International Academy of Web Television Announces Winners for the Inaugural IAWTV Awards

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The web television industry was out in full force this evening as the winners of the Inaugural IAWTV Awards were announced live from the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino during the International Academy of Web Television’s (IAWTV) live streamed gala event at CES International.

“The content is premium, in all genres, produced independently and by major studios and attractive to both audiences and advertisers.”

The winners for the IAWTV Awards were chosen by majority vote of the active voting membership of the IAWTV from nominees who topped more than 350 officially submitted web series. The winners were presented with awards celebrating their outstanding achievements across 32 different categories.

"The inaugural IAWTV Awards winners represent the best of what is possible in Web television,” said Paul Kontonis, Chairman of the Board of Directors for IAWTV, and Vice President/Group Director of Brand Content at Digitas. "The content is premium, in all genres, produced independently and by major studios and attractive to both audiences and advertisers."

Inaugural IAWTV Awards Winners

Best Comedy Web Series: The Guild

Best Drama Web Series: RCVR/Web Series

Best Hosted Taped Web Series: The Web.Files

Best Hosted Live Web Series: What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Animated Web Series: Red vs. Blue

Best Documentary Web Series: White Collar Brawler

Best Variety Web Series: Kids React

Best News Web Series: Tech News Today

Best Educational Web Series: DadLabs

Best Writing (Comedy): Felicia Day, The Guild

Best Writing (Drama): Susan Miller & Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone But Me

Best Writing (Non-Fiction): Rudy Jahchan, A Comicbook Orange

Best Directing (Comedy): Sean Becker, The Guild

Best Directing (Drama): Chris Preksta, The Mercury Men

Best Directing (Non-Fiction): Brett Register, What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Female Performance (Comedy): Felicia Day (Codex), The Guild

Best Female Performance (Drama): Rachael Hip-Flores (Vivian McMillan), Anyone But Me

Best Male Performance (Comedy): Jeff Lewis (Stan), The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour

Best Male Performance (Drama): Daniel Bonjour (Luke Weber), RCVR/Web Series

Best Host (Taped): Kristyn Burtt, The Web.Files

Best Host (Live): Shira Lazar, What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Cinematography: Joost van Starrenburg, RCVR/Web Series

Best Design: Greg Aronowitz, Dragon Age: Redemption

Best Costume Design: Shawna Trpcic, Dragon Age: Redemption

Best Makeup/Special Effects: Greg Aronowitz and Kimberly Graczyk, Dragon Age: Redemption

Best Visual Effects: Chris Preksta, The Mercury Men

Best Editing: Tony E. Valenzuela, BlackBoxTV: The Series

Best Original Music: Rob Gokee, Night of the Zombie King

Best Supplemental Content: The Mercury Men

Best Interactive/Social Media Experience: What's Trending with Shira Lazar

Best Web Site Design: The Guild

Best Distribution Platform: Blip.tv

The Inaugural IAWTV Awards event was executive produced and directed by Carver Wright of Bryan Allen Events and sponsored by CES, YouTube, Yahoo!, My Damn Channel, Blip.tv, Crackle, Deca, Grab Networks, Lionsgate, Machinima, Vizio, King of the Web, SAG New Media, JTS.TV - Just The Story, Break Media, Writers Guild of America, Vidcon, Newtek, Zingled, Beet.tv, and What's Trending with Shira Lazar.

Presenters who appeared at the event included: Kevin Pollak (Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, Vamped Out), Joshua Malina (American Horror Story, Backwash), Jane Espenson (Husbands, Once Upon a Time, Caprica, Dollhouse), Jeff Lewis (The Guild, Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour, The Legend of Neil), Alexis Boozer (Leap Year), Joe Nation (JoeNationTV), Rachel Hip-Flores (Anyone But Me, Good People in Love), Michele Boyd (Team Unicorn, Solo: The Series), Clare Grant (Robot Chicken, Team Unicorn), Nar Williams (Fanboy Funhouse, NextMovie Daily), Melanie Merkosky (ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining, BlackBoxTV), Bernie Su (Compulsions), Al Thompson (Johnny B Homeless, Lennox Avenue, Odessa), Kai Hasson (White Collar Brawler), April “Destini” Grant (Indie Intertube), Amanda “Shadhavare” Shockley (Indie Intertube), Jesse Cox (December 2011 winner of King of the Web), Jeff Macke (Breakout), Woody Tondorf (The Morning After), Jourdan Gibson (CELL: The Web Series), Grace Helbig (DailyGrace), The Fine Brothers (Kids React), Taryn Southern (The Temp Life, BlackBoxTV, Battle Los Angeles, ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining) and Shira Lazar (What’s Trending with Shira Lazar).

About the IAWTV Awards

The IAWTV Awards is an official web television industry awards show established for content creators, by content creators. The event serves as a platform for members of the IAWTV to honor the best of their profession, while networking among industry luminaries and supporting the IAWTV. Proceeds raised from the show are used for the betterment of the community by providing more member resources as well as professional development and education for professionals working in web television. For more information, please visit http://iawtv.org/awards/ or follow us on twitter at @iawtvawards.

About The International Academy of Web Television

The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) is a nonprofit organization comprised of leaders in the field of Web television, Web video and the digital entertainment industries. Founded in 2009, the IAWTV is helping to shape the rapidly evolving Web television industry while providing a venue for the acknowledgement of artistic and technological achievement in original entertainment distributed on the open Internet. IAWTV members include actors, agents, composers, content developers, directors, editors, producers, technology innovators, writers, and other industry professionals all of whom joined the organization based on their passion and dedication to advance the craft of Web television. For more information, please visit www.iawtv.org or follow us on twitter @iawtv.