Contact:
Gita Chandra, gita@mkpr.com
Patrick Kowalczyk,patrick@mkpr.com
MKPR, 212.627.8098
.ORG, PREMIER DOMAIN FOR NON-COMMERCIAL SITES,
TO BE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE 12th ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS
Webby Awards microsite will showcase the Web’s best and brightest non-commercial sites
New York (February 11, 2008) – The Webby Awards announced today that the Public Interest Registry (.ORG), the premier domain for non-commercial Websites, has signed on as an official sponsor of the 12th Annual Webby Awards Celebration, to be held in New York City on June 8-10, 2008.
As part of the partnership, the Webby Awards today launched a new microsite (http://www.thewebbys.org/) celebrating past Webby Awards winners that represent the Web’s best and brightest non-commercial sites.
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, online film and video, interactive advertising, and mobile content. .ORG is the premier domain where people turn to find credible information, get involved, fund causes, and support advocacy.
“Non-commercial sites have long been at the forefront of innovation on the Internet, so it’s extremely fitting – not to mention exciting – for us to have .ORG as a sponsor,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of the Webby Awards. “Since 1996, more than 40 sites from the .ORG community have been nominated for a Webby, with more than 20 winners across a wide range of categories.”
According to Davies, the new microsite will showcase two Webby Award-winning .ORG sites each week, including craigslist, NPR, and others, as well as interviews with the innovators behind the sites. For its launch, the microsite will profile Wikipedia and Greenpeace, two .ORG sites that rank among the Webby Awards’ most celebrated past winners.
On April 9, 2008, to mark the commencement of online voting for The Webby People’s Voice Awards, the microsite will also showcase previous Webby People’s Voice honorees from the .ORG community. The Webby People’s Voice Awards allow the public to vote for their favorite sites.
“.ORG is an unrivaled channel to share ideas, enhance lives, and advance the mission of thousands of community-minded organizations -and the Webby Awards have recognized that,” said Alexa Raad, CEO of the Public Interest Registry. “We look forward to partnering with the Webby Awards to highlight these international organizations that are making a difference in our lives every day.”
The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization with over 550 members including musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Internet inventor and Google Chief Internet Evangelist Vinton Cerf, “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.
Key Dates
April 8, 2008: People’s Voice Awards voting begins
April 24, 2008: People’s Voice Awards voting ends
April 29, 2008: Webby Award and People’s Voice Award Winners announced
June 9, 2008: Second Annual Webby Online Film and Video Awards, NYC
June 10, 2008: The 12th Annual Webby Awards Gala, NYC
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile web sites. Established in 1996, the 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
About .ORG
Trusted across all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, .ORG is where people turn to find credible information, get involved, fund causes and support advocacy. As a premier domain, .ORG provides an unrivaled channel to share ideas, to enhance lives, and to advance your mission. .ORG empowers the global noncommercial community to use the internet more effectively and, concurrently, takes a leadership position among internet stakeholders on policy and related issues. .ORG, the Public Interest Registry, is based in Reston, Virginia, USA.
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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