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CELEBRATING ITS 15th YEAR, THE WEBBY AWARDS OPEN
New York, NY (September 14, 2010) – Marking its 15th year celebrating the best of the Internet, The Webby Awards today kicked off its call for entries for the year’s best online film and video, including Comedy Series, Individual Performance, and Viral Video.
With upstart video networks receiving significant new financing and branded video content gaining both critical and popular acclaim, 2010 has been a milestone year for online film and video. Webby winners such as Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” were picked up by Showtime, and The Gregory Brothers, creators of “Auto-tune the News,” landed a series that will air on Comedy Central next year.
To join the ranks of other recent Webby winners such as CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, Isabella Rossellini, and The Muppets, online film and video creators and networks can submit work at www.webbyawards.com. The early entry deadline is October 29, 2010.
“The online film and video space is maturing, attracting more funding, talent, and audiences every year,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. “Some of the most creative and provocative content is now being created for the Internet, and we’re looking forward to honoring the leaders who are setting the standards for this new medium.”
Last year, the 14th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries. The awards season was capped by a star-studded June gala, hosted by B.J. Novak of NBC’s The Office, featuring an influential group of Internet leaders, including Roger Ebert, Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, and Chatroulette.com’s creator Andrey Ternovskiy.
In keeping with tradition, all winners have the opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards’ famous five-word speeches. In conjunction with the call for entries kick-off, The Webby Awards debuted a new video featuring Amy Poehler, Zach Galifianakis, OK Go, and other Webby winners that reveals how many five-word speeches can be delivered during the typical 90-second award show acceptance speech.
Nominees for the 15th Annual Webby Awards will be announced in April, and winners will be honored at the gala ceremony in June 2011.
The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-person judging academy that includes director Darren Aronofsky, Showtime CEO Matt Blank, Harvey Weinstein, Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Co-Founder of Next New Networks Tim Shey, and President and CEO of Starz Entertainment Group, Robert Clasen.
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 14th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 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 Expression; Aol; YouTube; Pepsi; Aquent; Yahoo!; HP; Sony Electronics; .CO; Corbis Images; Rackspace Hosting; Motorola; Southwest Airlines;; East Media; IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail; Museum of the Moving Image; Behance; Business Insider; Time Out New York; paidContent and The Guardian.