour de force.

When informed of the award, he said "That's really cool!" And then went on to mention that he wasn't wearing pants at the moment. If you'd like to hear his explanation for that, you can tune into the podcast which is available here, where you'll also find out what Phil thinks the biggest astronomy item of the year was, and why the Bullet Cluster is so important.

While Phil will be missed at the JREF, we're gratified that he's still out there fighting the good fight.