Judges

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences was founded in 1998 to help drive the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and evolving forms of interactive media.

In the model of the film, television, and the recording industries, the purposes of The Academy are:

• To recognize and acknowledge excellence in interactive content across emerging technologies.

• To connect a diverse group of luminaries to facilitate growth and development in the digital arts and sciences.

• To educate industry professionals and the public-at-large about what is relevant, making technology accessible and integrating it into the general culture.

Associate Academy members are former Webby winners and nominees and other invited industry professionals who are leaders in their peer groups because of their creative and technical accomplishments. Associate members are invited to take part in Round 1 Judging, the initial phase of the Webby evaluation process.

The Executive Academy is comprised of industry luminaries such as actor Kevin Spacey, musicians Grimes and Questlove, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, Instagram’s Head of Fashion Partnerships Eva Chen, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, Twitter Founder Biz Stone, Vice Media Co-Founder and CEO Shane Smith, Tumblr’s David Karp, Director of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society Susan P. Crawford, Co-inventor of Google Cardboard, David Coz, Refinery29’s Executive Creative Director Piera Gelardi, and Alex Blumberg, CEO and cofounder of Gimlet Media. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper.

You can find a complete list of IADAS members at www.iadas.net.

The 20th Annual Webby Awards received 13,000 entries from 65 countries and nearly all 50 states and generated over 2.5 million media impressions worldwide.