Tom Hanks, Lena Dunham Top 17th ANNUAL WEBBY Nominees

Tom Hanks, Lena Dunham, Burning Love, Medium, Tumblr, Mashable, Angry Birds Star Wars and Humans of New York are among the pop-culture and Internet superstars nominated for The 17th Annual Webby Awards. Nike leads all nominations with 17 nods, followed closely by Google, The New York Times and HBO with 12 nominations each.

Hanks, who is currently making his Broadway debut in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy, has been nominated in the category of Online Film & Video: Drama for his Electric City series on Yahoo. Dunham, the creator and star of HBO's Girls, received nods for two awards: Best Individual Performance in an Online Film & Video for her Obama for America "First Time" campaign ad, and another in the Social Content and Marketing category along with HBO Entertainment for Girls.

Hailed as the "Internet's Highest Honor" by The New York Times, this year's Webby Awards received more than 11,000 entries from over 65 countries globally. From the thousands of entries submitted to The Webby Awards, only seven percent - five in each category - are recognized as Nominees.

While Academy members like Arianna Huffington, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom and musician David Bowie select the Webby winners, Internet fans from all over the world will also help decide who takes home a Webby by voting in The Webby People's Voice Awards. Last year, Internet voters cast over 2 million votes, setting a Webby Awards record. Voting is open now until 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday April 25th at http://pv.webbyawards.com

This year's winners will be honored at the star-studded ceremony in New York City where they will deliver five-word speeches in the tradition of past victors like Al Gore ("Please don't recount this vote."), Jimmy Fallon ("Thank God Conan got promoted") and Anna Wintour ("Sometimes, Geeks Can Be Chic"). The show will be broadcast online on May 22. Host and venue for the 17th Annual Webby Awards will be announced April 16.

Many of this year's nominees reflect the ever-growing roll social experiences play in helping consumers discover new content, videos, communities and brands. Others succeed by confirming the significant effect mobile and tablet devices have had in taking Internet access well beyond the typical confines of home and work. From Obama For America (Social Media Campaigns), NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover (Best Overall Social Presence) and Red Bull Stratos (Branded Entertainment) to Netflix (Mobile Media Streaming) and MLB.com At Bat (Mobile Events), the profound impact of social curation and mobile devices on popular culture and business is strikingly evident in this year's Webby Nominees.

"Every year we are constantly amazed by the innovations Webby Nominees push forward and this year is no exception," said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. "This year'"s nominees reflect a new personal and pervasive Internet where friends and people we trust are our curators and mobile devices stretch the network into the most discreet places in our lives. It is truly an Internet Made by everyone, accessed from anywhere."

Projects featuring some of the world's most talented cultural and creative innovators as well as newly minted Internet stars also earned recognition. Webby Nominees range from superstar Charlize Theron (Charlize Theron Gets Hacked) to Tom Hanks (Electric City Show) and Lady Gaga (Gaga's Workshop), and Jennifer Hudson (Weight Watchers 360) to breakouts like Chris Hardwick (Chris Hardwick's All Star Celebrity Bowling) and Lena Dunham (Lena Dunham for Obama for America "First Time") to favorites like Jerry Seinfeld for "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" and Beck for "Hello Again: Beck 360:Experience" its groundbreaking interactive music experience.

Nominees earning multiple nominations include: Nike (17) Google (12), HBO (12), The New York Times (12), NPR (10), BBC (10), TED (9), UNIQLO (8) Pitchfork (7) Vice Media (7), and Funny Or Die (7).

17th Annual Webby Nominee Highlights:

Best Mobile Media Streaming

HBO GO
Songza
iPlayer Radio
Hulu Plus
Netflix App
Best Individual Performance

Burning Love
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Jean Dujardins's Villain Auditions
Charlize Theron Gets Hacked
Lena Dunham for Obama for America "First Time"
Social: Best Education and Discovery

TED
National Geographic Education
Nasas Curiosity Mars Rover
Medium
The New Public Library
Best Mobile User Experience

KAYAK
Cool Hunting Gift Guide
NikeID Mobile
Google Maps for iPhone
Mailbox
Best Social Media Campaign

One Small Tweet
Hashtag Killer
Obama for America - For All Campaign
Nike Barbershop
Justin Bieber's "Girlfriend" Fragrance Launch
Best Weird Site

Cecilia Prize
One Tiny Hand
TUMBLY
Sandrific
Sound Creatures X Pictoplasma
Best Comedy Longform or Series

Burning Love
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Neil's Puppet Dreams
Clueless Gamer with Conan O'Brien
Bad Lip Reading
Best Entertainment for Tablet

The Onion
Funny or Die
Metropole Tweetphony
GIRLS
True Blood Social Media Makers Day
Best Web Personality/Host

PBS Idea Channel
Woman v. Workout
7 Minute in Heaven
Chris Hardwick's All Star Celebrity Bowling
Fresh Off The Boat with Eddie
Best Humor Website

Cracked.com
CollegeHumor
Funny or Die
The Onion
Tosh.O

To view/embed video highlighting 2013 Webby nominees: http://youtu.be/PkewM0B9lU0

For a list of all Webby Awards nominees: http://winners.webbyawards.com/2013

To vote in the Webby People's Voice Awards: http://pv.webbyawards.com

About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & Apps, and Social. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide last year. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Google+, Yahoo!, Vitamin T, Live Nation, ShareThis, The Daily, Funny or Die, MLB Advanced Media, Mashable, BuzzFeed, Business Insider, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Guardian News and Media.

Visit: www.webbyawards.com
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Look: flickr.com/webbys
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