David Byrnes Up the Webbys

Talking Heads frontman, Lorne Michaels to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at 12th Annual Webbys June 10 in New York

By Natalie Finn May 28, 2008 11:02 PMTags
David ByrneE. Dougherty/WireImage.com

More than a few talking heads figure David Byrne should be recognized for his pioneering efforts.

The new-wave rocker will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Annual Webby Awards next month for his ongoing work to bring multimedia culture to the masses, including via his own Internet radio station and blog and his celebrated PowerPoint art, which can be viewed in the book-DVD set Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information.

Also receiving an award for a career well done will be Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, particularly for his unprecedented success with digital shorts such as YouTube faves "Lazy Sunday" and the Emmy-winning "Dick in a Box."

"David and Lorne both turned popular culture on its head in the late 1970s and each of them have continued to push the envelope for more than three decades," said Webby Awards executive director David-Michel Davies. "It's an honor to salute these two visionaries for careers that consistently challenge, surprise, and inspire audiences around the world."

The duo will be honored twice, first June 9 at the Webby Film and Video Awards, to be hosted by 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander at New York's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, and again the following day at the actual Webby Awards. Seth Meyers will emcee the ceremony at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.

This year's Special Achievement honorees include Person of the Year Stephen Colbert (which should take the sting out of being shafted by Time in favor of Korean popster Rain), Film and Video Person of the Year Michel Gondry, Artist of the Year will.i.am, and Best Actors Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (from Adult Swim's awesomely titled Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!).

The Webbys, which have been called the Internet's highest honor, are handed out by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.