10th Annual Webby Awards Unveil Nominations for Best Sites of the Year

April 13, 2006; 03:45 AM
What do Beck, BabyCenter, Boing Boing, Bloglines, and Bank of America have in common?

They are among the nominees for The 10th Annual Webby Awards, which were announced today by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. Reflecting the diversity of the Internet, the nominees range from blue-chips to bloggers and represent the best work of major ad agencies, organizations, indy upstarts, and even a pair of young newlyweds.

Nominees were named in over 65 categories, ranging from lifestyle favorites like Fashion, Politics, and Social Networking to business service categories Banking, Employment, and Real Estate. New categories making their debut this year include Political Blog, Business Blog, Podcast, and Best Use of Video or Moving Image. A full list of nominees can be found at www.webbyawards.com.

Proclaimed "the online equivalent of an Oscar" by the New York Times (June 21, 2005), The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for Web sites and the innovators behind them.

In a tribute to democracy on the Web, The Webby People's Voice Awards presented by Verizon also kicks-off today, allowing people around the world to vote for their favorite Web sites in all 65 Webby categories. Through May 5th, online fans can cast ballots for their picks for their top choices at: peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com. Since The Webby People's Voice Awards began ten years ago, over 2.3 million votes have been cast.

Winners will be announced on May 9, 2006 and honored at The 10th Annual Webby Awards on June 12 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The gala event, hosted by comedian Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, will showcase the winners' famous five-word acceptance speeches and a lively look back at the Web's evolution during The Webby Awards first ten years.

"For a decade, The Webby Awards has honored the new and groundbreaking Web sites that have changed the way we work and live," said Tiffany Shlain, the founder and ambassador of The Webby Awards. "This year's nominees provide us with an inside look at where we're going next." Webby Awards executive director David-Michel Davies agreed. "Whether you call it 'web 2.0' or nothing at all, this year's nominees reflect how consumers are taking the lead and reshaping the Web to make it even more vital, useful, and meaningful."

At the June ceremony, Special Achievement Awards will also be presented to individuals reshaping the Internet. Last year's honorees included former Vice President Al Gore (Lifetime Achievement) and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark (Person of the Year).

Highlights of The 10th Annual Webby Awards nominees include:

    * Several agencies received more than one nomination including Arnold Worldwide, Avenue A/Razorfish, Crispin Porter, DDB Seattle, Euro RSCG and OgilvyOne.
    * The nominees for Best Practices - Bloglines, Flickr, Google Maps, Technorati, and Writely.com -- reflect the latest breakout technologies and trends reshaping the web.
    * Powerhouses like Expedia.com, ESPN.com, and Toyota and up-and-coming sites that have attracted major followings like Freakonomics, Flavorpill, and CuteOverload.
    * Several nominees highlight the emergence of online video, including Rocketboom, a popular videoblog, and Dutch site FabChannel, which broadcasts video from live concerts.
    * With six nominations, NPR received the most of any organization this year. Other teams receiving multiple nominations include Google Earth, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Krups USA, Library of Congress, Made In Montreal and The Book of Cool.
    * The 10th Annual Webby Awards boast a record 60 international nominees, including sites from Australia, India, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.

According to Davies, The Webby Awards also recognize sites exhibiting noteworthy achievement as Official Webby Honorees. Out of more than 5,550 entries submitted for The 10th Annual Webby Awards, fewer than 20 percent were named Official Honorees. To see all Official Webby Honorees, please visit: webbyawards.com.

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, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, and fashion designer Max Azria.

Title Sponsors for The 10th Annual Webby Awards are AOL, a leading network of web brands with one of the most comprehensive video offerings online, and the largest internet access subscription service in the U.S., and The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals.

The Webby Awards voting process is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Review all the nominees for the 10th Annual Webby Awards at www.webbyawards.com.

About The Webby Awards: Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for Web sites. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 535-member judging organization consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: AOL, The Creative Group; Verizon; Adweek Magazines; Fortune and FSB; OnRequest Images, IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; iStockphoto, American Marketing Association; 2Advanced Studios, 2 Advanced.net; MX Interactive; For more information visit www.webbyawards.com.