--
PRNewswire/ South by Southwest has announced the 70 finalists for its 20th annual Interactive Innovation Awards, taking place on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. CDT at the Hilton Austin Downtown (Grand Ballroom, 6th Floor). The SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards celebrates the incredible speakers, trends, innovations, and ideas that are brought to Austin each year. This event is open to all SXSW Interactive, Film, Music and Platinum badgeholders.
New to the Awards ceremony this year is the second annual David Carr Prize, awarded for the best essay submitted from writers, bloggers and journalists. Created last year to honor the late David Carr, a friend and great contributor to SXSW and the journalistic community, the essay topic follows Carrs interest in the convergence of new media, technology, and culture.
The 2017 SXSW David Carr Prize Finalists are:
Mike Armstrong, The Heart of Something Heartless
James Brown, Learning in a Community of Black Boxes
Megan Cole, (no title)
Dan Murrell, Gerald 1.0
Gabriel Wardell, (no title)
The ceremony also will include the induction of Kara Swisher into the SXSW Interactive Hall of Fame. Swisher is the executive editor and co-founder of Recode, host of the Recode Decode podcast, and co-executive producer of the Code Conference series. Swishers career sits at the nexus of whats most important to SXSW Interactive: Innovation and inspiration in the tech industry, and - perhaps more importantly than ever - uncompromisingly honest journalism.
In addition to the Awards ceremony, this years finalists will have the opportunity to exhibit and demo their work at the Interactive Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase on Sunday, March 12 from 11-5 p.m CDT at the Hilton Austin Downtown (Salons C, D, and E, 4th Floor). The Finalist Showcase offers SXSW Interactive, Music, Film, and Platinum badgeholders a first look at the most exciting tech developments, including achievements in digital design, health technology, privacy and security, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality, plus a chance to place their votes for the Peoples Choice Award. Registered media and official Awards jurists will have exclusive access to the Showcase and finalist demos that morning, from 10-11 a.m. CDT.
We are proud to not only honor the years best, most forward-thinking projects, but to bring that innovation to the fingertips of each and every SXSW conference attendee during the Finalist Showcase, said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. Im particularly impressed at how many of these projects are implementing next-generation AI technology. This AI theme is one that will be very strong throughout SXSW 2017.
A panel of judges comprised of industry peers and experts reviewed hundreds of applications to determine this years finalists. Each entry was graded on four criteria: creativity, form, function and overall experience. The Finalist Showcase provides an in-person experience for the judges to complete their second round of voting to determine the winner of all 13 categories, Anyone with a SXSW Interactive, Film, Music and Platinum badge can vote on the Peoples Choice Award at the Finalist Showcase on Sunday, March 12.
The SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards will reveal winners in each of the 13 categories plus six additional honors, including: Best of Show, Peoples Choice, Breakout Trend of the Event, Speaker of the Event and Meme of the Year.
The 2017 SXSW Interactive Innovation Award Finalists are:
HEALTH, MED & BIOTECH
Awarded for the new technology that best improves the quality, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care in health and medicine
DIY CRISPR Kit by The ODIN, San Francisco, CA
miniPCR by Amplyus, Cambridge, MA
Molekule by Molekule, San Francisco, CA
PRIME Needle Free Injector by Portal Instruments, Cambridge, MA
Voxel Bay by the Research Institute at Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, OH
INNOVATION IN CONNECTING PEOPLE
Awarded for the best new way to connect and communicate with others
Blendoor by Stephanie Lampkin, San Francisco, CA
REWORD by Leo Burnett Melbourne, Southbank, VIC, AUS
Samsung: Bedtime VR stories by Unit9, London, UK
Sydney Opera House #comeonin by DDB Group Australia, Sydney, NSW, AUS
The Superbook by Sentio, San Francisco, CA
INNOVATIVE 3-DIY
Awarded for making 3D printing technology more accessible or affordable, or to the Maker using such technology in new and exciting ways
3Doodler PRO by 3Doodler, New York, NY
The FormBox by Makyu Industries, London, UK
Miia Truly Personalized CPAP by Metamason, Los Angeles, CA
Onyx One 3D Printer by Markforged Inc., Cambridge, MA
Original Prusa i3 MK2 by Prusa Research, Prague, CZE
MUSIC & AUDIO INNOVATION
Awarded for 2016s best device or service that changes and improves the way we listen to and enjoy music
HOLOPLOT Wave Field Generator by Holoplot GmbH, Berlin, DEU
KSM8 Dualdyne Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone by Shure Inc, Niles, IL
OSSIC X by OSSIC, San Diego, CA
The Sensel Morph by Sensel, Mountain View, CA
Vochlea: Protoyping Music by George Philip Wright, Leeds, UK
NEW ECONOMY
Awarded to those redefining the exchange of goods and services, from the sharing economy, to virtual currency, to micro-finance, to mobile-device-payment systems and beyond
Blinker App by Blinker Inc, Denver, CO
Clever Kash by ASB Bank, Auckland, NZL
Funderbeam by Funderbeam, Tallinn, EST
Modos COIN Operated Digital Payments Hub by ModoPayments, Dallas, TX
Tokken: Cashless Cannabis app by Tokken, Denver, CO
PRIVACY & SECURITY
Awarded for 2016s most progressive accomplishment in the way we go about securing our data and ensuring our privacy
Almond 3 Smart Home Wi-Fi System by Securifi, Reno, NV
D3CRYPT3D by PADECA LLC, Chamblee, GA
RedMorph Inc by RedMorph Inc, Cranberry Twp, PA
TunnelBear for macOS and Windows by TunnelBear, Tor
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
07/05/2026
Recreating the 1974 Doctor Who Time Tunnel in After Effects
Graham Quince May 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Time Tunnel from Doctor Who titles is one of th...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
-- 
