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Judie Mulligan, mulligaj@fleishman.com
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WEBBY AWARDS 2000® ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET FOR STARS OF STAGE, SCREEN, AND BEYOND
Alan Cumming to MC; Sandra Bernhard, Tina Brown, Laurie Anderson to Present Awards
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 14, 2000) – Reflecting the remarkable range of the medium it honors, The Webby Awards 2000 today unveiled a dazzling, diverse list of celebrities and luminaries who will be participating in this year’s highly-anticipated awards show on May 11th.
In a nod to his Tony Award-winning portrayal of the Emcee in the hit Broadway revival of Cabaret, organizers announced that film and stage star Alan Cumming will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.
Cumming, who has appeared in numerous films and television programs, including Eyes Wide Shut and Titus, will also be responsible for holding winners to the Webbys’ trademark five-word speech limit.
The Webby Awards are the leading international honors for Web sites. The awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. More than 3,000 people will descend on San Francisco’s Nob Hill for the awards, while millions more will tune in to the live Webcast at http://www.webbyawards.com.
Tiffany Shlain, the founder and director of the awards, also revealed a preliminary list of high-profile presenters. According to Shlain, Tina Brown, the editor in chief of Talk Magazine, will present the Best Print/Zine Site, actress and comedian Sandra Bernhard will present the Best Weird Site, and performance artist Laurie Anderson, will present the first annual SFMOMA Webby Prize for Excellence in Online Art.
The Webby Awards 2000 will be judged by the 350-person Academy, whose members include Francis Ford Coppola in Film; Tina Brown in Print/Zines; Robin Williams in Games; David Bowie in Music; Esther Dyson in Finance; Deepak Chopra in Health; Julia Child in Living; Sir Richard Branson in Travel; Parker Posey in Film; and Haley Joel Osment in Kids.
“The incredible mix of original performers, artists, innovators, and thinkers on board for this year’s Webby Awards truly reflect the diversity of the Web,” said Shlain. “Their involvement is going to make for a wildly entertaining evening.”
About the Webby Awards
The Webby Awards are the leading international honors for Web sites. Nominees and winners are chosen by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards are an IDG event. Sponsors for the 2000 Webby Awards include Intel, Hewlett-Packard, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Adobe, Modem Media, Flyswat, Visa, Warburg Dillon Read, BeSeen, Xpedior, AboveNet, Audi, commission junction, worldlyinvestor.com, PlanetClick, Adauction.com, Fleishman Hillard, netRaker, The Creative Group, Netpulse, Entertainment Weekly, Business 2.0, Access Magazine, NewCity.com, Metropolis Editorial, ArtByte, MacWorld, San Francisco Bay Guardian, MacWorld Expo, MSN bCentral, Internet World, Upside Media, and We Also Walk Dogs. Balloting is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. For more information, visit http://www.webbyawards.com/press/index.html.
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 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 World Wide Web into the future. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 350 members such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, musician David Bowie, Chairman of Miramax Talk Media Tina Brown, cyberguru Esther Dyson, creator of “The Simpsons” Matt Groening, National Public Radio personality Ira Glass, computer scientist Jaron Lanier, and Oxygen Media President Geraldine Laybourne. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, Forbes, and Premier. For more information, visit www.iadas.net.
About IDG
IDG publishes more than 290 computer magazines and newspapers and 700 books and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through 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 http://www.idg.com.