2000 Webby Awards
Encyclopedia
Held in San Francisco
's Masonic Center for a crowd of 3,000 invited guests, the 2000 Webby Awards were widely considered the peak of the Webby Awards
and a watershed of dot com party
culture. The event took place May 11, 2000, shortly before many of the event's perennial nominees and participants suffered business failure
s in the dot com crash.
The attendant ceremony and surrounding events were described in the press as "Hollywood-style" and a "bacchanal.". Others complained that the event was too serious and less fun than in its earlier, freewheeling days, and was too much of a "corporate mixer." Alan Cummings was the master of ceremonies
. The theme was The Time Machine
, from the H.G. Wells novel. Pre-awards entertainment included guest "fluffers" with feather dusters, fake paparazzi
who would excitedly take pictures of arriving guests, and dance troupes from Project Bandaloop
scaling and rappelling down the face of the theater building. Some nominees dressed up as astronauts carrying their corporate banners as flags, and in headdresses and silver metallic wigs. Google's representatives arrived in costume as they had the year before, rolling onstage in inline skates
to accept their award. Guerilla marketers from companies that did not get into the event stood on the sidewalk outside to attract attention.
The 27 award winners received a prize of $30,000 each, a first for the event. As in years past, award speeches were limited to five words. Presenters included Sandra Bernhardt, John Perry Barlow
, Sandra Bernhard
, Mahir, and Tina Brown
. Among the new additions to the judging panel were Robin Williams
, David Bowie
, and Deepak Chopra
.
The afterparty
took place in nearby Grace Cathedral and in Huntington Park
across the street, which had been covered with tents and served food and alcohol donated by restaurants throughout the city. Held on top of Nob Hill, one of the town's largest enclaves of old money
, the event took a year to plan and several months of permits. Despite extensive community outreach, and a promise by organizers to pay for restoration of the Fontana delle Tartarughe, a dilapidated fountain in the park as a goodwill gesture, some local residents were vocal in their resentment of the brashness of the Internet industry, and canvassed the neighborhood with protest leaflets.
Future award events were more somber. By the next year's event, one fifth of the 2000 nominees were out of business, and more than half of the winners had been sold, suffered layoffs, or failed. By 2002 there was not even enough money available to pay for a live event.
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|People's Voice winner
|Other nominees
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Activism
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American Civil Liberties Union
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Protest Net -
The Action Network -
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Art
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Web Stalker -
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SFMOMA Presents Bill Viola
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EasyLife.Org
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netomat -
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
's Masonic Center for a crowd of 3,000 invited guests, the 2000 Webby Awards were widely considered the peak of the Webby Awards
Webby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
and a watershed of dot com party
Dot com party
A dot com party is a social and business networking mixer hosted by an Internet-related business, typically for promotional purposes or to celebrate a corporate event such as a product launch, venture funding round, or corporate acquisition.-History:Dot com parties were a notorious part of the...
culture. The event took place May 11, 2000, shortly before many of the event's perennial nominees and participants suffered business failure
Business failure
Business failure refers to a company ceasing operations following its inability to make a profit or to bring in enough revenue to cover its expenses...
s in the dot com crash.
The attendant ceremony and surrounding events were described in the press as "Hollywood-style" and a "bacchanal.". Others complained that the event was too serious and less fun than in its earlier, freewheeling days, and was too much of a "corporate mixer." Alan Cummings was the master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
. The theme was The Time Machine
The Time Machine
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction...
, from the H.G. Wells novel. Pre-awards entertainment included guest "fluffers" with feather dusters, fake paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
who would excitedly take pictures of arriving guests, and dance troupes from Project Bandaloop
Project Bandaloop
Project Bandaloop brings to audiences performances of aerial dance. Under the direction of Amelia Rudolph, it creates a blend of dance, sport, ritual and environmental awareness. Inspired by the possibilities of climbing and rappelling, the choreography draws on aerial, vertical and horizontal...
scaling and rappelling down the face of the theater building. Some nominees dressed up as astronauts carrying their corporate banners as flags, and in headdresses and silver metallic wigs. Google's representatives arrived in costume as they had the year before, rolling onstage in inline skates
Inline skates
In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...
to accept their award. Guerilla marketers from companies that did not get into the event stood on the sidewalk outside to attract attention.
The 27 award winners received a prize of $30,000 each, a first for the event. As in years past, award speeches were limited to five words. Presenters included Sandra Bernhardt, John Perry Barlow
John Perry Barlow
John Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
, Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
, Mahir, and Tina Brown
Tina Brown
Tina Brown, Lady Evans, CBE , is a journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author of The Diana Chronicles, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Born a British citizen, she took United States citizenship in 2005 after emigrating in 1984 to edit Vanity Fair...
. Among the new additions to the judging panel were Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...
.
The afterparty
Afterparty
The term afterparty, after-party, or after party refers to a phenomenon in modern culture often seen in the hospitality or entertainment industries and among college and high-school circles in society, which involves a planned celebration following a significant event attended by guests associated...
took place in nearby Grace Cathedral and in Huntington Park
Huntington Park
-In the United States:* Huntington Park, California* Huntington Park , a park in Newport News, Virginia* Huntington Park , a minor league baseball stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
across the street, which had been covered with tents and served food and alcohol donated by restaurants throughout the city. Held on top of Nob Hill, one of the town's largest enclaves of old money
Old Money
Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...
, the event took a year to plan and several months of permits. Despite extensive community outreach, and a promise by organizers to pay for restoration of the Fontana delle Tartarughe, a dilapidated fountain in the park as a goodwill gesture, some local residents were vocal in their resentment of the brashness of the Internet industry, and canvassed the neighborhood with protest leaflets.
Future award events were more somber. By the next year's event, one fifth of the 2000 nominees were out of business, and more than half of the winners had been sold, suffered layoffs, or failed. By 2002 there was not even enough money available to pay for a live event.
Nominees and winners
- (from http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=4)
{|valign="top" class="wikitable"
|Category
|Winner
|People's Voice winner
|Other nominees
|-valign="top"
|
Activism
|
Ad Busters -
|
The Hunger Site -
|
American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
-
Protest Net -
The Action Network -
|-valign="top"
|
Art
|
Web Stalker -
|
SFMOMA Presents Bill Viola
Bill Viola
Bill Viola is a contemporary video artist. He is considered a leading figure in the generation of artists whose artistic expression depends upon electronic, sound, and image technology in New Media...
-
|
EasyLife.Org
Alexei Shulgin
Alexei Shulgin is a Russian born contemporary artist, musician, and online curator. Working out of Moscow and Helsinki, Shulgin established the Immediate Photography Group in 1988 and started his career in this area of study...
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netomat -