New York, NY (September 12, 2011) – The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) today announced the call for entries for the 16th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, The Webbys celebrates the year’s best websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile and apps. The early entry deadline for is October 28, 2011. Nominees will be announced in April 2012, and the hallmark Webby ceremony will be held in Spring 2012.

Entrants compete not only to win The Webby, but to have their five-word speeches immortalized alongside the likes of former winners Conan O’Brien for Team Coco, Flipboard, Anna Wintour for vogue.com, mobile game Angry Birds, location-based app foursquare, and Agency of The Year Wieden+Kennedy. Since 2007, Webby Awards 5-word speech videos have garnered 7 million views on YouTube.com/webby.

New to this year’s categories are two awards for corporate social responsibility, which will honor both websites, and interactive advertising campaigns that promote a company’s commitment to documenting activities and programs that have a positive impact on the environment, consumers, employees and the public sphere. In recognition of the increasing impact of mobile technology, new awards have also been added for mobile apps and websites.

All entries compete for the Webby Award (as voted on by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) and the People’s Voice Award (as voted on by the fans). Last year, nearly 1.5 million votes were cast. Entrants can submit their work for this year’s Webby Awards at www.webbyawards.com.

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS), which nominates and selects the Webby Award winners, is comprised of web industry experts, including mobile phone inventor Martin Cooper, media mogul Arianna Huffington, R/GA Chairman Bob Greenberg, Martha Stewart, and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. “Our 2011 Webby winners spanned the industry’s most innovative, practical and entertaining pioneers of today’s internet,” said David Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards. “If our 15-year history has shown us anything, the 2012 Webby Award entries will again surprise, educate and revolutionize the internet.”

For information on the 16th Annual Webby Awards, please visit www.webbyawards.com.