Award Review: The Webby Awards
We recently received a card in the mail from the Webby Awards. The Webby Awards have some big-time, high-profile sponsors including Getty Images, .mobi, AdweekMedia and Reuters.
But what are the Webby Awards? As the web site explains:
The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities.
The description of the Webby Awards continues….
The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category — The Webby Award and The People’s Voice Award — in each of its four entry types: Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile. Members of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences select the nominees for both awards in each category, as well as the winners of the Webby Awards. However, you, the online community, determine the winners of The People’s Voice by voting for the nominated work that you believe to be the best in each category. Each year, the People’s Voice Awards garners hundreds of thousands of votes from the Web community all over the world.
Sounds great. So what does it take to enter?
A nice chunk of change, actually. Entry fees start at $125, and most categories are more than double that price. Of course, the good press and notoriety that you will receive by winning an award is well worth the cost of entry, but the price does discourage some smaller players from taking a run at entering the contest.
The judges include the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. This panel is made up of actors, artists, entrepreneurs, web-savvy experts and everything in between. Membership includes chef Julia Child, ACLU President Nadine Strossen, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening…basically famous people from every industry and profession.
The question becomes, “How qualified are these individuals to vote on such an award?” In most cases, it does not seem like they are very qualified at all. However, the purpose of the award seems to be popularity more so than accuracy.
The Webby Awards are regarded as one of the biggest awards on the internet. That does not mean they are the most relevant or utilitarian. Still, popularity is the most important factor for most web sites, and the Webby Awards can certainly fill that criterion as well as or better than any award available.
The registration deadline for the Webby Awards is January 25. Like any business decision, weigh the pros and the cons on whether it was worth the price of entry. If you think that your web site, ad campaign, mobile content, or film has a legitimate shot at winning an award, it is probably worth the cost.