Nominations announced for 2013 Philadelphia Geek Awards

The point of the Philadelphia Geek Awards is to shine a light on noteworthy examples of local geek culture.

“A geek is a person that is so passionate about a specific thing that it becomes a part of their lifestyle, a part of who they are,” said Geek Awards co-founder Eric Smith.

Since NewsWorks is a media partner of the awards, we coaxed the group into giving us the nominee list first, for a “scoop.”

There are 14 varieties of top geek this year, with awards ranging from best mobile app to best indie film.

With a black-tie gala and everything, Smith says the event is really just a small step down from the Oscars.

“We try to take it really seriously but still have a good time — and acknowledge the hard work of people in the community that we believe really need to be highlighted in a bigger way,” Smith said.

If the Geek Awards were the Oscars, then Geek of the Year would be Best Picture.

This year’s nominees are:

• Frank Lee, the man behind the giant game of Pong on the Cira Centre,

• Dan Ueda, the coach of the robotics team at Philadelphia’s Central High School and

• Matthew Akana, a geek of all trades who does molecular biology and improv comedy.

Those three, and more, will grab a sliver of limelight on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Academy of Natural Sciences. More info on how to attend can be found here. 

The awards ceremony will feature a geeky, thematic element throughout. Year one was all about the TV show “Game of Thrones.” Year two riffed on EDM pioneers Daft Punk. Smith says this year’s theme is still a secret.

“It’s a movie type of thing,” he said.

Smith says interest in the awards ceremony has grown steadily since 2011. Still, last year’s Geek of the Year probably won’t be in attendance: She recently moved to Colorado.

The nominees

Below is the full list of nominees as prepared by Geek Awards organizers.

“These are the geeks in the city that we’re trying to show off,” Smith said.

 

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Geek Awards 2013 Nominee List (PDF)

Geek Awards 2013 Nominee List (Text)