The 14^th Annual Webby Awards unveiled their nominees last week and the roster couldn’t get any more competitive.

The Webby Awards is the leading international award honouring excellence on the Internet.  Yes, there is an award show for videos, websites and interactive advertising on the web and it’s been going on since 1996.

Presented every year by the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, this award is dubbed as the “Internet’s highest honour” by the New York Times. The Academy is comprised of 750 members of leading web experts, business figures, visionaries and creative celebrities. Some of these big names include musician David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, only to name a few.

They’ve received more than 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries, but only select four to five per category.  These categories are Website, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile Web.

In 1999 they gave out the first Webby People’s Voice Awards and this year they’re doing the same. This empowers you, the people, to help award who you believe had the best online video, website or ad this year — yes, you get to vote on who takes home a Webby!

Since the announcement, the battle for votes has become a fierce race. Especially since big celebrities like Jim Carrey, Lisa Kudrow and Zach Galifianakis have all been nominated. Carrey received a nomination for his website jimcarrey.com while The Hangover star Galifianakis is nominated for “Between Two Ferns” and Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” is nominated in the Best Individual Performance category.

But, even with all the big names in the race, the Webbys don’t leave the little guys out. In the student section, a group of Toronto’s very own Ryerson University students have their video “The Pizza Slap” nominated.  This hilarious slow-motion video is about both the young and old experiencing the taste and texture of pizza like never before.  Also, nominated is The Globe and Mail’s “Behind the Veil” in the Documentary: Series category.

However, one little guy — literally — is really heating up the race in the viral video section. YouTube sensation “David After Dentist” is about a boy’s funny, slurred and remarkably charming conversation with his dad after his surgery at the dentist. The video is fighting a hard battle because it’s up against the much-admired Funny or Die video “Lindsay Lohan’s eHarmony Profile” which is another entertaining entry in this odd match-up.

Some videos are ridiculously hilarious while others are just ridiculous. But that’s why you have the power to vote for your favourite. Go to youtube.com/webby before April 29^th, which is the last day of voting.

The actual show will be held on June 14^th in New York City. If you’re not able to personally attend, you can have your own front-row experience on the Webby’s own customized YouTube channel, which will air all the celebrity interviews, show highlights and the winners’ five-word acceptance speeches.

Yup, you read right, the winners are only allowed to say a five-word acceptance speech. Jimmy Fallon showed everyone how to do it right last year when he got the audience roaring with laughter.

In a black suit and gray-purple tie, he accepted his award from Cameron Diaz. As he shifted uncomfortably around at the podium, he lifted his trophy in his right hand and with a smirk on his lips he simply said, “Thank God Conan got promoted.”•

Photos Courtesy of webbyawards.com