The Streamys did their best Emmy-tation tonight, naming winners in 33 categories in a rapid-fire and boisterous event for what they term the “pre-live stream” awards, ahead of Sunday night’s big Beverly Hilton shindig for 14 more.
Some Old Hollywood big names grabbed statues, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the online companion to Key & Peele, Jerry Seinfeld‘s Crackle show “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee,” and that very complicated face-off between Barack Obama and Zach Galifianakis on Between Two Ferns. (The complete list is below)
But the night mostly belonged to the up-and-comers crafting all kinds of programs for YouTube, Vine and other online video outlets (the event was held at the YouTube Space L.A.). The big winner was Epic Rap Battles of History, which won for writing and costume design and for best music video Goku vs. Superman. RWBY picked up two awards, for best animated channel/show/series and for original score (by Jeff Williams)
What’s Trending, the production company behind tonight’s host Shira Lazar, picked up an award for producing the fundraising #Tubeathon2013, as did prominent shows such as Video Game High School, Mortal Kombat: Legacy II, Epic Meal Time, and Vsauce. Meanwhile, some winners expressed shock that they were singled out for an award.
“Thanks to the Streamys for considering what I do acting,” said comedy actress winner Mamrie Hart of You Deserve a Drink (and travelogue #HeyUSA with Sunday night’s co-host Grace Helbig). “I play a girl named Mamrie who drinks too much and tells bad jokes.”
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Ashley Clements, who won for best actress in a drama for her work in the title role in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, said onstage “Did you guys know Julia Stiles was nominated for this award? You may want to give it to her.”
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In an interview afterward, Clements said she was “shocked and thrilled” to win. “It’s always a great honor to be recognized for your work.”
The Bennet series, now done, has been called “Pride and Prejudice on YouTube” and previously scooped up a series of Interactive Emmys as a show but never won an acting award until tonight. Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars has also been an Interactive Emmy winner, for its reality-show bits of Seinfeld and other comedians riding in cars getting, um, coffee.
Unlike many of the creators behind other shows, who basically got their start online shooting themselves on video in their families’ back bedroom, Clements said she was cast in her Bennet role “like any other acting job.” She just finished work on an indie film, August Falls, and is beginning work on a new YouTube series, Muzzled. Both are headed toward 2015 debuts.
The awards also are something of a reflection of the changing business of online video, which is actually starting to resemble a bit more of, well, a business.
One among the herd of editors who trooped to the stage to accept the best editing award for Kids React exulted, “This is a testament to how much the Internet has grown. It’s not just one person (behind a video). There are teams of editors.” Given the industry’s runaway-production headaches, perhaps that’s A Very Good Thing.
For all the awards handed out tonight, there are many more to come. On Friday night, the Streamys will honor Pitbull, Shay Carl, Tyler Oakley and Michelle Phan with its first ICONS Awards. On Sunday night, the rest of the competitive Streamys will be announced, and streamed live online at http://www.streamys.org.
Here’s the list of winners from tonight:
Channel, Show or Series – Overall
Best Companion (Channel, Show or Series) – Vandaveon and Mike (Key & Peele)
Best Non-Fiction or Reality (Channel, Show or Series) – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Channel, Show or Series – Subject
Best Dance (Channel, Show or Series) – Jabbawockeez
Best Food and Cuisine (Channel, Show or Series) – Epic Meal Time
Best Health and Wellness (Channel, Show or Series) – Blogilates
Best Pranks (Channel, Show or Series) – Jack Vale
Best Science and Education (Channel, Show or Series) – Vsauce
Best Sports (Channel, Show or Series) – Red Bull
Special
Best Animated (Channel, Show or Series) – RWBY
Best Indie (Channel, Show or Series) – Little Horribles
Best International (Channel, Show or Series) – Noob (France)
Performance
Best Actress in a Comedy – Mamrie Hart, You Deserve A Drink
Best Actress in a Drama – Ashley Clements, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Best Actor in a Comedy – David Milchard, Convos with My 2-Year-Old
Best Actor in a Drama – Joey Graceffa, Storytellers
Best Collaboration – Zach Galifianakis and President Barack Obama, Between Two Ferns
Music
Best Cover Song – Pentatonix, Daft Punk Mashup (Daft Punk)
Best Music Video – Goku vs Superman, Epic Rap Battles of History
Best Musical Artist, Lindsey Stirling
Craft
Best Choreography – Mortal Kombat: Legacy II, Garrett Warren and Larnell Stovall
Best Cinematography – Devinsupertramp, Devin Graham
Best Costume Design – Epic Rap Battles of History, Sulai Lopez
Best Directing – Video Game High School, Matt Arnold and Freddie Wong
Best Editing – Kids React, Dan Seibert, Justin Reager, Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, and Jordan Towles
Best Original Score – RWBY, Jeff Williams
Best Visual and Special Effects – Action Movie Kid, Daniel Hashimoto
Best Writing – Epic Rap Battles of History, Nice Peter, EpicLLOYD, Zach Sherwin, Dante Cimadamore, and Mike Betette
Vine
Best Vine Comedian – DeStorm Power
Best Vine Creativity – Zach King
Campaign or Event
Best Brand Campaign – Need For Speed: Ken Block’s Gymkhana Six (Need For Speed)
Best Live Event – #Tubeathon 2013
Best Public Service – YouTube Stars Talk Health Care at the White House
Television
Best Television Show – Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon