diff -Naur /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.cc gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.cc
--- /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.cc	2009-11-06 15:27:05.000000000 -0430
+++ gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.cc	2009-11-06 16:58:39.000000000 -0430
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@
 	filter_entry.grab_focus ();
 }
 
-struct PluginMenuCompare {
+struct PluginMenuCompareByCreator {
     bool operator() (PluginInfoPtr a, PluginInfoPtr b) const {
 	    int cmp;
 
@@ -514,28 +514,45 @@
     }
 };
 
-Gtk::Menu&
-PluginSelector::plugin_menu()
-{
-	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
+struct PluginMenuCompareByName {
+    bool operator() (PluginInfoPtr a, PluginInfoPtr b) const {
+	    int cmp;
 
-	typedef std::map<Glib::ustring,Gtk::Menu*> SubmenuMap;
-	SubmenuMap submenu_map;
+	    cmp = strcasecmp (a->name.c_str(), b->name.c_str());
 
-	if (!_menu) {
-		_menu = new Menu();
-		_menu->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
-	}
+	    if (cmp < 0) {
+		    return true;
+	    } else if (cmp == 0) {
+		    /* same name ... compare type */
+		    if (a->type < b->type) {
+			    return true;
+		    }
+	    }
+	    return false;
+    }
+};
 
-	MenuList& items = _menu->items();
-	Menu* favs = new Menu();
-	favs->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+struct PluginMenuCompareByCategory {
+    bool operator() (PluginInfoPtr a, PluginInfoPtr b) const {
+	    int cmp;
 
-	items.clear ();
-	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("Favorites"), *favs));
-	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("Plugin Manager"), mem_fun (*this, &PluginSelector::show_manager)));
-	items.push_back (SeparatorElem ());
+	    cmp = strcasecmp (a->category.c_str(), b->category.c_str());
+
+	    if (cmp < 0) {
+		    return true;
+	    } else if (cmp == 0) {
+		    /* same category ... compare names */
+		    if (strcasecmp (a->name.c_str(), b->name.c_str()) < 0) {
+			    return true;
+		    }
+	    }
+	    return false;
+    }
+};
 
+Gtk::Menu&
+PluginSelector::plugin_menu()
+{
 	PluginInfoList all_plugs;
 
 	all_plugs.insert (all_plugs.end(), manager->ladspa_plugin_info().begin(), manager->ladspa_plugin_info().end());
@@ -549,38 +566,121 @@
 	all_plugs.insert (all_plugs.end(), manager->lv2_plugin_info().begin(), manager->lv2_plugin_info().end());
 #endif
 
-	PluginMenuCompare cmp;
-	all_plugs.sort (cmp);
+	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
 
-	for (PluginInfoList::const_iterator i = all_plugs.begin(); i != all_plugs.end(); ++i) {
-		SubmenuMap::iterator x;
-		Gtk::Menu* submenu;
+	if (!_menu) {
+		_menu = new Menu();
+		_menu->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+	}
 
-		string creator = (*i)->creator;
-		string::size_type pos = 0;
+	MenuList& items = _menu->items();
+	items.clear ();
+
+	Gtk::Menu* favs = create_favs_menu(all_plugs);
+	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("Favorites"), *favs));
+
+	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("Plugin Manager"), mem_fun (*this, &PluginSelector::show_manager)));
+	items.push_back (SeparatorElem ());
+
+	Menu* by_creator = create_by_creator_menu(all_plugs);
+	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("By Creator"), *by_creator));
+
+	Menu* by_category = create_by_category_menu(all_plugs);
+	items.push_back (MenuElem (_("By Category"), *by_category));
+
+	return *_menu;
+}
+
+Gtk::Menu*
+PluginSelector::create_favs_menu (PluginInfoList& all_plugs)
+{
+	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
+
+	Menu* favs = new Menu();
+	favs->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+
+	PluginMenuCompareByName cmp_by_name;
+	all_plugs.sort (cmp_by_name);
 
+	for (PluginInfoList::const_iterator i = all_plugs.begin(); i != all_plugs.end(); ++i) {
 		if (manager->is_a_favorite_plugin (*i)) {
 			favs->items().push_back (MenuElem ((*i)->name, (bind (mem_fun (*this, &PluginSelector::plugin_chosen_from_menu), *i))));
 		}
+	}
+	return favs;
+}
 
-		/* stupid LADSPA creator strings */
+Gtk::Menu*
+PluginSelector::create_by_creator_menu (ARDOUR::PluginInfoList& all_plugs)
+{
+	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
+
+	typedef std::map<Glib::ustring,Gtk::Menu*> SubmenuMap;
+	SubmenuMap creator_submenu_map;
+
+	Menu* by_creator = new Menu();
+	by_creator->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+
+	MenuList& by_creator_items = by_creator->items();
+	PluginMenuCompareByCreator cmp_by_creator;
+	all_plugs.sort (cmp_by_creator);
+
+	for (PluginInfoList::const_iterator i = all_plugs.begin(); i != all_plugs.end(); ++i) {
 
+		string creator = (*i)->creator;
+
+		/* stupid LADSPA creator strings */
+		string::size_type pos = 0;
 		while (pos < creator.length() && (isalnum (creator[pos]) || isspace (creator[pos]))) ++pos;
 		creator = creator.substr (0, pos);
 
-		if ((x = submenu_map.find (creator)) != submenu_map.end()) {
+		SubmenuMap::iterator x;
+		Gtk::Menu* submenu;
+		if ((x = creator_submenu_map.find (creator)) != creator_submenu_map.end()) {
 			submenu = x->second;
 		} else {
 			submenu = new Gtk::Menu;
-			items.push_back (MenuElem (creator, *submenu));
-			submenu_map.insert (pair<Glib::ustring,Menu*> (creator, submenu));
+			by_creator_items.push_back (MenuElem (creator, *submenu));
+			creator_submenu_map.insert (pair<Glib::ustring,Menu*> (creator, submenu));
 			submenu->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
 		}
-
 		submenu->items().push_back (MenuElem ((*i)->name, (bind (mem_fun (*this, &PluginSelector::plugin_chosen_from_menu), *i))));
 	}
+	return by_creator;
+}
 
-	return *_menu;
+Gtk::Menu*
+PluginSelector::create_by_category_menu (ARDOUR::PluginInfoList& all_plugs)
+{
+	using namespace Menu_Helpers;
+
+	typedef std::map<Glib::ustring,Gtk::Menu*> SubmenuMap;
+	SubmenuMap category_submenu_map;
+
+	Menu* by_category = new Menu();
+	by_category->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+
+	MenuList& by_category_items = by_category->items();
+	PluginMenuCompareByCategory cmp_by_category;
+	all_plugs.sort (cmp_by_category);
+
+	for (PluginInfoList::const_iterator i = all_plugs.begin(); i != all_plugs.end(); ++i) {
+
+		string category = (*i)->category;
+
+		SubmenuMap::iterator x;
+		Gtk::Menu* submenu;
+		if ((x = category_submenu_map.find (category)) != category_submenu_map.end()) {
+			submenu = x->second;
+		} else {
+			submenu = new Gtk::Menu;
+			by_category_items.push_back (MenuElem (category, *submenu));
+			category_submenu_map.insert (pair<Glib::ustring,Menu*> (category, submenu));
+			submenu->set_name("ArdourContextMenu");
+		}
+		submenu->items().push_back (MenuElem ((*i)->name, (bind (mem_fun (*this, &PluginSelector::plugin_chosen_from_menu), *i))));
+	}
+	return by_category;
 }
 
 void
diff -Naur /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.h gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.h
--- /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.h	2009-11-06 15:27:05.000000000 -0430
+++ gtk2_ardour/plugin_selector.h	2009-11-06 16:03:19.000000000 -0430
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@
 
 	void plugin_chosen_from_menu (const ARDOUR::PluginInfoPtr&);
 	Gtk::Menu* _menu;
+
+	Gtk::Menu* create_favs_menu (ARDOUR::PluginInfoList&);
+	Gtk::Menu* create_by_creator_menu (ARDOUR::PluginInfoList&);
+	Gtk::Menu* create_by_category_menu (ARDOUR::PluginInfoList&);
 };
 
 #endif // __ardour_plugin_selector_h__
diff -Naur /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
--- /home/jabel/builds/ardour2-svn-3.0/src/3.0/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc	2009-11-06 15:27:44.000000000 -0430
+++ libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc	2009-11-06 16:43:53.000000000 -0430
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@
 	lrdf_statement* matches1 = lrdf_matches (&pattern);
 
 	if (!matches1) {
-		return "";
+		return "Unknown";
 	}
 
 	pattern.subject = matches1->object;
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@
 	lrdf_free_statements(matches1);
 
 	if (!matches2) {
-		return ("");
+		return ("Unknown");
 	}
 
 	string label = matches2->object;