When the Webby Awards announced their 2010 honorees, one site that appeared to be missing was the online video-chat juggernaut – and weird dude haven — Chatroulette.
No more. The organizers of the Webbys announced on Wednesday that Chatroulette will get the 2010 “Breakout of the Year” Webby on June 14 – and its founder, Russian teenager Andrey Ternovskiy (who was outed as its creator by the New York Times), will be there to accept it.
David-Michel Davies, executive director of Webbys, explained the rationale: “Chatroulette’s success offers a refreshing reminder that the Internet still offers a level playing field where anyone with a great idea or product can flourish. The product of a simple yet utterly original idea, launched without any concern for profit or growth, Chatroulette embodies the sort of accidental innovation that only the Internet can produce.”
The other,previously announced special achievement Webbys will go to Roger Ebert (Webby Person of the Year), the band OK Go! (Film and Video Artist of the Year), actress Amy Poehler (Best Actress) and Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf (Webby Lifetime Achievement Award).
More to read:
Roger Ebert, NYT, College Humor Lead Webby Awards
[Image via NYT]
