FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sunshine Sachs
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20th Annual Celebration of Internet Excellence Set for May 16 in New York
NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 – The Webby Awards announced today that artist, songwriter and entrepreneur Kanye West and actress Krysten Ritter will be honored with Webby Special Achievement Awards for their contributions to Internet culture at the 20th Annual Webby Awards celebration at Cipriani Wall Street on May 16, 2016.
West will accept the Special Achievement Award for Webby Artist of the Year in recognition for his pioneering work leveraging the Internet and streaming media to release his record-breaking album, The Life of Pablo. West’s newest album was streamed 250 million times in the first 10 days of its initial release on the music streaming platform Tidal, and was celebrated as the first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart where more than half of its units were generated by streaming equivalent albums.
Actress Krysten Ritter will be presented with the Special Achievement Award for Webby Best Actress for her eponymous role as former superhero Jessica Jones on the Netflix drama Marvel’s Jessica Jones, one of the most-watched series on the popular streaming platform.
“Every year, the Academy recognizes exceptional Webby Awards Winners who have played a significant role in shaping our broader Internet culture,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards. “Kanye West and Krysten Ritter are two standouts who have successfully leveraged the immense influence and addictive elements of streaming media to drive innovation on the Internet.”
Fans around the world will be able to watch and share The Webby Awards ceremony on demand at WebbyAwards.com starting the morning of Tuesday, May 17. Online viewers will be able to enjoy all the show highlights, including special performances and all the hallmark 5-Word Speeches from the night’s big Winners.
For more information on this year’s Webby Award Winners, please visit www.webbyawards.com.
Find The Webby Awards Online:
Website: www.webbyawards.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/TheWebbyAwards
Snapchat: TheWebbyAwards
Twitter: @TheWebbyAwards
YouTube: www.youtube.com/webby
About the Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile Sites & Apps and Social. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Xfinity, Google, Verizon, Vitamin T, The Scene, Zipcar, YouTube, MediaMonks, Adformatie, Advertising Age, Code and Theory, Cool Hunting, Creativepool, Digiday, FITC, GIPHY, Internet Week New York, It’s Nice That, Mashable, Mobile Marketing Association, Moleskine, Ninja Marketing, Northside Festival, NUMA, Social Media Week, SoDA, Springwise, Sysomos, Taste Talks, The Drum, The Guardian News Media, The Hollywood Reporter, Tube Filter and VentureBeat.