The Webbys get their groove back
The ninth annual ceremony, set for June 6, should put some pizzazz back into the party, a celebration of the best sites on the Web. Its organizers are boasting a "star-studded" guest list of more than 400 VIPs and a "majestic" setting in New York City's Gotham Hall. They've also tapped Rob Corddry, correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" to emcee.
After the Internet stock bubble deflated, the Webby Awards had hung up the party hat and began announcing winners online.
So this year marks a sort of rebirth of the event and a turning point for the industry, said Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards. The group received more than 4,000 entries, about double the previous years' batch, she said.
"It's definitely a big year for the Web," Shlain said. "It's been a huge year for blogs. It really feels like it the Web is entering a whole new era."
Shlain advised not to read too much into the fact that the ceremony is taking place in New York, rather than its original home in San Francisco. A San Francisco resident, Schlain said just likes to mix things up.
"I love San Francisco; this isn't any reflection on San Francisco," she said. "Every year has just been so different."
Also new this year are "Special Achievement" awards for person of the year, artist of the year and lifetime achievement to "recognize influential leaders using the Web to reinvent, business, entertainment, and popular culture," according to a press release.
The group plans to announce nominations on April 12 and reveal winners on May 3.