Variety Entertainment App Awards Finalists Announced

written by: Richard Kastelein

Details

Published on Saturday, 10 November 2012 07:43

After receiving hundreds of submissions to the first-ever Entertainment App Awards judges have selected three finalists in each of the ten categories below. The finalists will be evaluated on innovation, design, usability, fit and overall experience. Winners will be recognized at the awards dinner on November 29th following the Entertainment Apps Conference.

The app economy is large, active and thriving, with nearly half of the U.S. population using mobile apps. With hundreds of thousands of apps in the hands of consumers, we're honored to present the First Annual Entertainment App Awards to recognize the best apps in the entertainment industry, selected by industry stakeholders, publishers, academics, tech journalists and more. The Entertainment App Award categories and judging criteria were chosen to reward and recognize innovation and excellence within the entertainment app industry. Winners will receive recognition at the Awards Dinner on November 29.

FINALISTS INCLUDE:

• Best Second Screen TV App:
• ConnecTV; Discovery Channel HD (Bottle Rocket Apps); The Walking Dead Story Sync (AMC)
  
  Best Smart TV App:
• Pandora; Hulu Plus; HBO Go (HBO).
  
  Mobile Innovation Award for Social TV App:
• Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.); Discovery Channel HD (Bottle Rocket Apps); DJ PaulyD, Beat that Boardwalk (MEDL Mobile).
  
  Best Technology in Social and Interactive TV:
• ConnecTV; Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.); MobiTV
  
  Best App Supporting a Film Launch:
• Fix-It Felix (Disney Interactive); My Wild Night With Ted (MEDL Mobile for Universal Pictures); Happy Feet Two: The Penguin App (1K Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures)
  
  Best Entertainment IP-based Mobile Game:
• The Hunger Games Adventures (Funtactix Inc. for Lionsgate); VeggieTales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (Thruster Apps); The Walking Dead: The Game (Telltale Games for AMC)
  
  Best Social Discovery App:
• NextGuide (Dijit Media, Inc.); Fandango Mobile App; Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.)
  
  Best Music App:
• Spotify; Shazam; iHeartRadio (Clear Channel Media and Entertainment)
  
  Best Kids Entertainment App:
• FRANKENWEENIE-FY YOUR PET (Watson DG); Skylanders Giants (Toys for Bob, Activision Publishing); Draw Along Pip (Skyreader Media)
  
  Entertainment App Developer of the Year 2012:
• Watson DG; Bottle Rocket Apps; Activision Publishing

The hand-selected panel of judges will determine the winners and include representatives from Mobile Deluxe, Neustar, AppStori, Distimo, Bunchball, Kid Tech Columnist, USA Today.com and Gannett News, Digital Mind State, SleepyGiant and Google TV.

Also the Entertainment Apps Conference will take place during the day of November 29th before the App Awards. The conference will look at what's next in the emerging world of App-based Entertainment.

Speakers Include:

Arie Abecassis, Co-Founder, AppStori
Ian Aaron, Chief Executive Officer, ConnecTV
Sandy Barger, Chief Marketing Officer, Everloop
Paul Carff, Developer Evangelist, Google TV
Calvin Carter, CEO, Bottlerocket
Gary Chavez, Vice President, Client Services, Bunchball
Scott Chow, Sr. Product Manager, PayPal Digital Platforms
Nick Colsey, Vice President, Sony
Paul Condolora, Senior Vice President, Digital Platforms, Cartoon Network
Jed Corenthal, CEO, Meemo
Dan Cryan, Senior Director, Digital Media, IHS
Jim Eadie, Senior Vice President, Digital Business Development, MTV Networks
Charlie Echeverry, Executive Vice President, Sales, Univision Interactive
Tom Engdahl, President & Chief Executive Officer, Magic Ruby
Jarah Euston, Director of Analytics, Flurry
John Funge, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, BrightContext
John Gilles, Managing Director, "A Different Engine"
Geoff Hamm, Vice President, Sales, TapJoy
Josh Hartwell, CEO, Mobile Deluxe
Matthew Hannus, CEO & Co-Founder, Sleepy Giant
David Jones, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Shazam
Hank Kanalz, Senior Vice President, Digital, DC Entertainment
Matt Kennedy, President, 1K Studios
Scott Levine, Vice President, Video Product, Univision Interactive
Ed Leonard, CEO, Ptch
Jim Lucchese, Chief Executive Officer, The Echo Nest
Chris Mate, Vice President & General Manager, Nat Geo Games
Kirt McMaster, Chief Executive Officer, SYN
Jim Molinets, Vice President & General Manager, Mobile Games Glendale, Disney Interactive Studios
Henry Oh, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Animoca
Chuck Parker, Chairman, 2nd Screen Society
John Penney, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Starz
Ron Pessner, Partner, Group Program Manager, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corporation
Edward Prince, Senior Vice President, Media & New Ventures, Neustar & Ultraviolet
George Rogerson, Executive Vice President, Cellfish
Cass Sapir, Chief Executive Officer, ThumbsUpApp
David Selle, Vice President, Products, NukoToys
Woody Sears, Founder, Zuuka
Gabriel Schlumberger, Director, Digital Creative, Disney Publishing
Narry Singh, Chief Business Guru, Outfit7
Trevor Stout, Chief Executive Officer, Yap.TV
James Smith, Senior Vice President, Flixster
Josh Stutt, Director of Marketing, Newvue
Dave Swartz, President & CCO, MEDL Mobile, Inc.
Mark Vrieling, Chief Executive Officer, Screenplay/OnmiQ
D.P. Venkatesh, CEO, mPortal
Jennifer Wells, Head of Games and Apps Publishing and Development, PBS
Michael Yang, Partner, Comcast Venture
Mark Young, Vice President, Mobile Strategy, NBCUniversal Digital Networks

Session Topics:
* State of the Industry: Apps and the Entertainment Economy
* Social Viewing Apps: Companion or Competition
* Monetizing the Second Screen
* Microsoft Smartglass Presentation
* Apps of Discovery
* Building App Brands
* Apps for Kids: Digital Entertainment and Learning
* The Storytellers

Developer Tracks:
* Paying to Play: New Tools for Monetizing Entertainment Apps and Content
* The New Name of the Game
* Smart TVs and Connected Devices: How Many Platforms Are Too Many?
* Multiple Deliveries: Social TV, Connected Devices and Second Screens
* Policy Innovation