The 10th Annual Webby Awards seeks UK Games entrants for the 2006 ‘Oscars’ of the Internet
Proclaimed as 'the online equivalent of an Oscar' by The New York Times (June 21, 2005), The Webby Awards - the leading international honours for web sites and the innovators behind them - is seeking the very best Internet sites from the UK and across the globe as it launches its 10th Annual Webby Awards.
Call for entries is now open for the largest and most prestigious interactive awards, with an early entry deadline of 28th October 2005 and a final entry deadline of 16th December 2005.
At last year's 9th Annual Webby Awards, UK sites and agencies achieved disproportionately high success with The Guardian, Eddie Izzard (Clock, Ltd), Jamie Oliver and Alexander McQueen (Poke London), Rathergood.com (Joel Veitch), BBC OneMusic, BBC News and Vogue (Conde Nast Interactive UK) scooping the top awards in a variety of categories. Because of the UK's impressive success last year, the organisers are actively calling on more UK websites to enter this year.
With over 65 categories including Games, Activism, Automotive, Community, Corporate Communications, Fashion, Music, Retail, Real Estate and Television, UK companies, agencies, organisations and individuals can enter their site online at www.webbyawards.com for a chance to win one of the many coveted awards.
This year's 10th Annual Webby Awards also reflects the expanding influence of the Web with the debut of three new blog categories, Business Blog, Political Blog and Personal/Cultural Blog - and the first-ever category honouring Podcast Sites. In addition, a special category for Best Use of Video or Moving Images recognises that people are increasingly turning to the web for video coverage of major events, from 7/7 to Live8 and The Ashes.
"The 10th Annual Webby Awards represents an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate the evolution of the web from an esoteric medium to the driving force shaping popular culture, business and society today,' says Tiffany Shlain, founder of The Webby Awards. "As the web enters its second decade as an integral part of everyday life, our expanded categories recognise those who are pushing the web in exciting new directions."
The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organisation with over 500 members including musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, The Body Shop President Anita Roddick, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser and fashion designer Max Azria.
At last year's 9th Annual Webby Awards, winners were chosen from more than 4,400 entries from 40 countries around the world, with winners ranging from Internet powerhouses like BBC News and Google, to small independents like Boing Boing and Tate Online.
Nominees and Webby Worthy selections will be announced in April 2006 and the winning sites will be unveiled in May ready for the New York City awards ceremony in June 2006. But don't worry there won't be any Halle Berry-style Oscar drawls - acceptance speeches are limited to just five words! Perhaps the most appropriate of these was that of US Vice President Al Gore who declared, last year while accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award, 'please don't recount this vote'.
To enter and for further information regarding the awards, categories and guidelines, please visit www.webbyawards.com.
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For further media information regarding the 10th Annual Webby Awards, please contact Della Pike or Dominic Shales on 020 7404 6691 or email dpike@paratuscommunications.com / dshales@paratuscommunications.com.
Editors Notes:
The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals, is the Title Sponsor for The 10th Annual Webby Awards.
About The Webby Awards:
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is the leading international honours for web sites. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 535-member judging organization consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: The Creative Group; Adweek Magazines; Fortune and FSB; American Marketing Association; IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2Advanced Studios, 2Advanced.net; Online Publishers Association; MX Interactive; Battle for the Heart; For more information visit www.webbyawards.com.
About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS):
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and interactive media. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 500 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, business guru and author Tom Peters, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, fashion designer Max Azria, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser. The Webby Awards and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are registered trademarks of International Data Group. For more information, visit www.iadas.net.