2013 Tony Awards' Second Screen Honored in 18th Annual Webby Awards!

The Tony Awards Second Screen have been selected as an official honoree in the Media & Entertainment category for the 18th Annual Webby Awards. TonyAwards.com's Second Screen developed by IBM, Tony Award Productions and Serino Coyne was introduced for the 2013 Tony Awards. The Tonys Second Screen experience was the first-ever ultimate interactive, online companion to the Tony Awards telecast on CBS. On Tony night, viewers were able to visit TonyAwards.com and enjoy a continuous scroll of content that is synchronized with the awards show, unfolding live on your computer screen, mobile phone, or tablet. Viewers were also able to watch the red carpet and media room live.

Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. The IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of web industry experts, including media mogul Arianna Huffington, Skype CEO Tony Bates, Mozilla CEO and Chair Mitchell Baker, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, mobile-phone inventor Martin Cooper, and creator of the Jif Steve Wilhite.

Talking to BroadwayWorld.com, Jim Glaub, Interactive Creative Director, for SERINO/COYNE tells us that "We saw that we had an incredibly active and engaged fan base who love Broadway and the Tony Awards®. We felt that it was important for us to give them a meaningful experience of additional content that they could enjoy while watching the Tony Awards® telecast. We are thrilled that the Second Screen was a success and that this interactive initiative has been recognized by such a prestigious company. We accept this honor on behalf of the fans of the Tonys®!"

"Digital outreach is becoming an increasingly important tool for the Tony Awards. We are so glad that the Tony Awards Second Screen experience helped bring viewers from around the world together as an enhancement to the live telecast. This interactive community helped increase the viewership of last year's Tony Awards ceremony by 23%, and we couldn't be happier that the Webbys have recognized this achievement and awarded us with their honorable distinction," said Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.

The 2014 Tony Award Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, April 29th. The Tony Nominations can be viewed LIVE (8:30am ET) in their entirety at www.TonyAwards.com. The 68th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Hugh Jackman, will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall, on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 8, 2014. For more information on the Tony Awards, visit www.TonyAwards.com.

TonyAwards.com, developed, produced, and hosted by IBM, is centerpiece of the Tony Awards digital platform that includes an interactive Second Screen (TonyAwards.com/secondscreen) to complement the CBS telecast on June 8; a Spotlight Series on potential nominees; Google+ hangouts; a live webcast of the Nominations Announcement; multimedia coverage before, during, and after the Tony ceremony; and much more. Visit TonyAwards.com, and follow the Tonys at Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards, @TheTonyAwards on Twitter, and Instagram.com/TheTonyAwards. #TonyAwards

About the Tony Awards: The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nick Scandalios is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, William Ivey Long is Chairman and Heather Hitchens is Executive Director. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment are the Executive Producers of the 2014 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2014 Tony Awards.

IBM, the official information technology partner of the Tony Awards, designs, develops, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com across digital platforms. Audemars Piguet is the presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet. United Airlines is the official airline of the Tony Awards. The New York Times is the official and exclusive print media partner of the Tony Awards. Nexxus Salon Hair Care is the official beauty partner of the Tony Awards. Paramount Hotel is the official hotel partner of the Tonys. PEOPLE is the official magazine partner of The Tony Awards.

About The Webby Awards: Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & Apps, and Social. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Microsoft, Dell, Vitamin T, MailChimp, Engine Yard, Funny or Die, AdAge, Percolate, Mashable, Business Insider, Internet Week New York and Guardian News and Media.