The envelope please . . .
Tired of all those awards shows? The egos, the long-winded speeches and the outrageous fashion statements? You won’t find that at The Webby Awards 2000 (www.webbyawards.com). Considered the Oscars of the Internet, the Webby Awards recognize the best and the brightest of the more than 40 million Web sites.
Winners dress how they want, leave behind their egos and their speeches — they’re limited to only five words. Winners are awarded a Slinky-like statuette from the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a 350-person organization whose membership includes David Bowie, Francis Ford Coppola, Julia Child, Robin Williams and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, among others.
Judges, considered experts in their field, objectively highlight the best of the Web and award winners based on the merit of the site and not the stock price, while offering a guide for consumers on the Web. The event, held at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco and attended by an estimated 3,000, was broadcast May 11 in a live Webcast on Yahoo! Entertainment. The Webby Awards honored cyber-culture in 27 categories ranging from fashion to finance to activism, politics and technical achievement.
“The Webby Awards this year really reflected every creative and vibrant spirit on the Web from the south of France to Canada, Turkey, Russia and the U.S.,” said Tiffany Shlain, founder and director of the fourth annual Webby Awards. “(Web users) can look to winners of The Webby Awards as trusted sources of excellence on the Web. The Webby Awards should be the first site you go to and use as the ultimate bookmark list.”
Were there any surprises at The Webby Awards 2000? You be the judge of that.
AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
For Best Activism Site, ADBUSTERS (www.adbusters.org)
Adbusters is dedicated to reinventing the outdated paradigms of our consumer culture and building a brave new understanding of living. More than anything, the site states, we seek compelling ideas that further the critical perspective and offer activist solutions.
For Best Arts Site,
WEBSTALKER (www.backspace.org/iod/iod4Winupdates.html)
Webstalker is an on-line arts site recognized for its compelling art and information.
For Best Broadband, VIDEOFARM (www.videofarm.com)
Videofarm offers the tools you need to showcase your video on the Web and the opportunity to participate in a video exchange, chats and forums and learn tips and tricks of the trade.
For Best Commerce, BABYCENTER (www.babycenter.com)
Babycenter.com offers information, support, practical advice from experts and the products needed for pregnancy, babies or toddlers.
For Best Community Site, CAFE UTNE (http://caf.utne.com/caf)
Cafe Utne allows users to conference on-line on subjects ranging from body, books, culture, earth, media, money, spirit, society, technology, travel and home and garden.
For Best Education Site,
MERRIAM-WEBSTER WORD CENTRAL (www.wordcentral.com)
On Merriam-Webster’s Word Central, you can look up words fast in the student dictionary, build your own dictionary and stump friends with the day’s daily buzzword.
For Best Fashion Site, PAUL SMITH (www.paulsmith.co.uk)
PaulSmith.co.uk requires Macromedia Flash to view and offers users a glimpse of the fashion world at its best through graphics and animation.
For Best Film Site, ATOM FILMS (www.atomfilms.com)
Atom’s short films, animations and Monty Python-style English humor provide fun and unique programming. Browser upgrades might be necessary for viewing.
For Best Finance Site, GOMEZ.COM (www.gomez.com)
Gomez.com provides high-quality community ratings and objective reviews of on-line businesses.
For Best Games Site, GAMESPY INDUSTRIES (www.gamespy.com)
Gamespy.com is a provider of games specializing in action, strategy, tactical, role-playing, sports, sim, classic, console and adventure. It also provides a gaming community for users to interact.
For Best Health Site, THRIVEONLINE (www.thriveonline.com)
Thriveonline, an extension of the popular on-line health news provider, Oxygen, offers health information covering medical, fitness, sexuality, nutrition, serenity and weight and offers a searchable conditions data base and chats with the experts. Nominated for the last three years, Thriveonline was considered the Susan Lucci of the Webby Awards.
For Best Humor Site, THE ONION (www.theonion.com)
The Onion, a satire humor site not intended for viewing by anyone under the age of 18, takes an interesting look at the news with headlines such as “Gore camp denies putting Bush camp’s canoe in treetop.”
For Best Kids Site, SCHOLASTIC.COM (www.scholastic.com)
Scholastic has a 78-year reputation for providing quality learning materials for teachers, parents and children. The site enables kids to find their favorite characters, read a good book, play great games and get the latest news.
For Best Living Site, EPICURIOUS (www.epicurious.com)
Epicurious.com “For People Who Eat” offers a recipe file of more than 10,000 recipes on a searchable data base plus cookbook reviews, cooking tips, drink recipes and the latest food news from Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines.
For Best Music Site, NAPSTER (www.napster.com)
Napster.com is “music at Internet speed,” the controversial music file-sharing site allows users to download MP3 music files of their favorite artists. It also allows users to chat with each other in forums based on the music genre and a hot list of popular artists.
For Best News Site,
JIM ROMENESKO’S MEDIA NEWS (www.poynter.org/medianews)
Joe Romenesko’s Media News hits on the big news happening today in the media world from companies considering going private and how some companies like the Washington Post spent $85 million on Internet operations in 1999.
For Best Personal Web Site,
COCKY BASTARD (www.cockybastard.com)
Available in Flash or html, www.cockybastard.com lets you view the Web author’s daily Weblog and the links “let you peek inside his mental panties” through words, pictures and art all by John Halcyon Styn.
For Best Politics and Law Site, POLITICS.COM (www.politics.com)
Politics.com lets you know the candidates, follow the money, read the polls, participate in forums and read all about today’s political news.
For Best Print and Zines Site, NERVE (www.nerve.com)
Nerve is an intellectual on-line erotica magazine recognized by the Webbys as the best magazine on the Web. Nerve upset three-time Webby winner www.salonmagazine.com, once considered the Tom Hanks of the Webby Awards.
For Best Radio Site,
LOST AND FOUND SOUND (www.lostandfound.com)
Lost and Found Sound is a collaboration between independent radio producers and NPR’s “All Things Considered” in a special yearlong series of stories that capture the spirit and sounds of everyday life in this century.
For Best Science Site,
THE CAVE OF LASCAUX www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en)
This French government site of the Culture et Communication offers viewing of Great Archaeological Sites including the 1940 discovery of The Cave of Lascaux. Click on the English version to learn about the Great Hall of the Bulls and participate in a virtual visit.
For Best Services Site, EVITE (www.evite.com)
Evite.com assists with every stage of organization for more than 140 different types of activities from book clubs to baby showers, dinner parties and weekend getaways.
For Best Sports Site, ESPN (http://espn.go.com)
A favorite of cable viewers, ESPN sports network extends its comprehensive sports coverage to the Web.
For Best Technical Achievement Site, GOOGLE (www.google.com)
Designed to “impose order on information chaos,” Google’s search engine uses a method of organizing the Internet according to its own structure by using its PageRank (TM) technology. The site offers the basics in searching and specialized searches on government and university Web sites.
For Best Travel Site, OUTSIDE ONLINE (www.outsidemag.com)
Outside Magazine on-line offers information on the environment, gear, destinations, sports, news and adventure. It also highlights a travel calendar, the best hikes, the best rides and snow reports.
For Best Television Site, MSNBC (www.msnbc.com)
MSNBC.com offers viewers news of the day, business, sports, health, technology, living and travel, TV News plus opinions, shopping, headlines and comics. MSNBC.com also allows users to enter their zip code to get local news, sports and weather.
Peoples Voice Winners
More than 134,000 Web fans cast their vote on-line on nominated Web sites in 27 categories in the Peoples Voice Awards, The Webby Awards tribute to democracy on the Web.
A few unique choices of the Peoples Voice that differed from the Academy include:
– For Best Activism, www.hungersite.com
– For Best Commerce, www.amazon.com
– For Best Finance, www.paypal.com
– For Best Games, www.shockwave.com
– For Best Health, www.intelihealth.com
– For Best Travel, http://travel.discovery.com
For a complete list of winners, go to www.webbyawards.com.
“We’re accepting entries now for The Webby Awards 2001,” said Tiffany Shlain, founder and director of The Webby Awards. Enter your personal Web site to be a cyber-celebrity.
