The Streamy Awards, popularly known as the Streamys, are presented annually by the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) to recognize excellence in the arts and science of web television production, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented takes place in Los Angeles, California. They are the first ever envelope-opening live streamed award show.

The winners of awards in 36 categories, including the Audience Choice and Visionary Award, were announced for the first time on March 28, 2009 at the 1st Annual Streamy Awards. Winners of the 1st Annual Streamy Awards included individual recipients (Best Male and Female Actor), and web series themselves. Each year, certain awards are presented before the main ceremony at the Streamys Craft Awards.

The 2nd Annual Streamy Awards were hosted by actor/comedian Paul Scheer and streamed live online from the Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles, California) on April 11, 2010. The production experienced technical problems as well as interruptions due to people streaking the stage and interrupting the presenters. This show incorporated an online live internet streaming broadcast.

Shane Dawson (born Shane Yaw; July 19, 1988) is an American YouTube actor, comedian, and musician. Dawson is known for making comedy videos featuring many recurring characters (such as Shananay, Ned the Nerd, S. Deezy, Mom, and Aunt Hilda), impersonations (such as Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus and Sarah Palin), and spoofs of popular music videos and television shows. As of September 2011 his main YouTube channel is the fifth most subscribed channel of all time, behind Ray William Johnson, Nigahiga, Smosh, and Machinima.com. Dawson has since expanded on YouTube by adding his second channel (twelfth most subscribed) where he posts video blogs and the series "Ask Shane", which moved to his main channel February 26, 2011.

Dawson's career began when he and several friends would turn in videos instead of homework in high school. Dawson's first videos on YouTube were old assignments that he turned in during high school.

In November 2009, Dawson was featured on Attack of the Show! In 2010, Forbes magazine named him their 25th most famous web celebrity.

Kathryn Felicia Day (born on June 28, 1979) is an American actress and singer, known for her work as "Vi" on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and for parts in movies such as Bring It On Again and June, as well as the Internet musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Day is also the star, script writer and producer of the original web series The Guild, a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also starred in the Dragon Age web series Dragon Age: Redemption, which she wrote. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Web Television.

Day began her acting career at the age of 7 when she starred as Scout in a local production of To Kill a Mockingbird. She studied operatic singing and ballet professionally, performing at concerts and competitions nationwide. Home-schooled throughout much of her childhood, she began college at the age of 16.

She was a National Merit Scholar (1995) and graduated as valedictorian of her class. An accomplished violinist, Day was accepted to the Juilliard School of Music but chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a full scholarship in violin performance. She double majored in mathematics and music performance.

Philip DeFranco (born December 1, 1985), is an American video blogger and YouTube celebrity. His videos are centered on current events, politics and celebrity gossip in which he gives his opinion, usually presented in an ironic manner and with frequent jump cuts to create a fast-paced feel. He has over 824 million views, and over 2 million subscribers, and is the 17th most subscribed YouTuber as of March 13, 2012. His second YouTube channel is called "PhilipDeFranco" and he also makes a series of vlogs which he calls "The Vloggity".

DeFranco started his YouTube channel in 2006, and his videos regularly surpass one million views daily. His large audience led to his winning of a Spore Creature Creator contest and Wired's Sexiest Geek of 2008 award, both open access online polls.

DeFranco was born December 1, 1985, in The Bronx, New York, United States. He was a student at 2 Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and later a junior at East Carolina University. DeFranco said in an interview he had inherited polycystic kidney disease from his father and grandfather. He lives with his girlfriend Lindsay Jordan Doty (LinzLoves) and their two Yorkshire Terriers Rookie and Ace ventura pet detective.