When Louis C.K. released his comedy special “Live at the Beacon Theater” by himself on his website for $5, it was little more than a cautiously optimistic experiment.
Less than two weeks later, it had reaped more than $1 million. Already among the most respected stand-ups in the country, Louis C.K. was suddenly a new media trailblazer, too.
On Tuesday, the Webby Awards announced Louis C.K. is their “person of the year” for setting “a new precedent for distribution.” Comedians Aziz Ansari and Jim Gaffigan have since similarly released albums online.
The Webbys, which celebrate Internet achievement, announced the winners of its 16th annual awards on Tuesday. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which present the awards, shared the winners with The Associated Press shortly before they were to make an official announcement.
The awards spanned the breath of the Internet, from mobile apps like Instagram and Pinterest that have disrupted social media, to entertainers charting new digital ground, like Louis C.K. and Bjork.
Bjork was named artist of the year. Last year, the Icelandic musician released the album “Biophilia” as a multimedia presentation of music and apps.
She was among the special recognitions named by the Webbys, which also cited the photo app Instagram as breakout of the year. It was recently acquired by Facebook for $1 billion.
“It’s been a huge year of change,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a group of about 1,000 Web experts and Internet professionals.
Also specially honored were Juliette Lewis and Graydon Sheppard, who share the award for best actress for the viral video “S— Girls Say.” The video, which parodies common expressions, has been watched more than 16.2 million times on YouTube and spawned a viral sensation of countless similar videos. Sheppard, a male comic, appears in drag in the video.
In more than 130 regular categories, the Webbys give two winners per category: an official Webby award and a “people’s voice” pick chosen from online votes.
Ferrell, who co-founded the comedy website Funny Or Die, won best individual performance for a video in which he reprised his impression of President George W. Bush, reacting to Osama Bin Laden’s death.
The Onion won for best humor website and its video arm, the Onion Network, earned best writing in an online video for its satirical morning TV show video: “How to Get a Guy to Notice You While You’re Having Sex With Him.”
The pinboard-style website Pinterest won for best social media app, as well as a people’s voice award for best functioning visual design. Best music app went to the streaming service Spotify, which Davies said typified “the intersection we’re seeing between social and entertainment.”
HBO Connect won for best TV website. The New Yorker’s website won for best editorial writing.
One new category, people’s special achievement for social change, went to Facebook. The award, which was voted for online, honors “important Internet work that played an integral role in advancing and organizing the masses.”
The awards will be handed out in a May 21 event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Patton Oswalt will host the awards, whose winners are famously restricted to five-word acceptance speeches.
“Emilia Pérez” Tops Oscar Tally With 13 Nominations, Setting Record For A Non-English Language Film
In the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that struck at the heart of the movie industry, an embattled Hollywood lined up behind the Netflix narco-musical about trans identity "Emilia Pérez" in Oscar nominations Thursday. Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez," a Spanish language, French-made film, dominated the nominations with a leading 13 nominations, including best picture and best actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, making her the first openly trans actor ever nominated for an Oscar. The film also landed nominations for directing, original screenplay, two of its songs and for Zoe Saldaña. Netflix, despite its starring role in Hollywood, has never won best picture. Many of its top contenders have previously racked up large numbers of nominations (including "Mank," "The Irishman" and "Roma") but gone home with only a handful of trophies. "Emilia Pérez," though, may be its best chance yet. It became the most nominated non-English language film ever, surpassing Netflix's own "Roma," which scored 10 nominations. Only three films — "All About Eve," "Titanic" and "La La Land" — have scored more nominations in Academy Awards history. Another musical — "Wicked," the smash Broadway adaptation — came away with nearly as many nominations. Jon M. Chu's lavish "Wizard of Oz" riff scored 10 nominations, including best picture and acting nods for its stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. "The Brutalist," Brady Corbet's postwar epic filmed in VistaVision, also came away with a commanding 10 nominations, including best picture, best director and nominations for actor Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones. The A24 release The nominees for best picture are: "Anora"; "The Brutalist"; "A Complete Unknown"; "Conclave"; "Dune: Part Two"; "Emilia... Read More