Editing Webby Awards

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{short description|Award for online content}}
{{Infobox award
| name           = The Webby Awards
| image          = Webby Awards.svg
| imagesize      = 150px
| caption        = Webby Awards logo
| awarded_for    = "Excellence on the Internet including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile content."<ref name="about">{{cite web| url=http://www.webbyawards.com/about/| title=About The Webby Awards| publisher=Webby Awards| access-date=November 14, 2017| archive-date=August 27, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827020442/http://www.webbyawards.com/about/| url-status=live}}</ref>
| presenter      = [[International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences]]
| country        = 
| year           = {{start date and age|1996}}
| website        = {{url|webbyawards.com}}
}}

The '''Webby Awards''' (colloquially referred to as the '''Webbys''') are [[List of web awards|awards for excellence]] on the [[Internet]] presented annually by the [[International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences]], a judging body composed of over three thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include [[websites]], advertising and media, online film and video, mobile sites and apps, and social.<ref name="about"/>

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.<ref name="about"/> Each winner presents a five-word acceptance speech, a trademark of the annual awards show.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Castillo|date=May 20, 2014|first1=Michelle|title=The Most Memorable 5-Word Webby Award Speeches Expressing gratitude in sound bites|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/most-memorable-5-word-webby-award-speeches-157864|publisher=AdWeek|access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513012650/http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/most-memorable-5-word-webby-award-speeches-157864|url-status=live}}</ref>

In its early years, the award was hailed as the "Internet’s highest honor" and was associated with the phrase "The [[Academy Award|Oscars]] of the Internet."<ref>{{cite news|last1=HEFFERNAN|first1=VIRGINIA|title=Broadcast Spoofs|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-medium-t.html?_r=0|work=[[New York Times]]|access-date=May 5, 2015|date=April 20, 2008|archive-date=November 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083201/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-medium-t.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Richtel, Matt. ''[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE5D8123EF934A35752C0A96F958260 NEWS WATCH; Forget the Oscars, Here Come the Webbys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318100227/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/07/technology/news-watch-forget-the-oscars-here-come-the-webbys.html |date=March 18, 2020 }}''. [[New York Times]]. January 7, 1999.</ref><ref>Kaplan, Karen ''[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-14-fi-53879-story.html Awards Count On Firm for Accuracy] ''. [[Los Angeles Times]]. December 14, 1998.</ref><ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/advertising/history-of-guardian-online A brief history of guardian.co.uk]''. [[The Guardian]]. April 30, 2010.</ref> 

== History ==
[[File:WebbyAwards-2008-ChocolateRain.jpg|thumb|2008 Webby Awards, [[Chocolate Rain]].]]

In its early years, the organization was one of several vying to be the premiere internet awards show.<ref name="Robischon">{{cite magazine |last1=Robischon |first1=Noah |title=Click-And-Drag Race |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 12, 1999 |issue=471 |page=88 |via=Ebscohost}}</ref> Both shows would compare themselves to the Oscars, as did media outlets such as ''[[The New York Times]]'' to Canada's ''[[Globe & Mail]]''.<ref name="Cheng">{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Kipp |title=More Felix Than Oscar |journal=[[MediaWeek]] |date=February 22, 1999 |volume= 9 |issue=8 |page=50 |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/iq-news-analysis-more-felix-oscar-22113/ |access-date=May 20, 2020 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023212430/https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/iq-news-analysis-more-felix-oscar-22113/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The winners of the First Annual Webby Awards in 1995 were presented by [[John Brancato and Michael Ferris]], writers for [[Columbia Pictures]].<ref name="AA">{{cite journal |title=Achieving coolness on the Web |journal=[[Advertising Age]] |date= September 4, 1995 |volume=66 |issue=35 |page=15|via=Ebscohost}}</ref> It was held at the [[Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel]].<ref name="Basch">{{cite journal |last1=Basch |first1=Reva |title=And the lucky url is... |journal=Computer Life |date=December 1995 |volume=2 |issue=12 |page=42 |via=Ebscohost}}</ref> The televised Webby Awards were 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]].

The modern Webby Awards were co-founded by [[Tiffany Shlain]], a filmmaker,<ref name="Guglielmo">{{cite journal |last1=Guglielmo |first1=Connie |title=Tiffany Shlain |journal=Inter@ctive Week |date=April 3, 2000 |volume=7 |issue=13 |page=74}}</ref> when she was hired by ''The Web Magazine'' to re-establish them,<ref>{{cite web| last= Moore |first=Boothe|title=From the Valley of the Geeks Comes the Digital Diva| url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-07-cl-48818-story.html |date= July 7, 2000|publisher= | work= Los Angeles Times|access-date=20 February 2014| archive-date= January 11, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120111125429/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/07/news/cl-48818 |url-status=live}}</ref> and were first held in San Francisco in 1997.<ref>{{cite news| work=[[Forbes]] |accessdate=2007-01-03|title=Webbys 2.0| first= Rachel | last= Rosmarin|date=2006-06-09|url= https://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/06/09/webby_internet_award_cx_rr_0609webby.html| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20061215025202/http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/06/09/webby_internet_award_cx_rr_0609webby.html| archivedate= 15 December 2006 | url-status= dead}}</ref> They quickly became known for its requirement that winners give their acceptance speeches in five words.<ref name="thanks">{{cite magazine |title=Thanks, I Must Be Going |magazine=Time |date=May 15, 2000 |volume=155 |issue=20 |page=32 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,996923,00.html |access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref> After this, the awards became more successful than the magazine and IDG closed the publication. Shlain and co-founder Maya Draisin Farrah continued to run The Webby Awards until 2004.<ref name="hist">{{cite web| url= http://www.webbyawards.com/about/history.php |title=Webby History |publisher= Webby Awards |access-date=October 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-07-cl-48818-story.html |title=From the Valley of the Geeks Comes the Digital Diva |first=Booth |last=Moore |date=July 7, 2000 |newspaper= Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111125429/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/07/news/cl-48818 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=127350&page=1 |title=hat Transcript: Internet Expert Tiffany Shlain |first=James |last=F. |date=September 15, 2000 |publisher=[[NBC]] |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121092620/http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=127350&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Members of the Academy include [[Kevin Spacey]], [[Grimes (musician)|Grimes]], [[Questlove]], Internet inventor [[Vint Cerf]], [[Instagram]]’s Head of Fashion Partnerships [[Eva Chen (editor)|Eva Chen]], comedian [[Jimmy Kimmel]], [[Twitter]] founder [[Biz Stone]], [[Vice Media]] co-founder and CEO [[Shane Smith (journalist)|Shane Smith]], [[Tumblr]]’s [[David Karp]], Director of Harvard's [[Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society]] [[Susan P. Crawford]], [[Refinery29]]’s Executive Creative Director Piera Gelardi, and CEO and co-founder of [[Gimlet Media]] [[Alex Blumberg]].<ref name="judges">{{cite web| url= https://www.webbyawards.com/about/judges/| title=Webby Awards Judges| publisher=Webby Awards|  access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref>

The Webby Awards is owned and operated by the Webby Media Group, a division of Recognition Media, which also owns and produces the [[Lovie Awards]] in Europe and Netted by the Webbys, a daily email publication launched in 2009. David-Michel Davies, CEO of Webby Media Group, current Executive Director of the Webby Awards and co-founder of Internet Week New York, was named Executive Director of the Webby Awards in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/business/media/10award.html |title=After Winning Advertising Awards, an Invitation to Pay for the Trophies |first=Stephanie |last=Clifford |date=August 9, 2009 |publisher= | website= The New York Times |access-date=August 9, 2009 |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115212027/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/business/media/10award.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2009, the 13th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 US states and over 60 countries.<ref name="burne_press_release">{{cite press release | url = http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=156 | title = Webby Awards to honor David Byrne and Lorne Michaels for lifetime achievement | publisher = Webby Awards | date = May 28, 2008| access-date = June 1, 2008 }}</ref> That same year, more than 500,000 votes were cast in The Webby People's Voice Awards.<ref>{{cite press release| publisher= Webby Awards | date= May 5, 2009| url= http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=185| title= Winners for Best Interactive Advertising| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120119003246/http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=185 |archivedate=January 19, 2012 | accessdate=April 2, 2010}}</ref> In 2012, the 16th Annual Webby awards received 1.5 million votes from more than 200 countries for the People's Voice awards.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17907624 |title = Webbys: BBC News website wins People's Voice news award |date = May 1, 2012 |publisher = [[BBC News Online]] | website= bbc.co.uk |access-date = May 2, 2012 |archive-date = December 8, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181208181135/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17907624 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 2015, the 19th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 U.S. states and over 60 countries worldwide.<ref>{{cite press release |title=19th Annual Webby Award Nominees |url= http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-releases/vice-jimmy-fallon-oscar-selfie-like-a-girl-campaign-tinder-vine-michelle-phan-tyler-oakley-spotify-refinery-29-product-hunt-hbo-go-and-more-unveiled-as-19th-annual-webby-award-nominees/ |publisher=Webby Awards|access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>

== Nomination process ==
The 2000 awards began the transition to nominee submissions.<ref name="Olson">{{cite magazine |last1=Olson |first1=Catherine Applefeld |title=Net Talent Search To Pick A Lilith Fair Act |magazine=Billboard |date=July 17, 1999 |volume=111 |issue=29 |page=76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22And+The+Cowsills+Are+Back+With+An+Album+Available+Only+On+The+Internet%22&pg=PA76 |access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Previously, nominees had been selected by an internal committee.<ref name="Olson"/>

As early as 2017, organizations wanting to nominate themselves were charged $395 for a single entry. An "ad campaign entry" would cost $595.<ref name="DMN">{{cite web |last1=Resnikoff |first1=Paul |title=Are the Webby Awards a Scam? |url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/04/06/webby-awards-scam/ |website=Digital Music News |access-date=31 March 2024 |date=6 April 2017}}</ref> By 2024, those fees had risen to $495 and $675, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eligibility, Guidelines and Fees |url=https://www.webbyawards.com/eligibility-and-guidelines/ |website=www.webbyawards.com |access-date=31 March 2024}}</ref>

Executive Academy Members with category-specific expertise evaluate the shortlisted entries based on the appropriate Website, Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile Sites & Apps, and Social category criteria, and cast ballots to determine Webby Honorees, Nominees and Webby Winners. [[Deloitte]] provides vote tabulation consulting for the Webby Awards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Press Release|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-releases/vice-jimmy-fallon-oscar-selfie-like-a-girl-campaign-tinder-vine-michelle-phan-tyler-oakley-spotify-refinery-29-product-hunt-hbo-go-and-more-unveiled-as-19th-annual-webby-award-nominees/|publisher=Webby Awards|access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-date=May 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505105945/http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-releases/vice-jimmy-fallon-oscar-selfie-like-a-girl-campaign-tinder-vine-michelle-phan-tyler-oakley-spotify-refinery-29-product-hunt-hbo-go-and-more-unveiled-as-19th-annual-webby-award-nominees/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition to the award given in each category by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, another winner is selected in each category as determined by the general public during People's Voice voting. Winners of both the Academy-selected and People's Voice-selected awards are invited to the Webbys.<ref>[http://entries.webbyawards.com/home/judging "Judging Process"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213000744/http://entries.webbyawards.com/home/judging |date=February 13, 2010 }}. Webby Awards. Retrieved April 2, 2010.</ref>

== Awards granted ==
{{see also|List of Webby Award winners}}
The Webby Awards are presented in over a hundred categories among all four types of entries. A website can be entered in multiple categories and receive multiple awards. In each category, two awards are handed out: a Webby Award selected by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and a People's Voice Award selected by the  general public.<ref name="categories">{{cite web |url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/categories.php |title=Categories |publisher=Webby Awards |access-date=October 8, 2009 |archive-date=September 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917014935/http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/categories.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Ceremony ==
Between 2005 and 2019, the Webby Awards were presented in New York City.<ref>{{cite press release| publisher= Webby Awards | date= April 5, 2005| url= http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=60 | title= For First Time Ever, Webby Awards will take place in New York City| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100102070924/http://webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=60 |archivedate=January 2, 2010 | accessdate= April 2, 2010}}</ref> Many of the ceremony hosts are comedians and comedic actors. Comedian [[Rob Corddry]] hosted the ceremony from 2005 to 2007. [[Seth Meyers]] of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' hosted in 2008 and 2009, [[B.J. Novak]] of the sitcom ''[[The Office (U.S. TV series)|The Office]]'' in 2010, and [[Lisa Kudrow]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://webbyawards.com/|title=Home| website= webbyawards.com| access-date= August 9, 2010|archive-date=April 23, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170423204001/http://webbyawards.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Comedian, actor, and writer [[Patton Oswalt]] hosted from 2012 to 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Bacle|first1=Ariana|title=Patton Oswalt to host Webby Awards for third time|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/03/25/patton-oswalt-webby-awards-host|publisher= | magazine= Entertainment Weekly |access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-date=September 6, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150906115637/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/03/25/patton-oswalt-webby-awards-host|url-status=live}}</ref> Comedian [[Hannibal Buress]] hosted in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vitto|first1=Laura|title=Comedian Hannibal Buress to host the 2015 Webby Awards|date=March 31, 2015 |url= http://mashable.com/2015/03/31/hannibal-buress-webby-awards/|publisher=| website= [[Mashable]].com |access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-date=May 6, 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150506205844/http://mashable.com/2015/03/31/hannibal-buress-webby-awards/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Webbys are famous for limiting recipients to five-word speeches, which are often humorous, although some exceed the limit. In 2005 when accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award, former Vice President [[Al Gore]]'s speech was "Please don't [[Florida election recount|recount]] this vote." He was introduced by [[Vint Cerf]] who used the same format to state, "We all invented the Internet."<ref name=nyt>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/arts/08webb.html |title=Accepting a Webby? Brevity, Please |access-date=June 15, 2008 |last=Carr |first=David |author-link=David Carr (journalist) |date=June 8, 2005 |publisher= | work= The New York Times |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110513033608/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/arts/08webb.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013, the creator of the [[GIF|Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)]], [[Steve Wilhite]], accepted his Webby and delivered his now famous five-word speech, "It's pronounced 'Jif' not 'Gif'."<ref>{{cite news| last1=Gross| first1=Doug|title=It's settled! Creator tells us how to pronounce 'GIF'| url= https://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/tech/web/pronounce-gif/|publisher=[[CNN]]| access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-date=June 27, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150627003110/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/tech/web/pronounce-gif|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Criticism ==

The Webbys have been criticized for their pay-to-enter and pay-to-attend policy (winners and nominees also have to pay to attend the award ceremony), and thus for not taking most websites into consideration before distributing their awards.<ref name=tribune>{{cite news| publisher=Chicago Tribune| date=May 14, 2008<!--| url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/may/14/news/chi-hypertext-webbys-0514may14-->| url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-05-14/features/0805120221_1_webby-awards-digital-arts-awards-show| title=Critics pour vitriol on Webby Awards| first=Steve| last=Johnson| access-date=April 2, 2010| archive-date=November 15, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115015038/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-05-14/features/0805120221_1_webby-awards-digital-arts-awards-show| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=What? You've Not Been Honored by the Webbys? |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |first=Jack |last=Shafer |date=April 9, 2008 |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2188581/ |access-date=April 2, 2010 |archive-date=April 17, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100417130545/http://www.slate.com/id/2188581| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WSJ09">Taylor, Marisa (May 7, 2009) [https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/05/07/the-annual-controversy-over-the-webby-awards/ The annual controversy over the Webby awards.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123040918/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/05/07/the-annual-controversy-over-the-webby-awards/ |date=November 23, 2017 }} ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', ''Digits'' blog. Retrieved April 2, 2010.</ref>  [[Gawker]], its [[Valleywag]] column, and others, have called the awards a scam, with Valleywag saying, "...somewhere along the way, the organizers figured out that this goofy charade could be milked for profit."<ref name=valleywag>{{cite web | first = Owen | last = Thomas | title = The Webby Awards Remain the Best Scam Going | date = April 5, 2009 | publisher = [[Valleywag]] | url = http://gawker.com/5240982/the-webby-awards-remain-the-best-scam-going | access-date = April 2, 2010 | archive-date = March 27, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100327044556/http://gawker.com/5240982/the-webby-awards-remain-the-best-scam-going | url-status=dead}}</ref>

In response, Webby Awards executive director David-Michel Davies told the ''Wall Street Journal'' that entry fees “provide the best and most sustainable model for ensuring that our judging process remains consistent and rigorous and is not dependent on things like sponsorships that can fluctuate from year to year.”<ref name="WSJ09"/>

==Anthem Awards==
{{expand section|date=October 2023}}
In 2021, the Webby organization started a new line of awards, the Anthem Awards, to honor the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.anthemawards.com/about-us/ |website=Anthem Awards |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=December 5, 2023|title=Taylor Swift & Elton John AIDS Foundation Among Finalists for 2024 Anthem Awards|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/2024-anthem-awards-finalists-taylor-swift-elton-john-aids-foundation-1235531799/|first=Paul|last=Grein|access-date=February 3, 2024|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> The finalists and winners are selected by the [[International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences]].<ref>{{cite web|date=February 15, 2022|title=Anthem Awards: 'The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,' Netflix Among Winners|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/anthem-awards-2022-winners-list-1235093821/|first=Hilary|last=Lewis|access-date=February 3, 2024|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|1990s|2010s|Internet}}
* [[Shorty Awards]]
* [[The Streamer Awards]]
* [[Streamy Awards]]
* [[List of web awards]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Joanna Glasner, [https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2006/05/70850 "Usual Suspects Dominate Webbys"] - ''[[Wired News]]'', May 9, 2006
* Jack Shafer, [http://www.slate.com/id/2188581/  "What? You've Not Been Honored by the Webbys?"], ''Slate'' Magazine, April 9, 2008

== External links ==
* {{official website|https://www.webbyawards.com/}}
* {{YouTube|channel=UCUtC8mAxcV7ALdwK9EMwJAg}}

{{Webby Awards}}

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