NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Start spreading the news!
The 9th Annual Webby Awards will take place in New York City on Monday, June 6, 2005, marking the first time the internet's top honors will be held outside their San Francisco birthplace, organizers announced today.
Hailed as "the online Oscars" by The New York Times and "the only awards for internet sites that matters" by The Los Angeles Times, The Webby Awards are the leading international honors for web sites.
The 9th Annual Webby Awards will honor the best web sites of the year on Monday, June 6th, at New York City's landmark Gotham Hall, a majestic turn of the century ballroom.
The master of ceremonies for the star-studded event will be celebrated comedian Rob Corddry, correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
"Since their birth in San Francisco nearly a decade ago, The Webby Awards have evolved into a global institution embraced by industry leaders and the public alike," said Tiffany Shlain, founder and creative director of The Webby Awards. "New York City's unique energy and creative spirit will provide the perfect backdrop for The 9th Annual Webby Awards."
"We are proud to welcome The Webby Awards to New York City, the media, business, and entertainment capital of the world," said Gino P. Menchini, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. "The Ninth Annual Webby Awards will provide New York City with an exciting opportunity to showcase its global leadership in online commerce and culture."
This year's event also marks the debut of Webby Special Achievement awards, which will recognize influential leaders using the web to reinvent, business, entertainment, and popular culture. Recipients of the new awards, which include Webby Person of the Year, Artist of the Year and the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, will be announced in early May.
More than 400 luminaries from the fields of media, advertising, business, technology, entertainment, politics, and the arts will attend the star-studded gala ceremony, which will showcase winners delivering the Webbys' famous five- word acceptance speeches. Webbys will be handed out in 65 categories ranging from Blog and Fashion to Retail and Film.
Whether taking place at a small nightclub or the San Francisco Opera House, The Webby Awards has garnered worldwide media attention thanks to their track record for uncovering the next big trend - from Napster to Craigslist to Google. Past emcees and presenters include Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Tina Brown, Sam Donaldson, and Andy Grove.
The 9th Annual Webby Awards received over 4,000 entries, including submissions from more than 40 countries and all 50 states. Nominations will be unveiled on April 12, 2005. Winners will be announced on May 3, 2005 and honored at the June 6th event.
The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization with a membership that includes musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.
The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals, is the Title Sponsor for The 9th Annual Webby Awards. Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek Magazines are the Lead Media Sponsors.
For more information on The Webby Awards, please visit http://www.webbyawards.com/ .
