Your Quick Guide to The Webby Awards
Many of you are aware of what The Grammys is. Many of you may not be aware of what The Webby Awards is, however.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Webby Awards was created to applaud the excellence, the bizarre, and the contagious world of the Internet. Before you dismiss this as another silly, meaningless recognition, think again: there is an entire category devoted to Advertising & Media in the digital world alone, providing an unofficial platform for viral work in digital advertising.
What is it: The Webby Award is an international award for Internet gold, started in 1996 by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).
What wins a Webby: The Webby Awards honor achievement in 5 categories:
- Websites
- Advertising & Media
- Online Film & Video
- Mobile Sites & Apps
- Social
Each category is presented two honors: The Webby Award itself and The Webby People’s Voice Award. Members of IADAS select the nominees and winners for the Webbys; the Webby People’s Voice Award is selected by the voting public.
Notable Winners: You may have heard of a few of these.
- Tituss Burgess, 2015 Winner for Best Actor for his role in “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”.
- Leo Burnett Toronto, 2015 Agency of the Year
- Banksy, 2014 Person of the Year
- Funny or Die, 2011 Film & Video Person of the Year
- Twitter, 2009 Breakout of the Year
- Best Overall Social Presence (Social): Game of Thrones, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon
- Best Web/Personality Host: (Online Film & Video): Tyler Oakley, Kid President, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
- Comedy: Web Form or Series (Online Film & Video): Billy On the Street With First Lady Michelle Obama, Epic Rap Battles of History
- Media Streaming (Websites): TED, HBO NOW, PBS.org
- Music Video (Online Film & Video): Save Dat Money, Lil Dicky
Not only is this a chance for those who aspire to Internet infamy to prove their work worthy, it’s also becoming a platform for advertisers to showcase successful campaigns and capitalize on brand recognition. If digital is your game, take some inspiration from a Webby winner; if the Internet says it’s great, it must be true.
The Webby Awards will be announced on April 26, 2016.
