6 Awesome Moments From the 2013 Philadelphia Geek Award

Just look at all of these geeks.

On Saturday night, the residents of the figurative Geekadelphia — expressing myriad interpretations of “black tie” — descended upon The Academy of Natural Sciences for the sold-out third-annual Philadelphia Geek Awards hosted by the actual Geekadelphia. The ceremony, a celebration of the city’s burgeoning science, tech and innovation scene, bestowed 14 awards, ranging from Hacker of the Year and Viral Project of the Year to Web Project of the Year and the prestigious Geek of the Year, presented by celebs such as CBS3’s Nicole Brewer, quiz master Johnny Goodtimes, Science Cheerleader Darlene Cavalier and Mystery Science Theater 3000‘s  Joel Hodgson.

Here are our 6 highlights from the ceremony, followed by the full list of winners. (Check HughE Dillon’s photos at The Scene.)

6. Skeletor’s Envelope Malfunction

Skeletor, ruler of Snake Mountain and the host of the Trocadero’s long-running Karaoke Gong Show, while presenting the award for Viral Project of the Year to From Start to Film’s “We Are Never Ever Gonna Win With Andy,” struggled with the night’s very-well-sealed winner envelopes. “I normally have a secretary to do this,” he explained without breaking character.

5. Kyle Cassidy’s Hawk Krall Nod

While introducing the nominees for Visual Artist of the Year with a hilarious/sprawling speech, photographer Kyle Cassidy said of one nominee, illustrator Hawk Krall, “If he doesn’t win, I hope they make a different award for Best Name.”

4. Joel Hodgson’s Tuxedo Shtick

Before presenting the night’s ultimate award for Geek of the Year to Central High physics teacher/Robolancers coach Dan Ueda, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator riffed on renting a tuxedo for the black-tie affair, noting that he was wearing the same suit some 18-year-old wore on the most exciting night of his life. Because Chris Barrett of PRserve.com was wearing Google Glass, you can watch it here:

3. Youth Movement

In accepting his award for Indie Game of the Year, the impossibly youthful-looking, sunglasses-clad Greg Lobanov (creator of Perfection) asked “all the ladies in the house to say ‘woot, woot'” then explained that he couldn’t imagine another scenario in which he’d get to do that. Then he thanked his parents, who were in attendance. Aw.

2. #GunCrisis’s Moment of Silence

In accepting their award for Social Media Campaign of the Year, the #GunCrisis team asked for a moment of silence to remember the victims of gun violence, particularly the seven people who’d been shot that weekend.

1. What Makes Art Visual?

In accepting the award for Visual Artist of the Year for Braille Street Art with his artistic partner and friend Sonia Petruse, Austin Seraphin, blind at birth, quipped, “I wanted to confess something: I’m not actually a visual artist.” The crowd went wild.

 

The full list of winners:

Geek Story of the Year: Pong at the Cira Center

Startup of the Year: Autism Expressed

Hacker of the Year: Dr. Frank Lee of Pong at the Cira Center

Social Media Campaign of the Year: #GunCrisis

Visual Artist of the Year: Braille Street Art

Scientist of the Year: Kimberlee Sue Moran

Comic Creator of the Year: Andrew Goletz’s You Are Not Alone

Indie Game of the Year: Perfection

Web Project of the Year: AxisPhilly

Mobile App of the Year: Bizvizz

Event of the Year: Open Air Philadelphia

Feature Length Indie Film of the Year: The Backyard Philly Project

Viral Project of the Year: We Are Never Ever Going to Win With Andy

Geek of the Year: Dan Ueda, coach of Central High’s Robolancers.

Here is a video of Ueda’s Robolancers doing the “Harlem Shake.”