New Media BC: PopVox Awards...

The PopVox Awards: Power to the Public

Public voting for New Media BC’s second annual PopVox new media Awards underway

Vancouver – “What makes you click?” In the era of digital democracy, the PopVox new media Awards are giving the public the chance to decide.

Starting May 1, 2008, digital content fans can visit www.popvoxawards.com and see what makes them click by voting for their favourite submissions for the PopVox Awards. Winners will be announced at the Popvox Awards ceremony held at the VIDFEST gala on May 23, 2008.

“More than 1,100 people cast their votes for the best digital content of the year in 2007, and we’re excited to build on that success again this year,” says Kenton Low, President at New Media BC. “It’s going to be a tight race, especially for the Best Do-Gooder site award. From addressing climate change to protecting the world’s drinking supply, how will the public decide who wins?”

Launched in 2007, PopVox (from vox populi – L. voice of the people) is a made-in-Vancouver people’s choice awards event for the digital media industry driven by a democratic online voting process. Content creators from across the digital media sectors nominate their own work online, and then it’s up to the public to decide who wins.

2008 Award Submissions

Throughout the month of April, creators submitted and nominated their own work online at www.popvoxawards.com. April 30 marked the closing of the nomination period and is followed by the public voting period from May 1-12, 2008.

All digital content submissions are grouped in the following 2008 award categories:

· Best Digital Animated Short

· Best Digital VFX

· Best Game (Console/PC)

· Best Game (Casual)

· Best Mobile (Game)

· Best Mobile (Application)

· Best Digital Campaign

· Best User Generated/Crowd-sourced Content Site

· Best Digital Score

· Best Do-Gooder site (Social Change Initiative)

· Homegrown Award (Best BC-based Venture)

“The PopVox Awards attract some of the highest-quality digital content submissions from across the new media sectors, both locally and internationally,” says Kenton Low. “From innovative European GPS-based social mobile games to adorable Canadian comic-driven animation shorts, we’ve really raised the bar for 2008.”

About The PopVox Awards

The PopVox Awards are presented by New Media BC and supported by Seven Group and Microsoft. New Media BC is a federally incorporated not-for-profit full service industry association that works to strategically promote and grow BC's digital media companies. New Media BC offers research, professional development, and marketing services to industry stakeholders and provides a voice and community for Vancouver ’s dynamic and thriving new media sector.

About VIDFEST

VIDFEST, the Vancouver International Digital Festival, is Canada ’s biggest annual digital content event, drawing participants from across the digital media and creative sectors including games, web 2.0, interactive design, animation and mobile. Speakers for 2008 include: Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Wired Magazine; Dylan Higgins, Fellow, Kiva; John Perry Barlow, Co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Dr. Eric McLuhan, Author and Educator, son of well-known media theorist Marshall McLuhan; Heather Armstrong, Blogger, Dooce.com. For more information, visit www.vidfest.com.