LA WeeklyWe asked for your help finding the best and brightest online in Los Angeles, and you delivered. After combing through thousands of nominations for the L.A. Weekly Web Awards 2012, we're happy to announce our finalists.
But we can't do all of this ourselves. We've got a panel of judges to help us pick the winners. Let's meet them, shall we?
Tony Pierce is the Online News Editor at KPCC. He's also the former editor of LAist, and helped launched blogs such as “LA Now,” “Hero Complex,” and “Framework” at the Los Angeles Times.
Adam Lisagor is the founder of Birdhouse, a video production company that has made promo videos for tech companies including Groupon, Airbnb, and Square. He also runs sandwichvideo.com, youlooknicetoday.com, and adamlisagor.com.
Willy Blackmore is the Los Angeles editor of TastingTable.com.
Jo Stougaard is a Studio City-based food blogger who blogs at My Last Bite and has been taking pictures of her food since 1982.
Kevin Bronson is a former Los Angeles Times editor, writer and blogger who founded the L.A.-centric music website BUZZBANDS.LA in 2008.
Mitchell Frank is the trailblazing entrepreneur and nightlife visionary behind The Echo, Echoplex, Spaceland Productions and the Regent Theatre.
Shira Lazar is the host and executive producer “What's Trending”, and was named one of Fast Company's 2011 Most Influential Women in Technology and Huffington Post's “Women in Tech to follow on Twitter.”
Ze Frank is a an online artist and media creator. His current project is “A Show with ZeFrank” in which his audience collaborates to make amazing things.
Nancy Miller is the deputy editor at Los Angeles magazine, and previously worked as the West Coast editorial director at Fast Company and as a senior editor at Wired, where she covered the intersection of culture and technology.
Jake Swearingen is the web editor of L.A. Weekly.
Even with those folks on board, we still need some help. Which is why we're turning to you — the smart, savvy, very good-looking readers of L.A. Weekly — to help us pick winners in three categories: Best Podcast, Best YouTube Star, and Best Web Series. Head over to our poll page and drop your vote for who should win. (One vote per customer, please.) We'll leave the poll open until midnight on August 30th.
The complete set of winners (both readers' choice and judge-selected) will be announced September 19. We'll also be throwing a little party at Bardot that night — stay tuned for more details.
Thanks to everyone who made nominations, and best of luck to all our finalists!
The full list of finalists for the L.A. Weekly Web Awards 2012:
Best Neighborhood Blog
Best Online Do-Gooder
Mark Horvath for Hardly Normal and Invisible People
Best Breaking News Source
Best Sports Blog
Best Media Personality Twitter
Best Public Safety Twitter
Best L.A. City App
Best Instagrammer
ilegend_photographer (Johny Hopkins)
Best Arts & Culture Site
Best Startup
Best Fashion Blog
Best Sex Blog
Sex Work Activism in Los Angeles
Best Musician Twitter
Best Musician Instagrammer
Best Musician Online Presence
Best Food Blog
Best Food Twitter
Best Food Instagrammer
Best Bar Blogger
Best Online Food Presence
Best Podcast
Independent Thinking with Steve Gelder
You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes
Best YouTube Star
Best Web Series
Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.