DAVID BOWIE’S FIVE WORDS

DAVID BOWIE delivered a classic moment last night in New York City at the 11th Annual Webby Awards, where he was honored with the “Webby Lifetime Achievement Award” for pushing the boundaries between art and technology via BowieNet, the seminal Internet service provider he launched in 1998; UltraStar, his digital media company that creates cutting edge online content for artists like The Rolling Stones, The Police, and Mariah Carey; and BowieArt, an innovative Web site that connects emerging visual artists with collectors worldwide.

The Webbys are known as the “Oscars of the Internet” (New York Times), and its annual ceremony is famous for its five-word acceptance speeches.  Dressed in a dark green silk suit, black shirt and black bowtie and wearing a diamond elephant man pin in his lapel, the rock icon and Internet pioneer took the stage to a standing ovation and delivered his speech:

“So, only got five words.
Shit, that was five
Four right there
Three there
Two”

As Bowie rapidly exited the stage, the assembled crowd hollered its approval. And the sentiment in the room was further underlined when the organizers of online community Facebook gave a concise tribute to Bowie in their five-word acceptance speech:  "I’m just here for Bowie."

The Webby Awards, established in 1996, is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-person judging academy whose members include Vinton Cerf, R/GA’s Chief Bob Greenberg, "Simpson's" creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington, and Harvey Weinstein. This year, over 400,000 votes were cast by people around the world for their favorite sites, videos, and ads in The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Verizon. A full list of both Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards winners can be found at www.webbyawards.com.