Website Awards – Bringing Back a Lost Internet Tradition
Recognizing Creativity, Uniqueness & Web Nostalgia
The internet used to be a place of self-expression, originality, and personal creativity. Before algorithms dictated what people saw, before social media dominated how we interacted, there was a time when webmasters built websites from scratch, poured their personality into every pixel, and connected through forums, guestbooks, and webrings.
One of the biggest honors back then was earning a Website Award—a sign that your site had been seen, appreciated, and recognized for its uniqueness. It was a big deal to win one because it meant another webmaster saw your site and thought it was something special. Unlike today’s automated rankings and influencer-driven hype, these awards were a true, personal acknowledgment of your work.
I believe it’s time to bring them back.
What Were Website Awards?
Website awards were digital badges of honor given to sites that stood out in design, content, and creativity. They were typically awarded based on:
• Creativity & Design – Sites that had a distinct, personal touch instead of a generic template.
• Hand-Coded Excellence – Sites built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript without relying on heavy frameworks.
• Community & Engagement – Forums, guestbooks, and sites that encouraged real interaction.
• Content & Uniqueness – Thoughtful blogs, personal diaries, niche sites, or digital archives.
• Webmaster Personality – The best sites were extensions of their creators, making them feel alive.
Webmasters proudly displayed their award badges—often in the form of animated GIFs or small PNG icons—to show visitors that their site had been acknowledged. It was a genuine mark of accomplishment in a time when websites weren’t just built for views but for passion and connection.
Reviving Website Awards for the Modern Web
Today’s web feels corporate and overly sanitized—too many sites look the same, focus on SEO tricks, and are designed to game search engines rather than delight real visitors. But there’s still a thriving underground of independent webmasters, bloggers, and creators keeping the spirit of the old web alive.
That’s why I’m bringing back website awards—to celebrate those who still believe in crafting websites that stand out, express individuality, and create something unique in an era of digital sameness.
The awards will be:
✅ 100% human-judged (no algorithms or AI nonsense)
✅ Designed in the retro website award style (GIFs, pixel art, and classic badges)
✅ Awarded to sites that capture the creativity of the indie web
This isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a movement to bring back recognition for web creativity.
Award Categories (Planned)
🏆 The Golden Pixel Award – The best overall website in creativity, design, and originality.
💻 Hand-Coded Excellence Award – Honoring sites built from scratch (no bloated CMS themes or page builders).
🎨 Best Personal Website Award – For personal blogs, hobby sites, and self-expression on the web.
🌐 The Webring Revival Award – For sites that actively connect with other sites in the true spirit of the indie web.
📝 The Indie Blogger Award – Recognizing independent blogs with original content and personality.
🎭 The Retro Design Award – Celebrating websites that intentionally embrace 90s/early 2000s aesthetics.
👾 The Simplicity Award – Honoring lightweight, clean, and functional websites that focus on user experience.
📚 The Web Preservation Award – Recognizing efforts to archive, document, or restore early internet history.
🕹️ The Classic Gaming Site Award – For sites dedicated to preserving classic gaming history, ROM hacking, or old game archives.
⚡ The Experimental Web Award – Honoring sites that push creative limits with unique interactivity, CSS art, or coding experiments.
🛠️ The DIY Web Builder Award – For sites that use self-hosted solutions, unique CMS builds, or custom-developed features.
New award categories will be added based on community input. Got an idea for an award? Let me know!
How It Works
1️⃣ Nominate a Website – You (or someone else) submits a website for consideration.
2️⃣ Judging Process – Each submission is personally reviewed for originality, creativity, and quality.
3️⃣ Award Announcement – Winners receive a custom digital badge to proudly display on their site.
4️⃣ Hall of Fame – Winning sites will be showcased on an awards page as part of the growing legacy of indie web creativity.
This won’t be an automated or AI-driven process—every awarded site will have been reviewed by real humans who understand what makes a website truly special.
Why This Matters
For too long, web creativity has gone unrecognized. In an internet dominated by corporate social media, short-form content, and SEO-optimized clones, it’s time to revive the spirit of digital artistry.
These awards aren’t about fame or monetization—they’re about acknowledging the people who still build the web as an art form.
Winning a website award in the early days meant your work was truly seen and valued. That’s exactly what I want to bring back.
Coming Soon – Get Involved!
This project is still in development, but if you want to be a part of reviving one of the best traditions of the early web, here’s how:
📩 Sign Up for Updates – Be the first to know when nominations open.
📢 Suggest New Award Categories – Have an idea for an award? Let me know!
🏗️ Help Shape This Project – Web developers, designers, and retro web enthusiasts, let’s make this something special.
The internet deserves more creativity, more recognition, and more personality—and I’m going to do my part to make that happen.
🚀 Let’s bring back website awards! 🚀