Four Days Left to Submit for 2008 SXSW Interactive Web Awards

    AUSTIN, Texas, December 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The deadline to enter the
 SXSW Interactive Web Awards is this Friday, December 14, leaving only four
 days for Web developers, designers and digital artists to submit their
 latest online work. In its 11th year, the annual Web site competition and
 premier evening event of the SXSW Interactive Festival honors top digital
 innovators and creatives who build and implement tomorrow's online trends
 through Web development and design. Winners in eighteen categories, as well
 as the "People's Choice" and "Best in Show" awards, will be revealed at the
 2008 Web Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 9, at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
 
     "By focusing on sites created in the past year, the competition really
 showcases the up-and-coming Web developers and emerging online trends,"
 said Shawn O'Keefe, SXSW Web Awards Coordinator. "Whether you are talking
 about Twitter, Meebo, Squidoo or Technorati ... you most likely saw them
 for the first time as part of this annual competition at SXSW Interactive."
 
     Comedian, writer and filmmaker Eugene Mirman is scheduled to emcee this
 year's Web Awards Ceremony. Well known for his work on the hit HBO show,
 "Flight of The Concords," and from his appearances on Comedy Central's
 "Premium Blend", he performs his stand-up comedy at festivals and shows
 across the United States, alongside comedic groups and bands like Cake and
 The Shins.
 
     "SXSW provides a chance for innovators, bloggers, new media junkies and
 all sorts of tech-geeks to meet up, get drunk and share awkward stories
 about their weird families. And network," jokes Eugene Mirman.
 
     The eighteen categories for submission include: Activism, Amusement,
 Art, Blog, Business: For-Profit, CSS, Classic, Community, Educational
 Resource, Experimental, Film/TV, Games, Mobile, Motion Graphics, Music,
 Personal Portfolio, Student and Technical Achievement. Additional awards
 are given for "People's Choice" and "Best in Show."
 
     Winner of the "Best of Show" award is given to the judges' favorite
 finalist site from the competition. Along with massive industry exposure,
 the "Best of Show" winner this year will receive an award valued at more
 than $1,000, to be filled with tech-related prizes, along with a travel
 package for the 2009 SXSW Festival. The package will include a platinum
 badge, four nights of hotel accommodation in Austin, as well as a
 round-trip domestic ticket on American Airlines. For more information on
 Web site categories, rules and submission details please see
 http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/web_awards/.
 
     About the 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.
 
 

      Contact:
      Lauren Sell
      Porter Novelli for SXSW Interactive
      512-241-2246
      lauren.sell@porternovelli.com
 
 

SOURCE SXSW