Last week, [article id="1678830"]mtvU announced[/article] that not only would the 2012 Woodie Awards be returning to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest music festival, but this year, they'll be getting in on the action too, with a free, daylong fest of their own.

And on Friday (February 17), the first batch of performers for the 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival were announced, a lineup chock-full of up-and-coming talent from all fields: Rock acts Fun. and Walk the Moon, rapper A$AP Rocky, and electro standout Wallpaper will all perform at the festival, which kicks off at 1 p.m. CT on March 15 and is open to both SXSW badge-holders and the great uncredentialed masses. More acts for the Woodies Fest will be announced at a later date.

If you can't make it down to Austin, don't fret: Beginning March 11, "Woodie Awards Week" will take over MTV, mtvU and MTV.com with performances, interviews and updates from SXSW. And the entire 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival will stream live at the Woodies' official site.

It all leads up to the 2012 Woodie Awards, which kick off at 8 p.m. on March 15. That Sunday, March 18, MTV and mtvU will air the best moments from the awards in a 30-minute special.

Voting is already under way in all Woodie categories -- nominees include Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Black Keys and Skrillex -- and will remain open until March 9 ... except for the "Breaking Woodie" category, for which voting will continue during the live show on March 15. Fans can vote in all categories online or on their mobile phones at m.mtv.com, or by texting "VOTE" to 66333. Standard message and data rates may apply.

The 2012 mtvU Woodies invade SXSW on March 15 with the Woodies Festival. The best of the 2012 mtvU Woodies will air on MTV and mtvU on Sunday (March 18) at 8 p.m. ET.