For Immediate Release:

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Gita Chandra (gita@pkpr.com)

Patrick Kowalczyk (patrick@pkpr.com)

PKPR, 212.627.8098

13th ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS ANNOUNCE ONLINE FILM & VIDEO WINNERS;

TO RECEIVE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT HONORS

NBC.com, NYTimes.com, “Prop 8 The Musical,” “Green Porno” with Isabella Rossellini,
“Childrens’ Hospital” and “Shiba Inu Live Puppy Cam,” Among Winners

www.webbyawards.com

New York, NY (May 5, 2009) – The Webby Awards today revealed this year’s online film and video winners with victors ranging from star-studded hits like TheWB.com’s “Childrens’ Hospital” and FunnyorDie’s “Prop 8: The Musical,” to breakouts like Ustream.TV’s “Shiba Inu Live Puppy Cam” and Next New Network’s “Bill O’Reilly’s Producer – The Unseen Footage.”

In addition, more than 500,000 votes were cast in The Webby People’s Voice Awards. A full list of all Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards winners can be found at www.webbyawards.com.

Organizers also announced its annual list of Internet film and video pioneers who will be recognized with Webby Special Achievement Awards at the June 8th gala in New York City. Joining the ranks of such past recipients as Lorne Michaels, Michel Gondry, and Jessica Rose, the 2009 honorees are:

• Webby Film and Video Person of the Year: The creator of “Family Guy” and “American Dad,” Seth MacFarlane will be honored for blazing a new frontier where web content meets advertising. In a groundbreaking partnership, MacFarlane’s web-only Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy is now syndicated across Google’s Content Network, landing on the screens of his meticulously targeted demographic.
• Best Actress: Sarah Silverman became an Internet sensation on two fronts. Her music video “I’m F**king Matt Damon” was an instant YouTube hit, spawning a slew of viral variations. Her online impact went beyond pop culture with “The Great Schlep” (also a Webby winner for Best Political Video), which reached millions of viewers with its plea for Jewish kids to urge grandparents in Florida to vote for Barack Obama.
• Outstanding Comedic Performance: As star, co-writer, and co-producer of “Web Therapy” on lstudio.com, Lisa Kudrow set a new bar for how the Internet can be used to heightened comedic effect. Brilliantly playing a therapist who treats her patients via three-minute Webcam sessions, Kudrow created a hilarious, cringe-inducing collection of mini-comedy masterpieces.

“From major networks like NBC and MTV to upstarts like Next New Networks and Greener Media, this year’s winners reveals how the Internet provides a level playing field where outstanding work can find attention, acclaim, and audience,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. “These are the innovators that are shaping the future of entertainment.”

Highlights of the 13th Annual Webby Awards winner in online film and video categories include:

• Multiple winners in video categories include: NBC.com (4); Next New Networks (5); Current TV (3); PBS (3); NYTimes.com (3); AMC Digital (2); Discovery Communications (2); Funny or Die (2); GreenerMedia (2); MTV Networks (2); Onion News Network (2); and Sundance Channel (2).
• Achieving both critical and popular consensus, eight works won both Webby Awards and Webby People’s Voice Awards: Next New Networks: “Bill O’Reilly’s Producer — The Unseen Footage!” (Video Remixes/Mashups); PBS’ FRONTLINE/World: “iWitness” (News & Politics: Series); Current TV: “Hack the Debate” (Best Use of Interactive Video); Next New Networks: IndyMogul’s “Backyard FX” (How-To and DIY); GreenerMedia: “Magical Cure” (Public Service and Activism); Onion News Network (Best Writing); FunnyorDie: “Prop 8 The Musical” (Comedy: Individual Short or Episode); and MTV Networks: “Stickman Exodus” (Animation).
• The judges and public parted ways in two popular categories. For Viral Video, pop phenomenon “Shiba Inu Live Puppy Cam” earned the public’s top votes, while “The Website is Down: Sales Guy vs. Web Dude” was selected by the judges. For Best Individual Performance, the Academy chose Isabella Rossellini for “Green Porno,” while fans selected Eden Riegel for “Imaginary Bitches.”
• NYTimes.com’s “Pogue’s Posts,” a video review series by tech reporter David Pogue, was the only winner in multiple categories, earning nods for Best Reality/Variety Host and Technology.
• Other winners range from established media brands like NBC.com’s “Heroes: The Recruit” (Drama Series) and Discovery.com’s “Deadliest Catch” (Reality) to MediaStorm’s “Intended Consequences” (Documentary: Individual Episode) and GreenerMedia’s “Magical Cure” (Public Service and Activism).

Winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers in New York City on June 8th. Starting on June 9th on the new, custom Webby Awards YouTube Channel, fans will be able to view dozens of short video highlights from the ceremony, including the winner’s five-word speeches and celebrity red carpet interviews. Past headline-grabbing speechmakers include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote”) and Stephen Colbert (“Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.”)

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-person judging academy whose members include David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Vinton Cerf, and Richard Branson.

About The Webby Awards

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile web sites. Established in 1996, the 13th Annual Webby Awards received over 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Microsoft Silverlight; The Creative Group; .ORG; Getty Images; The Barbarian Group; Digital Kitchen; Variety; Wired; IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.

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