For Immediate Release
Contact: Jill Feldman,jill@mkpr.com
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com
Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098
PRINCE, MUSIC LEGEND AND INTERNET VISIONARY,
TO RECEIVE WEBBY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT
THE 10TH ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS
New York, NY (May 31, 2006) – In recognition of his visionary use of the Internet to distribute music and connect with audiences, music legend Prince will be honored at The 10th Annual Webby Awards on June 12th in New York City, the International Academy of the Digital Arts and Sciences announced today.
The first major artist to release an entire album – 1997’s Crystal Ball – exclusively on the Web, Prince’s leadership online has transformed the entertainment industry and reshaped the relationship between artist and fan. Long before MySpace and iTunes, Prince used the Web in new ways to distribute music, premiere videos, and build his relationship with his fans. His groundbreaking web site, NPG Music Club (www.npgmusicclub.com) boasts more than seven full-length CDs of music that are unavailable anywhere else.
“Besides being a musical genius, Prince is a visionary who recognized early on that the web would completely change how we experience music,” said Tiffany Shlain, founder of The Webby Awards. “For more than a decade, he has tapped the power of the Web to forge a deeper connection with his fans and push the boundaries of technology and art.”
Prince will be saluted alongside Webby Awards winners in 69 categories, as well as five other Special Achievement honorees – the founders of Myspace.com, Thomas Friedman, Mark Cuban, The Gorillaz, and Internet co-inventor Dr. Robert Kahn – which were announced earlier this month.
Proclaimed “the online equivalent of an OSCAR®” by the New York Times (June 21, 2005), The Webby
Awards is the leading international honor for Web sites and the innovators behind them.
The Webby Awards is presented by the Academy, a global organization with over 500 members including musician
David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, “Simpsons”
creator Matt Groening, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, and fashion designer Max Azria.
Over 600 winners, industry leaders, and celebrities will attend the June 12th ceremony at New York
City’s landmark Cipriani Wall Street For the second year in a row, Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart will emcee the evening’s festivities.
In keeping with Webby tradition, all winners and Webby Special Achievement honorees will be limited to
five-word acceptance speeches. Last year’s Webby Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Al Gore made worldwide
headlines with his speech – “Please don’t recount this vote.”
Title Sponsors for The 10th Annual Webby Awards are:
- AOL LLC, a leading network of Web brands including the new AOL.com®, AOL’s next generation broadband Web portal, which offers an extensive array of content and features available for free.
Web users can access industry leading communication products; the best programming from news, sports and personal finance to music, movies, television and games; as well as an innovative video media
experience, all from one place. - The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, the premier staffing company for creative professionals.
For a list of all winners of The 10th Annual Webby Awards, visit www.webbyawards.com
About The Webby Awards:
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards is the leading international honors for Web sites. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 535-member judging organization consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: AOL.com, The Creative Group; Verizon; Adweek Magazines; Fortune and FSB; OnRequest Images, IDG; PricewaterhouseCoopers; iStockphoto, American Marketing Association; 2Advanced Studios, 2 Advanced.net; MX Interactive. For more information visit
www.webbyawards.com.
About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS):
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the internet and interactive media. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 500 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, business guru and author Tom Peters, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, fashion designer Max Azria, Simpsons creator Matt Groening and Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser. The Webby Awards and The International Academy of DigFor more information, visit www.iadas.net.
OSCAR® is a federally registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are in no way affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or OSCAR®.
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