Vaynerchuk, Chu, ‘ControlTV’ Headline NATPE Digital Luminary Award Honorees

This year NATPE is getting serious about the future of content. After decades as the leading trade organization in television world, the 46 year-old institution is embracing the digital content revolution head on.

This year’s NATPE Market, relocated from its previous home in Las Vegas to the even balmier Miami Beach, is giving some sizable airtime to the digital folks, with a whole track of sessions with speakers like iJustine, Rob Barnett, SMOSH, Rhett & Link, Amber J. Lawson, Bernie Su and Al Thompson.

The Market runs from January 24 through the 26th, but capping off the Market’s busy Wednesday are the Digital Luminary Awards. This year NATPE reached out to us here at Tubefilter to team up in pulling together the awards. There are five award categories honoring both the shows themselves and the brands and companies that back them. And did we mention that Bannen Way creator-star Mark Gantt is hosting?

“NATPE is proud to recognize this year’s 2011 Digital Luminary Awards honorees as pioneers and ambassadors of digital content,” said NATPE CEO Rick Feldman. “The insight and leadership provided by each of the recipients in their respective areas of interest is invaluable to the NATPE conference and marketplace.”

The 2011 Digital Luminary Award recipients will be honored on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 5:00PM in the Fontaine Ballroom at the Fontainebleau Resort. Honorees accepting awards this year are:

Branded Entertainment Series
Recognizing excellence in an original online video series that is funded primarily through a brand sponsor.
Honoree: ControlTV

(sponsored by Ford, Sprint, Snickers)

Brand Leadership in Online Video
Honoring a brand that has shown repeated commitment to funding original online entertainment content that is engaging, unique and successful in reaching a core online audience.
Honoree: IKEA for content including three seasons of Easy to Assemble

Original Web Content
Recognizing excellence in creation of an original web series that has broken through and achieved critical and financial success in the past year.
Honoree: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (The LXD) – Creator: Jon M. Chu

Online Video Personality
Honoring an online video personality that has built a significant audience and continues to engage and entertain them in unique ways.
Honoree: Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library TV)

Market Leadership in the Digital Space
Recognizing the commitment and investment in the creation and distribution of online content.
Honoree: AOL

Having been to NATPE a few times now, I can tell you it’s a gold mine for anyone in the business of entertainment content. The Market attracts over 5,000 attendees, including hundreds of buyers and distributors from around the world. One web series creator, who will remain unnamed, said at last year’s show he felt “like a fox in a hen house.” So if you’re serious about exploring international and multiplatform distribution, then this one is worth the trip.

Just for Tubefilter readers: Register here for NATPE||Content First, January 24-26, 2011, in Miami using promo code N11FILTER for a discounted $750 rate!