Nationalgeographic.com won two top Internet awards in San Francisco on Wednesday—a Webby award and a People's Voice award—for being the most outstanding education resource on the World Wide Web.
The Webby honor was determined by a panel of more than 350 judges, and the People's Voice award by hundreds of thousands of online users. National Geographic edged out competition that included sites sponsored by the New York Times Learning Network and the Public Broadcasting System's Nova.
"Out of the millions of Web sites out there, less than 30 sites are chosen for outstanding excellence, and your site is considered to be one of the best of the best," the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences said in a statement Thursday. This is the fifth year the group has presented Webby awards.
"For more than a century, education has been the core of National Geographic's mission, and this commitment is reflected in all our endeavors," said Mitchell Praver, the president of Nationalgeographic.com.
"We work hard to carry out this mission and deliver an experience that only National Geographic can," he added. "Being recognized as the best education site in the world by the leading risk-takers, visionaries, and creative minds in the technology and entertainment industries—the more than 350 people who make up the Academy—is the ultimate honor."
Mark Holmes, the vice president for programming and content development at Nationalgeographic.com, received the awards on behalf of the organization. "National Geographic has long been an educational resource. Millions of people over many years have looked to the Society for accurate information, and our Web site is an extension of that," he said.
Holmes said Nationalgeographic.com has adopted a three-pronged approach to education: making education a fun, interactive expedition for students; helping teachers make lessons relevant and interesting; and a soon-to-be-launched initiative that will help parents play a greater role in their children's education.
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is an intellectually diverse organization with more than 350 members, who include film director Francis Ford Coppola; musicians David Bowie and Beck; Tina Brown, the chairman of Miramax Talk Media; Matt Groening, the creator of TV's The Simpsons; actor and activist Susan Sarandon; and Larry Ellison, the chairman of Oracle.
Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper.
According to an official statement of the group's mission, members of the Academy "suggest, debate, uncover, unearth, and evaluate models of excellence" on the Web over the course of a year.
The awards are made in 27 categories that range from politics and film to activism and weird content.
Five contenders in each category are chosen by a nominating panel of judges, and the Academy's members determine the winners by majority vote, much like the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science determines the annual Oscar awards for the movie industry.
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