Nov 15 Deadline: Innovation Awards
The Forrest Four-Cast: November 12, 2019
UPDATE: Entry deadline extended to 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Nov 17
Friday, November 15 marks the entry deadline for SXSW Pitch. Friday, November 15 also brings the final entry deadline for another important March Magic competition — the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards.
The 23rd annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards recognize the most exciting tech developments in the connected world. Innovators and creators from around the world are invited to enter their eligible projects to vie for top honors in this unique, long-running SXSW competition. Five Finalists in each of the 13 categories will be selected to come to SXSW next March to demonstrate their projects to attendees and to judges. This demo process occurs via the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase.
The 13 categories of entry for the 2020 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards include:
AI & Machine Learning: Honoring digital systems which have the ability to adapt to changing data, stimuli, and circumstances; replicating learning, problem-solving, and cognition.
Climate, Culture and Social Impact: Honoring the best new projects and technologies that focus on social, cultural and environmental impact and encourage communities and individuals to participate in and contribute to the betterment of society.
Health, Med, & BioTech: Honoring the best new technology to improve the quality, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care in health and medicine.
Innovation in Connecting People: Honoring the most forward-thinking ways to connect and communicate with others.
Music & Audio Innovation: Honoring the most innovative devices or services that change and improve the way we listen to, compose and enjoy music.
New Economy: Honoring 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.
Robotics & Hardware: Honoring the hottest new advances in the field of robotics and hardware.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics: Honoring innovations in eco-friendly or sustainable energy, transportation, delivery and IoT technology, making life in the connected world a smarter, cleaner, and more efficient Internet of Everything.
Speculative Design: Honoring the best new work that uses design to re-think products, systems and worlds and address the challenges, opportunities and possibilities of the future.
Student Innovation: Honoring exceptional student projects and startups that focus on interactive technology for the future.
Visual Media Experience: Honoring content creation and delivery that moves beyond passive viewership by providing a more immersive and engaging entertainment experience.
Wearable Tech: Honoring the new hardware that revolutionizes the convenience, comfort, functionality, efficiency, and fashion of having a device literally “on you.”
XR: Honoring breakthroughs in augmented, virtual and mixed reality technology including the application of new hardware or software which truly make the “virtual” a reality.
Read more about how your new digital project can be involved with the 2020 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards (and access the online entry form) by visiting this page.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
