Apple, Real, Sony and XM Satellite Radio among Leading Finalists for Billboard's First Annual Digital Entertainment Awards

Business Wire, Oct 25, 2004

NEW YORK -- Billboard today announced finalists for the first annual Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards. Apple, Ubisoft, Sony Pictures and XM Satellite Radio lead the finalist nominations in multiple categories, including the prestigious "Innovator of the Year" and "Brand of the Year" awards. Apple/Pixar CEO Steve Jobs, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, game designer Will Wright and HDNet chairman/Billboard Digital Entertainment Conference keynote speaker Mark Cuban also received nominations for the "Visionary of the Year" award.

Winners will be announced at the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards Gala Dinner, which will be held from 6:30pm - 10:30pm on Friday, November 5, 2004 in the Grand Horizon Ballroom, UCLA Covel Commons at Sunset Village.

The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards celebrate vision, innovation, entrepreneurship and brand development in digital entertainment. With awards in 26 unique categories honoring achievements involving games, music and film, television and video, Billboard recognizes the cutting-edge developments and forward thinkers shaping the future of entertainment.

Billboard has created the awards ceremony in partnership with Digital Media Wire, the digital industry's leading news organization and events company. Finalists were chosen by a panel of distinguished judges from the music, gaming and film/TV industries. Throughout the review and judging process, entries were evaluated on a point system based on specific criteria relevant to each category as set out in the category descriptions. Particular focus was given to innovation, creativity, content, interactivity and market success. For a list of judges please visit www.digitalentertainmentawards.com.

Following is a complete list of finalists for the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards:

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

    1. Visionary of the Year
        Mark Cuban - Chairman, HDNet
        Rob Glaser - Chairman & CEO, Real Networks
        Steve Jobs - CEO, Apple / CEO, Pixar
        Will Wright - Game Designer (SimCity and The Sims)

    2. Innovator of the Year
        Apple, iTunes
        Bram Cohen, Creator of BitTorrent
        Dr. Richard Marks and Sony Computer Entertainment America
         Eyetoy
        Hugh Panero and XM Satellite Radio, Inc., XM Radio

    3. Brand of the Year
        Apple
        EA Sports
        Virgin Mobile
        XM Satellite Radio

MUSIC AWARDS

    1. Best Downloadable or Subscription Music Service
        Apple iTunes
        Musicmatch on Demand
        Napster
        Rhapsody, Real Networks

    2. Best Use of Technology by a Music Label
        LL Nation, Island Def Jam
        The Andrew W.K. Phone Party Blog, Island Def Jam
        Twista Promotion on Sprint Wireless, Warner Music Group
        Wired CD: Rip. Sample. Mash. Share. - Wired Magazine/ Creative
         Commons

    3. Best Use of Technology by an Artist
        Digital Static's Music & Multimedia DVD 2004
        Live Phish
        NPG Music Club, Prince
        Rolling Stones Four Flicks, TGA Entertainment

    4. Best Radio Service
        KCRW
        Launch, Yahoo!
        Live 365
        XM Satellite Radio

    5. Best Use of Technology for a Music Marketing Campaign
        Ben Harper Experience, Maven Networks
        Holly Valance "State of Mind" Mobile Campaign, Shazam
         Entertainment
        Method Man/Blender/ESPN Football Tournament, Island Def Jam
        Steve Winwood - Access Hollywood Promotion, Jun Group, Inc

    6. Music DVD of the Year
        Coldplay, Live2003, Parophone
        Dave Matthews Band in Central Park, Coming Home Studios
        Rolling Stones Four Flicks, TGA Entertainment
        The Filth and the Fury: The Sex Pistols, New Line Home
         Entertainment

    7. Best Digital Music Community
        Daily Download, Fuse
        MP3.com, CNET Networks
        Napster
        Pho List

    8. Digital Music Innovation of the Year
        Harmony, Real Networks
        HD Radio - Digital Technology for AM & FM Broadcasting,
         iBiquity Digital Corporation
        Musicmatch on Demand, Musicmatch
        XM Satellite Radio

GAMES AWARDS

    1. PC or Console Game of the Year
        City of Heroes, NCSoft
        Prince of Persia, Ubisoft
        Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Lucas Arts and BioWare
         Corp
        Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, Ubisoft

    2. Handheld Game of the Year
        Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA), Sega
        Jamdat Bowling 2, Jamdat Mobile
        Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga (GBA), Nintendo
        Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Gameloft

    3. Web/Downloadable Game of the Year
        Chappelle's Show Skate Bored Game, Comedy Central
        Feeding Frenzy, Sprout Games, LLC
        Jewel Quest, iWin, Inc.
        Shroomz: Quest for Puppy, Game Trust, Inc.

    4. Multiplayer Game of the Year
        City of Heroes, NCSoft
        Socom II: U.S. Navy Seals, Sony Computer Entertainment America
        Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, Ubisoft
        Unreal Tournament 2004 (PC), Atari

    5. Advergame of the Year
        BMW X3 Adventure, Skyworks Technologies Inc.
        Radio Shack ZipZaps Special Edition, Online Racing Game on
         Shockwave.com
        SAAB Rev. Racing, Fuel Industries
        The Subservient Chicken, Crispin Porter & Bogusky for Burger
         King

    6. Best Character in a Game
        Link from Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
        The Chronicle of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Vivendi
         Universal Games
        Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, Ubisoft
        True Crime: Streets of LA, Activision

    7. Best Use of Sound in a Game
        Freedom Fighters, Electronic Arts, Music by Jesper Kyd
         Productions
        DOOM 3, Activision
        Tony Hawk's Underground, Activision
        True Crime: Streets of LA, Activision

    8. Game Developer of the Year
        BioWare Corp
        Maxis, Electronics Arts
        Pandemic Studios
        Ubisoft Montreal

    9. Game Innovation of the Year
        Doom 3, Activision
        Eyetoy, Dr. Richard Marks and Sony Computer Entertainment
         America
        Nintendo DS
        Qualcomm's Brew

Film/TV/Video AWARDS

    1. Best Interactive Television Programming
        GSN One-Screen Interactive on Oceanic Time Warner Cable
        NASCAR in Car, NASCAR Digital Entertainment
        Reality TV Bytes, Ball State University - Center for Media
         Design
        Showtime Interactive, Showtime Networks

    2. Best Use of Technology for Educational Programming
        Baby Einstein: Numbers Nursery, The Walt Disney Co.
        The Brain, Ball State University - Center for Media Design
        The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials:
         1952-2004, American Museum of the Moving Image
        Training ASDA Colleagues with 24/7 TV, Hughes Network Systems,
         ASDA

    3. Best Use of Technology in a Feature Film or Film-related
        Project
        Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Walt
         Disney
        Polar Express, Sony Pictures Imageworks
        Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: The Flying Legion Air
         Combat Challenge, Blitz DS Games & Paramount Pictures
        Spider-Man 2, Sony Pictures Imageworks

    4. Most Innovative Use of Technology for Advertising
        Alfie - Official Movie Website, Big Spaceship
        America Online Partners with The WB and Warner Bros.
        Television to Provide Online Preview of "Jack & Bobby" Prior
         to its Network Debut, America Online, Inc.
        I, Robot - Official Movie Site, Big Spaceship
        Master and Commander: The Farside of the World, Maven Networks

    5. Best Video On-demand Service
        Gotuit On Demand, Gotuit Media
        IFC Films On Demand, Rainbow Media
        Mag Rack, Rainbow Media
        Movielink, a joint venture of Metro-Golwyn-Mayer Studios,
         Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal
         Studios and Warner Bros

    6. Television Technology of the Year
        DLP Technology, Digital Light Processing, DLP Products, a
         division of Texas Instruments
        GoldPocket's Event Matrix iTV System, GoldPocket Interactive
        Reality TV Bytes, Ball State University, Center for Media
         Design
        TiVo