Website awards

The Web industry has established various award schemes for websites, following the example of the Tony, Oscar, BAFTA, Cannes Film Festival and Emmy awards which are granted in the fields of theatre, film and television. This article covers notable awards.
General website awards
The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards scheme has been operated since 1996 by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards is owned and operated by the Webby Media Group, a division of Recognition Media, which also owns and produces the Lovie Awards in Europe and Netted by the Webbys. Awards are granted each spring for websites which demonstrate Best Practice in: Content, Structure & Navigation, Visual Design, Interactivity, Functionality, and Overall Experience. The main awards are decided by a panel of judges. The related People's Voice Awards are decided by online public vote. The "Webbie" Awards actually first appeared in 1995, sponsored by the Academy of Web Design, San Francisco. The award entity was later transferred to the International Academy, and the spelling was changed to "Webby." Cost of entry is between $100 - $300 USD per site with trophies costing in excess of $1000 USD.
Net Awards
Founded in 1994 in the UK by Future plc and now in their 16th year, net's The Net Awards recognize the new talent, trends, and technologies that have pushed the web forward over the previous twelve months, as well as recognizing outstanding contributions by established individuals and companies. The annual judging panel is made up of notable industry veterans and thought leaders in the web design and development fields. Categories include Agency of the Year, Individual Outstanding Contribution, Developer of the Year, and Best Collaborative Project.
Website design awards
Awwwards
Awwwards is a professional web design and development competition body founded by Spanish agency Tierra Virtual in 2009 under the domain name thecssawards.com. In 2010 thecssawards.com changed to the domain name to the domain name awwwards.com. It aims to recognize and promote the best of innovative web design. The best year-round submissions are awarded at Awwwards' annual conference in cities located in Europe and the USA. Awwwards have received criticism for allegedly using sock accounts to artificially inflate the popularity of their social posts.
Web-based advertising awards
Several advertising and design award schemes now include categories for websites and other interactive media.
Addy Awards
The Addy Awards are operated by the American Advertising Federation based in Washington DC, USA. In addition to awards for print, poster, and television advertisements, there are several categories for interactive media. These include: Business to Business Websites, Consumer Websites, Banners & Pop-Ups, E-Cards, Micro & Mini Websites, Online Games, Online Newsletters, Podcasts, Mobile Marketing, Internet Commercials, and Webisodes. Selection is based on a judgement of creative quality.
Clio Awards
The Clio Awards program, which is based in New York USA, is operated by Nielsen, the Dutch media conglomerate formerly known as VNU. Clio awards recognise excellence in advertising and design. There is an interactive category, which grants awards to websites. Other categories include: TV/Cinema, Print, Poster, and Billboard. The Clio jury comprises more than 100 judges drawn from more than 60 countries. Awards are granted during the four-day Clio Festival, held each May in Miami, Florida.
D&AD Awards
The D&AD awards program is operated by D&AD, a non-profit organization based in London, England, and founded in 1962, which represents the global creative, design and advertising communities. D&AD offers several annual awards for websites, including awards for: Websites, Microsites, New Uses of Websites, Writing, Sound Design, Interface & Navigation, and Photography. Two levels of award are granted: the Yellow Pencil (equivalent to a silver award) and the Black Pencil (formerly known as a Grand Prix award).

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