Yes, as long as you book and order the award before Jan. 15th, you should be able to use the existing award prices and hotel categories.
But what if you don't have a reservation prior to Jan. 15?
Or you do have a reservation and need to change the date or location?
Will a category 8 accept (in 2009) a certificate for a category 7 stay that was issued prior to Jan. 15?
It's clear that certificates will be honored when reservations are made prior to Jan. 15. What worries me is if I need to make changes (date or a different location) to that reservation.