DOUBLING CATEGORIES TO REFLECT WEB?S GROWTH, 9th ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS KICKS OFF CALL FOR ENTRIES TODAY
Opening the door for more businesses and organizations to compete for the most coveted honor in online media, The Webby Awards today kicked off its widely anticipated annual call for entries with 35 new categories ? more than doubling the number of awards it will bestow.
Starting today, web sites from around the world can get in the running for a Ninth Annual Webby Awards nomination ? and bask in the unparalleled industry recognition and global media attention ? by visiting http://www.webbyawards.com and entering. For nearly a decade, The Webby Awards have been recognized as the leading international honors for web sites.
?Over the years, we kept hearing from organizations of all sizes and industries who wanted the chance to compete in The Webby Awards,? said Tiffany Shlain, founder and creative director of the Webby Awards. ?Since the web is now so integrated into business and everyday life, our new categories paint a more complete picture of life online today.?
According to Shlain, sites can now be submitted in 65 categories. The 35 new additions include industry specific categories like Automotive, Beauty & Cosmetics, Employment, Retail, Real Estate and Investor Relations, as well as consumer interest categories like Blog, Celebrity/Fan Site and Social Networking.
The Webby Awards also announced the debut of five awards that all web sites can enter; Best Home Page, Best Navigation/Structure, Best Use of Sound, Best Use of Animation and Best Copy.
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, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.
For last year?s 8th Annual Webby Awards, the Academy received a record number of entries from the US and 36 countries worldwide, with submissions from advertising and interactive agencies, corporations, organizations and web enthusiasts.
Reflecting the web?s egalitarian spirit, The Webby Awards is seeking web sites of all shapes and sizes. Last year?s winners ranged from web powerhouses like Google (Best Practices and Best Services) and Apple iTunes Music Store (Best Commerce and Music), to independent sites like Wikipedia.org (Best Community), a free, community-built encyclopedia.
Nominees will be announced in April 2005 and winners will be unveiled in May 2005. Winners will be honored at a VIP celebration in late spring of 2005. The Webby Awards will also continue its tradition of encouraging local celebrations of nominees and winners around the world via the Web.
The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals, is the Title Sponsor for The 9th Annual Webby Awards.
For a chance to win the coveted award, visit The Webby Awards at www.webbyawards.com for information, guidelines and an official online entry form. Web sites that enter before the early bird deadline of October 29 will receive a discount on the entry fee. The final deadline for all entries is December 17, 2004.