ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The biggest night of the year for Internet cat videos had a little bit of everything – Catuette trophies, cash prizes, a live text vote and lots of laughs, even though Grumpy Cat was there too.
After months of competition and anticipation, Friskies awarded four category winners and the Fan Favorite during “The Friskies” live Award Show, Tuesday night, in New York City. “The Friskies” is the major Award Show for the best cat videos of the year. Fans watching online at www.TheFriskies.com and in person witnessed a star-studded live show, featuring the comedy of host Michael Ian Black and special appearances by actor and cat owner Angela Kinsey. Kinsey offered her thoughts on cat video trends for 2014, tips for watching cat videos at work without getting caught, and presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Internet sensation Grumpy Cat.
At just a year and a half old, Grumpy Cat has become internationally famous for her pessimistic yet hilarious photo memes and viral videos. She has a rabid fan base that includes over one million Facebook fans, and wide appeal across social media. Grumpy Cat has also taken the real world by storm with a movie deal, a book on the New York Times bestseller list, a branded coffee drink, and an expanding line of merchandise, making Grumpy one of the biggest cat celebrities of all time.
“’The Friskies’ is like the OSCARS® for cat videos,” said Shawn Brain, Friskies Brand Manager. “We’re thrilled that tens of thousands of fans voted for their favorite videos, and then tuned in online to see Michael, Angela, Grumpy Cat and the winning cat videos. We had fun seeing our passionate fans participate in real-time by tweeting throughout the show, and texting their votes for the Fan Favorite award.”
Friskies awarded each winning video a $5,000 cash prize, a gold-plated Catuette trophy and bragging rights as one of the best Internet cat videos of 2013. The winning videos featured cats caught on camera in a variety of entertaining situations, and highlighted the curiosity and imagination unique to cats in ways that make us want to watch over and over again.
CATEGORY WINNERS
Cat Comedy: “Cat vs. Printing Paper” starring Remy; Green Bay-Appleton, WI
Spontaneous, spunky and full of energy, Remy has always had a fascination with the printer ever since her owner adopted her. The video captures Remy’s latest encounter when the printer got the best of her.
Catventure: “The Tiniest Tiger’s Snow Adventure” starring Gracey; Columbus, OH
Known as “The Tiniest Tiger,” Gracey was rescued and nursed back to health by her owners, who say she is the “small mascot for big cats.” In the video, Gracey decides she will act like a big Siberian Tiger, and attempts to go out in the snow with entertaining results.
Rescue Cat: “Pancake the Kitten and His Doberman” starring Pancake; Tucson, AZ
Rescue cat Pancake was found in a Phoenix parking lot at only three weeks old. Pancake’s owner and her Doberman, Sugar Tree, quickly fell in love with the kitten and adopted her.
Pursuit of Food or Treat: “We Love Squirrel” starring Eleanor, Gibbous and Miley; Toledo, OH
Eleanor, Gibbous and Miley look like wild cats, but are as sweet as three cats can be. Eleanor is the curious cat, always chasing shadows and reflections; Miley is the athletic cat; and Gibbous is the queen bee, and rules the roost. Each cat is unique, but when there’s a squirrel outside the window, they’re all hypnotized.
Fan Favorite: “Pancake the Kitten and His Doberman” starring Pancake; Tucson, AZ
With one award already under her belt for the “Rescue Cat” category, Alex Komechak also took home the Fan Favorite award based on popular text vote. Komechak graciously accepted her second Catuette trophy and thanked Pancake for being so loveable.
JUDGING AND VOTING
“The Friskies” judging panel helped present the awards. The judges were “Henri le Chat Noir” creator Will Braden; Adopt-a-Pet.com executive director Abbie Moore; and Mick Szydlowski, “The Friskies” 2012 Grand Prize Winner and owner of Oskar the Blind Cat. In July, they narrowed down nearly 2,500 video submissions to 20 Semi-Finalists. Each Semi-Finalist received a one-year supply of Friskies cat food and Friskies® Party Mix cat treats.
From there, it was up to the public alone to choose the top three Finalist videos in each category throughout the month of August. Those top Finalists converged in New York City for “The Friskies” Award Show, and the Finalist in each category with the most votes was named category winner. The public also chose the Fan Favorite through a one-day text vote on October 15, the day of the Award Show. The Fan Favorite was the final prize of the evening.
CAT CHARITY ORGANIZATION PARTNERS
Friskies gave away more than cash prizes and Catuette trophies. To recognize the hard work cat rescue and charity organizations do to ensure cats find forever homes, Friskies partnered with 20 cat charity organizations nationwide. Friskies awarded those partners 330,000 total cans of Friskies cat food throughout “The Friskies” Contest. The organizations helped spread the word about “The Friskies,” and encouraged their communities to take part by submitting videos, voting and tuning in to the Award Show. The efforts of the Friskies Facebook and Twitter communities to like, comment on and share videos and other content helped trigger a donation of 65,000 cans of Friskies among the charities, which helped the charities earn more than the original goal of 250,000 cans. In total, the charities earned 330,000 cans of Friskies cat food.
Visit www.TheFriskies.com to view the winning videos, and watch hilarious highlights from the Award Show on the Friskies YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/purinafriskies.
ABOUT FRISKIES
The Friskies® brand offers a complete line of great-tasting cat foods, including more than 60 wet, dry and treat varieties. Friskies is manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare, a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestlé Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis; Mo. Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A. – the world’s largest food company.
OSCARS® is a trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. or used with permission.
