Friskies® Announces Finalists for "The Friskies" Internet Cat Video Awards

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- They certainly defy explanation. They sometimes even defy gravity. But these cats need the public's vote if they are to become the next great Internet star and take home the coveted Catuette for "Best Video" at "The Friskies," the major award for best new Internet cat videos of 2012. 

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Friskies® cat food brand launched the search for the next great Internet cat video in September, and America answered. From more than 1,400 entries, twelve finalists – three in each of four categories – were announced today at www.TheFriskies.com. Now, it's time to view, share and vote for your favorite cat to win. The Grand Prize winner receives $15,000 and four Category Prize winners receive $2,500 each. Voting is open now through November 9 at www.TheFriskies.com. "The Friskies" awards will be presented live November 14 in a special ceremony produced in conjunction with The Pet Collective.

"We've been excited to see the response," said Shaun Belongie, Friskies brand manager. "The finalists' videos are all great representations of the art form of the Internet cat video. Cats see the world very differently than we do and the finalists' videos give us a great peek into that world. We look forward to seeing which videos the community and judges choose to become the first-ever winners of 'The Friskies,' and celebrating them during our live award ceremony."

Tune In to See "The Friskies" Award Show LIVE on TheFriskies.com
The winners will be announced during the first-ever "The Friskies" award show. The show will be streamed live at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 14 at www.TheFriskies.com.  YouTube show host Michael Buckley will serve as master of ceremonies. But that's just the beginning.

"The Friskies" award show isn't your typical award show. It's an historic moment of celebration for the art form of cat videos. Friskies has a few surprises planned, from interpretive dance to special honors for cats who have helped inspire the art form. And there probably will be more cat hair than you'd find at traditional award shows. "The Friskies" will be produced in conjunction with FremantleMedia's The Pet Collective, the leading pet channel on YouTube.

Every Vote Helps a Cat in Need
In addition to helping pick the winners of "The Friskies," viewers will make it possible for Friskies to donate up to 250,000 cans of cat food to cat rescue organizations nationwide. Based on numbers of entries, views and votes, twenty-five cat charity organizations each will receive up to 10,000 cans of Friskies cat food by the end of this year. Visit www.TheFriskies.com for more information about the charities, and how you can help them earn more Friskies cat food.

Industry Experts to Weigh In
The online community's votes will be combined with scores from The Friskies panel of celebrity experts. With diverse backgrounds in media and entertainment industries, The Friskies judges include:

• Wayne White: Iconic multi-media artist, original set designer for Pee Wee's Playhouse and star of this fall's acclaimed documentary Beauty is Embarrassing.
• Michael Showalter: Actor, comedian, cat humorist, and professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts known for co-writing the cult hit Wet Hot American Summer and as a member of the sketch comedy trio Stella.
• Tim League: Film industry trendsetter known for founding Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Rolling Roadshow and Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the nation. 
• Karen Nichols: Managing editor of award-winning online cat lifestyle magazine Mousebreath, and Internet cat video creator and aficionado.

About Friskies
The Friskies® brand offers a complete line of great-tasting cat foods, including more than 60 wet, dry and treat varieties. Friskies is manufactured by Nestle Purina PetCare, a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestle Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis; Mo. Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A. – the world's largest food company. All trademarks are owned by Societe des Produits Nestle S.A. or used with permission.

About The Pet Collective
The Pet Collective (www.youtube.com/ThePetCollective) is the leading pet channel on YouTube, with more than 60,000 subscribers and nearly 15 million video views since it debuted in May.  The Pet Collective presents original series and content created to encourage pet owners and pet lovers to have fun and do good.  The Pet Collective is produced by FremantleMedia, the global entertainment company behind such hits as American Idol and The X Factor. The Pet Collective can be found only on YouTube, and pet lovers can learn more about it by following The Pet Collective on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

SOURCE Friskies