FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Judie Mulligan, mulligaj@fleishman.com
Fleishman-Hillard Public Relations, 415.356.1086
FOR FIRST TIME, WEBBY AWARDS TO CONSIDER ENTRIES FROM PUBLIC FOR 2000 AWARDS
By Popular Demand, Webby Awards Announce First Ever Call for Entries
San Francisco (June 3, 1999) – Does your Web site have what it takes to join the ranks of Amazon.com, The Onion, and Superbad.com as a winner of the coveted Webby Award?
Responding to requests from around the world, the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences ™ announced today that, for the first time in its history, it will accept entries for consideration for the fourth annual Webby Awards, to be held in March 2000.
“Since the Webby Awards began, everyone from corporations to families have asked how they can get their Web site considered for a nomination,” said Tiffany Shlain, executive director of The Academy. “We’re thrilled that the Awards are at a point where we can now give everyone a chance to get their work noticed and celebrated.”
The Webby Awards are the leading creative honors for digital media. In March more than 3,000 online luminaries turned out for the 1999 Webby Awards, where slinky-like statuettes were handed out in 22 categories ranging from Arts to Weird. In addition, more than 115,000 Internet fans registered to vote for their favorite sites in the Peopleís Choice Awards.
To get a Web site in the running for a 2000 Webby Award, entrants should visit the Webby Awards Web site at http://www.webbyawards.com, where they will find submission guidelines and the official online entry form. Deadline for entries is September 16, 1999.
Webby Awards’ nominees and winners will be chosen by members of the Academy– 220 new media experts and authorities in the awards’ respective categories. Members of the Academy include David Bowie, film director Francis Ford Coppola, actress Gillian Anderson, Oxygen Media president Geraldine Laybourne, cyber guru Esther Dyson, and Talk Media chairwoman Tina Brown.
Sites will be judged on the basis of content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience. Organizers have added two new categories for The Webby Awards 2000: Personal Web Site and Activism. Other categories are: Arts, Community, Commerce, Education, Fashion, Film, Finance, Games, Health, Humor, Living, Music, News, Politics & Law, Print & Zines, Science, Sports, Technical Achievement, TV, Travel, and Weird
Shlain noted that entrants should not start writing a long-winded acceptance speech. Unlike the Academy Awards, Webby winners’ speeches are limited to five words. The much-anticipated speeches (eg. “I’m king of the World–Wide Web”) draw almost as much attention as the awards themselves.
About The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards are the leading creative honors for digital media. Nominees and winners are chosen by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a global organization dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of new media. The Webby Awards are an IDG event. The 1999 VIP pre-party was co-hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hewlett Packard. Intel was the exclusive sponsor of the post-ceremony party. The 1999 Webby Awards ceremony was sponsored by Entertainment Weekly, Time Digital, vivid studios, Levi Strauss & Co., AboveNet, ABSOLUT VODKA, BroadVision, Access Magazine, AdForce, NaviSite, The Motley Fool, VISA, Hotel Triton, The Menlo Technology Group, Alice 97.3 (CBS affiliate), PC World, TipWorld, LinkExchange, The Industry Standard, ARTBYTE, San Francisco Bay Guardian, and Rocket Lab. For more information, visit http://www.webbyawards.com.
About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of new media. The goal of the Academy is to assemble a unique and brilliant panel of leading new media experts, Web visionaries, journalists, and luminaries to propel the new medium into and through the new millennium. There are currently over 200 members, including diverse experts such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, musician David Bowie, Chairman of Miramax Talk Media Tina Brown, cyberguru Esther Dyson, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, Infoseek Chairman Steve Kirsch, and computer scientist Jaron Lanier, as well as writers and editors from publications such as Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, ARTBYTE, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Forbes, Premier, PC World, and Jane.
About IDG
IDG publishes more than 290 computer magazines and newspapers and 700 book titles and offers on-line users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 240 targeted Web sites in 55 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 49 offices in 41 countries worldwide. Company information is available at www.idg.com.