FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Webby Awards Announces the 18th Annual Call for Entries to Celebrate the Year’s Best Digital Experiences
New York City Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot
IADAS welcomed several new members to the judging panel, including Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, Producers of the Netflix Original series House of Cards, Burning Love producers Ken Marino and Erica Oyama, Droga5 Founder David Droga, Executive Producer of TED Media June Cohen, and Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) inventor Steve Wilhite.
“Over the past 18 years, The Webby Awards has celebrated the powerful impact of the Internet, as it transforms economies, communities, organizations, brands, and culture,” said The Webby Awards President David-Michel Davies. “We look forward to recognizing new technologies and platforms that revolutionize the way we work and live as a way to inspire innovation globally.”
For the first time this year, The Webbys has partnered with Webby Academy member and New York City Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot to create a new suite of categories highlighting the social media campaigns and web and mobile applications that enhance the experience of urban living. Building on the progress of the newly founded Digital City Council, a global platform for city officials to openly share best practices and approaches to improving city life through technology, the new City and Urban Innovation awards categories will honor work that uses technology and digital media to improve life in metropolitan areas.
“One of the key initiatives of the Council is to openly share best practices among civic leaders worldwide,” said Rachel Haot, New York City’s Chief Digital Officer. “Working with The Webby Awards gives members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences an opportunity to honor those best practices on a truly global stage.”
The Academy is proud to welcome ten members of the global Digital Cities Council to the 2014 judging panel, including Chief Digital Officers representing the city governments of Boston, Philadelphia, Buenos Aires, Helsinki, Rio de Janeiro, Belfast, and Quebec.
In its best year to date, more than 11,000 entrants competed to win a Webby in 2012. This year, entrants will compete to follow in the footsteps of 2012 winners, including actor Jerry Seinfeld for Outstanding Comedic Performance, Tumblr for Best User Experience, Mashable for Best Business Blog, Dollar Shave Club for Fashion and Beauty, ESPN 30 for 30 for Best Documentary: Series, and Red Bull Stratos for Best Event and Live Webcast. Since 2007, The Webby Awards’ famous 5-Word Speech videos have garnered more than seven million views on YouTube.com/webby.
All entries compete for the Webby Award (as voted on by IADAS) and the Webby People’s Voice Award (as voted online by the fans). Last year, nearly 2 million votes were cast from over 200 countries and territories. For information on the 18th Annual Webby Awards, please visit www.webbyawards.com.
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 & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & Apps, and Social. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide last year. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Microsoft, Citibank, Twitter, Dell, Vitamin T, Quantcast, MailChimp, Yext, Tumblr, Engine Yard, Funny or Die, AdAge, MLB Advanced Media, Mashable, Business Insider, Guardian News and Media.
To Join the conversation
Visit: www.webbyawards.com
Fan: Facebook.com/TheWebbyAwards
Follow: @TheWebbyAwards
G+: +TheWebbyAwards
Look: flickr.com/webbys
Watch: youtube.com/thewebbyawards
Read: tumblr.webbyawards.com
Instagram: @TheWebbyAwards