Judges and IADAS
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences was founded in 1998 to help drive the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and evolving forms of interactive media. In the model of the film, television, and the recording industries, the purposes of The Academy are:
- To recognize and acknowledge excellence in interactive content across emerging technologies.
- To connect a diverse group of luminaries to facilitate growth and development in the digital arts and sciences.
- To educate industry professionals and the public-at-large about what is relevant, making technology accessible and integrating it into the general culture.
Associate Academy members are former Webby winners and nominees and other invited industry professionals. Rewarded as leaders in their peer groups for their creative and technical accomplishments, Associate members are invited to take part in Round 1 Judging, the initial phase of the Webby evaluation process.
The Executive Academy is comprised of industry luminaries such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, President & Editor-in-Chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group Arianna Huffington, Twitter Founder Biz Stone, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Foursquare Founder Denis Crowely, Virgin Atlantic Chairman and Founder Richard Branson, Global Interactive Executive Creative Director Iain Tait, and The Weinstein Company Co-Founder Harvey Weinstein. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper.
Last year, the 15th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states and generated over 750 million media impressions worldwide.
