The Webby Awards
| The Webby Awards | |
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Webby Awards logo
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| Awarded for | "Excellence on the Internet including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile content." |
| Presented by | International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences |
| First awarded | 1996 (International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) |
| Official website | webbyawards.com |
A Webby Award is an award for excellence on the Internet presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over one thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include websites, advertising & media, online film & video, mobile sites & apps, and social.
Two winners are selected in each category, one by members of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and one by the public who cast their votes during Webby People’s Voice voting. Each winner presents a five-word acceptance speech, a trademark of the annual awards show.
Hailed as the "Internet’s highest honor," the award is one of the older Internet-oriented awards, and is associated with the phrase "The Oscars of the Internet."
The Webby Awards began in 1996, sponsored by the Academy of Web Design and Cool Site of the Day. The first Webby Awards were produced by Kay Dangaard at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel as a nod to the first site of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars). That first year, they were called "Webbie" Awards. The first "Site of the Year" winner was the pioneer webisodic serial The Spot.
Today's Webby's were founded by Tiffany Shlain when she was hired by the The Web Magazine (an IDG Publication) to establish the awards. The event was held in San Francisco from 1996 to 2004 and quickly became known for their "5 word Acceptance Speeches". After the first year the awards became more successful than the magazine and IDG closed the publication. Shlain continued to run The Webby Awards with the help of Maya Draisin until 2004.
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which selects the winners of The Webby Awards, was established in 1998 by co-founders Tiffany Shlain, Spencer Ante and Maya Draisin. Members of the Academy include Kevin Spacey, Conan O'Brien, David Bowie, Martha Stewart, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Biz Stone, Shane Smith, David Karp, Freddie Wong, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, and R/GA Chairman and CEO Bob Greenberg.
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