Hurry! The Lovie Awards deadline is FRIDAY!

The Lovie Awards, the pan european internet awards in creativity set out to prove that cool web-things don't all come from Silicon Valley is up again, and the deadline for entry is Friday, July 20, 2012 - that's this one so if you made an app, a web film, a site, any mobile ad ... you should enter it right now for a shot at an award and an off the hook party night.

Last year, special awards went to electro-pop pioneer Bjork (lifetime achievement), game-changing app Tweetdeck (Breakout of the Year), and special recognition was awarded to the highest scoring entry from each language: English- ‘Who Killed Deon’ (AMV), French-‘Nespresso – Pixie’ (Soleil Noir), Spanish- ‘Ohla Hotel’ (eMascaro), Italian- Nuok, German-
SoundCloud.

The people behind the LOVIE AWARDS want to celebrate digital and online excellence in all its forms. Categories are divided into four key areas: Websites, Mobile Apps, Online Film & Video and Interactive Advertising and Media. Woven into these are permutations which cover all bases, from gaming to creative work to technical excellence.

There will be 11 new categories added to the mix this year, ranging from more technically minded awards like Best Home/Welcome Page to creative accolades like Best Copywriting and the Experimental and Innovation awards for mobile platforms. Social Media will play a larger part in this year’s awards, with categories added including Social Media Campaign, Social Games and Social Media for Good Campaign.

The judging panel will include Musician and Artist Imogen Heap, Google Creative Director Tom Uglow, Co-Founder of Deezer Jonathan Benassaya, Co-founder of TechHub Mike Butcher, Co-Founder of The Next Web Patrick De Laive, Executive Creative Director of Crispin Porter and Bogusky Europe Gustav Martner, Design director and founder of OpenIDEO and IDEO Tom Hulme, Founder and CEO of SoundCloud Alexander Ljung, WIRED Editor at Large Ben Hammersley, Founder and CEO of Moo Richard Moross, and BBC exec. producer Will Saunders.

Nik Roope, Academy Chair for European IADAS members, said: “This time last year the Lovie Awards was just an idea, but after our inaugural ceremony, this year's awards feel robust, real and more exciting than ever. Our dream of creating an international platform with local sensibility for Europe, has clearly answered an intense desire, proven by the volume and standard of entrants we've seen already. So as we move into this year's call for entries, we do so with an abundance of optimism and enthusiasm.”

......also, we're not just saying this because we're one of the sponsors. We were promised free booze at the party too. I keed. ;)