Nominees Announced April 2nd
Honoring the Best
of the Internet

The Webby Awards To Bestow First Webby Lifetime Achievement Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com

Leah Schmerl, leah@mkpr.comcom

WorldCom, 614.723.1153
Terry Olbrysh, terry.olbrysh@wcom.com

THE WEBBY AWARDS® TO BESTOW FIRST
WEBBY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Sponsored by WorldCom, The Award Will Be Presented By Vint Cerf, A WorldCom Senior V.P. and one of the “fathers of the Internet”

http://www.webbyawards.com

San Francisco (July 3, 2001) – The Webby Awards will bestow the first-ever Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by WorldCom, at the Fifth Annual Webby Awards on July 18th.

Created to honor an individual who has played an integral role in the creative, technical, or professional progress of the Internet, the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented by Vint Cerf, one of the “fathers of the Internet.” A co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet, Cerf is currently senior vice president of Internet Architecture and Technology for WorldCom, the leading global business data and Internet communications provider.

Hailed as “The ‘It’ Award” by Vanity Fair and “The Hot Ticket” by Entertainment Weekly, The Webby Awards are the leading international honors for Web sites and individual achievement in technology.

More than 3,000 people will attend this year’s Webby Awards, which has become a major international event thanks to its critically acclaimed production, outrageous fashions, five-words-or-less speech limit, and celebrity judges. The awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a 350-person organization whose members include David Bowie, Tina Brown, Matt Groening, and Larry Ellison.

“We want to celebrate our digital heritage,” said Cerf. “Many individuals have contributed to the information tapestry that enable us to take technology for granted in our everyday lives. The Lifetime Achievement award will recognize that level of accomplishment.”

“The Webby Awards are committed to shining a spotlight on both the best Websites and the heroes behind the computer screen,” said Maya Draisin, the director of the Academy. “We’re thrilled to join with WorldCom in giving the Internet innovators and pioneers the recognition they deserve.”

The award will be presented during The Fifth Annual Webby Awards, which will be Webcast live from the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House on ABCNEWS.com <http://www.abcnews.com>. ABC News’ Sam Donaldson will host The Webby Awards pre-show, which begins at 10 pm ET on Wednesday, July 18th. Tony Award-winning Actor Alan Cumming will host the ceremony.

For the first time, a limited number of seats for The Webby Awards are available for purchase by the public. For information, write to eventinfo@webbyawards.com

 

About WorldCom
WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM) is the leading global provider of data, Internet and network services in the world. With operations in 65 countries, WorldCom leverages its network scale and global reach to provide business and government customers mission critical digital services, such as Web hosting, IP Virtual Private Networks, and Web Call Centers. The company moves more data over its networks on a daily basis than any competitor and offers the broadest array of data communications products in the world.

About the Webby Awards

The Webby Awards is the leading international honor for Web sites and individual achievement in technology and creativity. The critically acclaimed theatre production attended by 3000 people, includes films, animations, installation art and performances. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selects the nominees, winners, and presents the awards event. Sponsors and Partners for The Fifth Annual Webby Awards include Intel, Adobe, IDG, Metropolis Editorial, The Creative Group, Commission Junction, EarthLink, Getty Images, Metropolis Editorial, Diesel Design, Rare Medium, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Access Magazine, Wired, and Artbyte. Balloting is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. 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 350 members such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, musician Bjork, Chairman of Miramax Talk Media Tina Brown, cyberguru Esther Dyson, creator of “The Simpsons” Matt Groening, Public Radio International Personality Ira Glass, and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper. For more information, visit http://www.iadas.net/

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