FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jill Feldman,jill@mkpr.com
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com
Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098
Ellen Yu,ellen.yu@verizon.com
Verizon, 212-395-7715
VERIZON SIGNS ON AS EXCLUSIVE PRESENTING SPONSOR
OF THE 10TH ANNUAL WEBBY PEOPLE’S VOICE AWARDS
www.webbyawards.com
New York (March 22, 2006) Gearing up for its landmark 10th anniversary this June, The Webby Awards announced today that Verizon will serve as the exclusive presenting sponsor for The 10th Annual Webby People’s Voice Awards.
A tribute to democracy on the Web, The Webby People’s Voice Awards allows the public to vote for their favorite Web sites in more than 60 categories. Last year, over 200,000 votes were cast, with sites such as Cars.com (Best Automotive), Boing Boing (Best Blog), and Yahoo! Hotjobs (Best Employment) taking home top honors. The public vote is conducted in association with The Webby Awards, which are chosen by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.
The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Verizon will kick off with the announcement of nominees for The 10th Annual Webby Awards on April 11. Winners will be announced in May and honored at The Webby Awards’ 10th annual gala ceremony in New York City in June.
“Joining with the 10th Annual Webby Awards is a great way for Verizon to reach Web savvy consumers who are passionate about getting the most out of their online experience,” said Jerri DeVard, Verizon’s senior vice president, national marketing and brand management. “As a leading broadband service provider, we’re looking forward to giving even more people around the world the opportunity to share their opinions and to participate in honoring the best the Web has to offer.”
“For our tenth anniversary, we’re proud to be working with an innovator like Verizon,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences and The Webby Awards. “This exciting relationship represents not only where the Web is heading, but also how far it has evolved since The Webby Awards began a decade ago.”
As the presenting sponsor of The Webby People’s Voice Awards, Verizon will be the exclusive sponsor of the special Webby People’s Voice voting Web site, which will launch on April 11, and will be showcased prominently in all advertising and marketing materials, as well as at The 10th Annual Webby Awards gala ceremony in June.
The announcement of Verizon’s sponsorship comes on the heels of The Webby Awards most successful call for entries ever. The 10th Annual Webby Awards, which concluded its call for entries last month, received a record 5,550 entries, a 40 percent increase over entries for last year’s awards.
Proclaimed “the online equivalent of an OSCAR®” by the New York Times (June 21, 2005), The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for Web sites and the innovators behind them.
Last year’s Webby Awards attracted worldwide attention with a star-studded New York City ceremony showcasing five-word speeches from Webby winners, including former Vice President Al Gore, who received the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award. Winners were chosen from 40 countries and all 50 states. Reflecting the Web’s broad, popular appeal, winners ranged from powerhouses like Yahoo! and e*Trade to small independents like BookCrossing and CafePress.
Unlike The Webby People’s Voice Awards which are chosen by the public, The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization with over 500 members including musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, and fashion designer Max Azria.
The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals, is the Title Sponsor for The 10th Annual Webby Awards.
Returning partners include: Adweek Magazines, Fortune Magazine, IDG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2Advanced Studios and MX Interactive.
For more information on The 10th Annual Webby Awards, visit www.webbyawards.com.
About The Webby Awards:
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for Web sites. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 535-member judging organization consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: The Creative Group; Verizon; Adweek Magazines; Fortune and FSB; OnRequest Images, IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; iStockphoto, American Marketing Association; 2Advanced Studios, 2 Advanced.net; MX Interactive; For more information visit www.webbyawards.com
OSCAR® is a federally registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are in no way affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or OSCAR®.
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