Webby Celeb

Mt Maunganui raised Jessica Rose has been named best actress in the 11th annual Webby Film and Video Awards in a special achievement category, for her performance in the fictional YouTube video blog “lonelygirl15”. Fellow recipients of Webby special achievement awards include David Bowie, “The e-Bay Community” and YouTube Co-Founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley. Webby organisers said that Rose has “defined the role of the internet celebrity” and is “an integral founder of the new form of entertainment.” Rose was previously voted No. 1 Web Celeb for 2006 by Forbes Magazine and continues to attract six-digit audiences online. Later this year a UK version of the lonelygirl phenomenon will launch on social networking site Bebo. The series of fictional video diaries – renamed KateModern – will be scripted by original LA-based creators Miles Beckett, Greg Goodfried and Mesh Flinders, but will utilise British talent on both sides of the web-cam.