In keeping with its famous five-word acceptance speech limit, The 12th Annual Webby Awards nominees unveiled this week can be summed up simply as: "More power to the people."
From sharing opinions and ideas with millions worldwide to impacting global affairs to just being funny and entertaining, many of the nominees reveal how people are going online to reshape politics and re-energize the democratic process.
Online Film & Video: Best Use Of Animation Or Motion Graphics:
--30-Second Bunnies Theatre (Starz/Angry Alien)--Heavenly Sword (BLINK PRODUCTIONS)--It's JerryTime! (Ozone)--New Yorker Animated Cartoons (RingTales)--Samurai (BBDO New York)
Online Film & Video: Best Use Of Animation/Motion Graphics:
--Drawn by Pain (Jeskid Productions)--Global Giving (IP Pixel)--MTV Puberty (WDDG)--Sundance Channel - Smiling Fish (Sundance Channel)--The New York Times Style Magazine "Circle Squared" (The New York Times/T Magazine)
Website: Best Use Of Animation Or Graphics:
--Audi A5 - A Rhythm of Lines (GT)--Electronic Arts Sim City DS (Hydro Limited)--Happiness Factory - Now Hiring (AKQA)--MTV Puberty (WDDG)--Zune (T.A.G. Agency)
Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet" by THE NEW YORK TIMES, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, online film and video, interactive advertising, and mobile Websites.
The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, THE SIMPSONS' creator Matt Groening, and Harvey Weinstein.
Unlike other awards shows, where only judges choose the winners, The Webby Awards also give the global Web community an opportunity to decide who will take home a Webby.
Through May 1, the public can cast their votes in The Webby People's Voice Awards presented by Nokia at http://pv.webbyawards.com/.
A full list of all nominees in more than 100 categories can be found at www.webbyawards.com/webbys/.
Winners will be announced on May 6, 2008 and honored at two star-studded ceremonies in New York City: The Webby Film & Video Awards on June 9 and The Webby Awards Gala on June 10.
All winners will take to the stage to deliver their speeches in just five words. Past headline-grabbing speechmakers include Al Gore ("Please don't recount this vote"), Beastie Boys ("Can anyone fix my computer?"), and Prince ("Everything you think is true.").
The Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries. Nominees hail from 24 nations, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the U.K.
