FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
For Immediate Release
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com
Jill Feldman, jill@mkpr.com
Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098
THE 8TH ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS SEEKING BEST WEB SITES OF THE YEAR
Call for Entries for 2004 Webbys Kicks Off Today
San Francisco, CA – September 23, 2003 –
The race for the web’s most coveted prize kicks off today with a worldwide call for entries for The Eighth Annual Webby Awards, the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences announced.
Starting today, web sites can get into the running for a 2004 Webby Award nomination and the accompanying industry recognition, global media attention, and increased traffic and awareness.
The Webby Business Awards are The Webby Awards second awards
program honoring the best business practices online. The Webby Awards are
the preeminent international honor for Web sites.
Hailed as “the online Oscars” by Time (May 13, 2002), The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for web sites. The awards are presented by the Academy, a global organization that includes over 480 members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, Internet co-creator Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, and “Smart Mobs” author Howard Rheingold.
Nominees will be announced in Spring 2004 and the winners will be unveiled in Spring/Summer 2004.
Reflecting the web’s democratic spirit, the Academy is seeking web sites of all shapes and sizes. 2003 winners ranged from smaller-run sites and upstarts like 3d&I www.3di.org (Best Youth) and Meetup.com www.meetup.com (Best Community) to web giants like eBay (Best Services) and Google News (Best News).
In addition, all entrants will receive a complimentary copy of “Digital Ideals: Creating an Online Presence that Visitors Bookmark, Not Bypass,” an exclusive report jointly produced by The Webby Awards and The Creative Group. Based on a survey of 1,000 internet users about their likes, dislikes, priorities, and pet peeves, the report provides guidelines for creating web sites that are more compelling and user friendly.
Last year, the Academy received thousands of entries, with submissions coming from 36 countries, including Brazil, Vietnam, Slovenia, and Poland and 42 states.
Sites can be submitted in 30 categories, including: Activism, Arts, Best Practices, Community, Commerce, Education, Fashion, Film, Finance, Games, Health, Humor, Living, Music, News, Personal Web Sites, Politics, Print & Zines, Science, Spirituality, Sports, Technical Achievement, TV, Travel, and Weird. Sites are judged on the basis of content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience.
For a chance to win the coveted award, visit The Webby Awards web site at http://www.webbyawards.com/main/submit/index.html for information on early bird entry fees, submission guidelines, and an official online entry form. Web sites that enter the competition before the early bird deadline on October 24th will receive a discount on the entry fee. The final deadline for all entries is December 19, 2002.
The 7th Annual Webby Awards were announced on June 5th. For a complete list of winners and their five-word acceptance speeches, visit: http://www.webbyawards.com/main/press/index.html.
About the Webby Awards
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for consumer Web sites and individual
achievement in technology and creativity. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selects the nominees,
winners, and presents the awards event. Sponsors of The 8th Annual Webby Awards include media partners Business 2.0,
Fortune and Fortune Small Business magazines; Event partners PricewaterhouseCoopers and Nielsen//NetRatings; Official
Sponsors The Creative Group, IDG, Absolut Vanilia, Comstock Images, Rackspace Managed Hosting, Cuworld, Gershoni, and
Netsprout. 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 the Internet and evolving forms of interactive media. The Academy’s goal is to assemble a brilliant panel
of leading new media experts, visionaries, journalists, and luminaries to propel the Internet and Interactive Technology
into the future. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 480 members such as musicians
Beck and David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser,
“The Simpsons”creator Matt Groening, “Smart Mobs” author Howard Rheingold, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, and The Body
Shop president Anita Roddick. Members also include web developers, internet experts and technology writers and editors
from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Spin, Fast Company, Travel + Leisure, the Los Angeles Times,
Dwell and wallpaper. For more information, visit http://www.iadas.net.