AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival announced finalists in 18 categories for the 11th annual SXSW Web Awards, which uncover the best new websites and celebrate the top digital innovators building and implementing tomorrow's online trends. Online voting is now open for the People's Choice Award, which will honor the online public's favorite Web Awards finalist.
Winners will be revealed at the SXSW Web Awards Ceremony presented by Adobe on Sunday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m., during the SXSW Interactive Festival. This highly entertaining evening event will be hosted by comedian, writer and filmmaker Eugene Mirman, best known for his work on the hit HBO show, "Flight of The Concords," and from his appearances on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend."
On what attendees can expect at the Web Awards Ceremony, Mirman offers, "I have nothing illegal planned for the awards show if I understand the law correctly. There won't be any nudity and I promise not to make fun of what people wear."
Judges of the 11th Annual Web Awards will select the best in Web innovation from hundreds of entries submitted across the globe, with winners in 18 categories, including: Activism, Amusement, Art, Blog, Business, CSS, Classic, Community, Educational Resource, Experimental, Film/TV, Games, Mobile, Motion Graphics, Music, Personal Portfolio, Student and Technical Achievement. The Web Awards will also honor the Best in Show and People's Choice Awards. A complete list of finalists and their Web site entries can be found at http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/web_awards/finalists/.
"We are very excited by all the innovative and inventive work submitted in this year's competition -- particularly the growth in the Activism, Community and Mobile categories," explains Web Awards coordinator, Shawn O'Keefe. "Showcasing and celebrating the online community as a positive force for change in the world is really what is at the heart of the SXSW Web Awards."
The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a Web Awards pre-party in Brush Square Park, directly across from the Austin Convention Center. Attendees will proceed to the 6th floor ballroom of the Downtown Austin Hilton Hotel for the Web Awards ceremony, which will be followed by an after-party hosted by PopSci.com at Emo's. More information about the evening events can be found at http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/evening_events/.
About SXSW Interactive Festival
Scheduled March 7-11 in Austin, Texas, the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival provides practical how-to information as well as unparalleled career inspiration, bringing together some of emerging technology's most creative thinkers. The event features five days of keynote speeches, more than 120 panels, the SXSW Web Awards, the iF! Trade Show & Exhibition, the ScreenBurn Arcade, and dozens of exciting evening events. For more information on SXSW Interactive, see http://www.sxsw.com/interactive.
SXSW Interactive Festival
