Presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the Webby Awards are a set of awards presented to the "world's best websites". The awards have been given out since 1996. There is also a second set of awards called the People's Voice Awards for the same categories which are given by popular vote.

Awards granted

The IADAS has awarded Webby Awards and People's Choice Awards each Spring (since 1996), and Webby Business Awards and Honorable Mentions each fall (since 2003).

Webby Awards categories

In each category, two awards are handed out: a Webby Award selected by a panel of judges, and a People's Choice Award selected by the votes of visitors to the Webby Awards site.

• Activism: Sites facilitating political change, social movement, rights, public education, or revolution.
• Best Practices: Sites demonstrating unparalleled excellence in six areas:

1. content
2. structure & navigation
3. visual design
4. interactivity
5. functionality
6. overall experience

• Broadband: Sites fully integrating bandwidth-intensive interactive content.
• Commerce: Sites dedicated to selling goods and products online, or using a 'particularly innovative' take on e-commerce.
• Community: Sites creating/facilitating online community, connectedness and communication around shared interests.
• Education: Sites promoting education or providing learning materials, for children or adults.
• Fashion: Sites dedicated to personal style, clothing, design, and accessories.
• Film: Sites dedicated to preservation, celebration and presentation of film and film culture.
• Finance: Sites providing financial services and/or information.
• Games: Sites dedicated to (the culture of) computer gaming.
• Government & Law: Sites dedicated to legal and government matters.
• Health: Sites dedicated to improving personal health and well-being.
• Humor: Sites dedicated to comedy or the art of laughter.
• Kids: Sites created for "the under-18 set".
• Lifetime Achievement: An honorary award granted to individuals who have been integral to the growth of the Web.
• Living: Sites providing information and resources that allow people to live on their own terms.
• Music: Sites dedicated to the distribution and presentation of music or its culture.
• NetArt: Sites that integrate art and technology, exploring and expanding the distinctive capacity of the medium.
• News: Sites dedicated to announcing and tracking recent goings-on.
• Personal Web Site: Sites created by an individual about themselves, or sites dedicated to an individual.
• Politics: Sites providing political information.
• Print & Zines: Sites dedicated to the written word, including online versions of print publications.
• Radio: Sites with ties to a radio network, station, or program.
• Rising Star: Given to the site with the greatest percent increase in visitors from April to May of the year in question, according to Nielsen//NetRatings data. Sites must meet a minimum cutoff of 500K unique visitors for April and May to be considered.
• Science: Sites dedicated to scientific exploration and news.
• Services: Sites that enable real world activities online.
• Spirituality: Sites dedicated to the spirit or the soul, or on any Divine power.
• Sports: Sites dedicated to athletics.
• Technical Achievement: Sites implementing technology that pushes the envelope, inviting visitors to believe in what once seemed impossible.
• Top Global Properties (Top U.S. Properties): Given to the site that draws the most visitors in the 14 countries that Nielsen//NetRatings measure (the U.S.).

 Sites which are online counterparts of television programs or networks. 

• Weird: Sites so forward thinking they seem strange when viewed without the future in mind.
• Youth: (see Kids)

Webby Business Award categories

• Automotive
• Creative Services
• Financial Services
• Food & Beverage
• "Good Deeds"
• Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals
• Information Technology
• Media/Entertainment
• Marketing & Communications
• Professional Services
• Retail
• Technical Services
• Telecommunications
• Travel/Tourism

Honorable Mention Categories

• Branding & Design
• Cost-Cutting/Operational Efficiency
• Customer Relationship Management/Customer Loyalty & Retention
• Integration of Online/Offline Experience
• Product Customization/Personalization
• Sales Lead Generation/Increased Sales

External links

• The Webby Awards (http://www.webbyawards.com/) (Official Website)
• Nielsen//NetRatings (http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/) corporate website.
• List of Webby Award Winners 1997-2004 (http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/winners-2004.php)

Note: In 2004, Wikipedia won the Community Webby award.