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"The Comedy Awards is the baby of the awards show ceremonies \u2014 only two years old. But the show's huge digital and social presence keeps pace with the big boys.\nThe event airs Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central, but it was taped last Saturday. Mashable had the opportunity to attend.\nAmong traditional categories like \"Best Comedy Film,\" \"Best Performance\" and \"Club Comic,\" there are a number of digital categories: \"Funniest Person on Twitter,\" \"Best Remix, Mash-Up or Supercut,\" \"Best Comedy App\" and \"Best Comedy Podcast.\" \nThe digital categories are viewers' choice, and voters can select their favorite nominee online. (The \"Best Viral Original\" was part of last year's categories, and also viewers' choice.) \nThere are also tinges of the web scattered throughout the show \u2014 most of presenter Andy Richter's jokes are about social media montioring, and there's a pretty hilarious moment when the \"honey badger guy\" documents Richter eating a sandwich. \nZach Galifianakis' comedy web series Between Two Ferns will make an appearance on television for the first time, serving as a precursor to the awards show.\nSocial media was a big topic of the evening. Nearly every comedian who entered the press room was asked about their presence (or lack thereof) on Twitter. The response was mostly supportive of the tool, or that they were so high profile they didn't need social media.\n\"Twitter seems like a nightmare to me,\" Amy Poehler told the press backstage. \"That just seems like a mistake waiting to happen.\"   \nRobin Williams, who was honored with the Stand-Up Icon Award, admitted to giving up on Twitter after sending one tweet. He compared seeing comedy live in a small venue to \"seeing jazz,\" claiming that those moments are not documentable, and that we need to live it when it happens.\nOn the other hand, comedians like Key and Peele rely heavily on social media. Their show has an engaged audience online, and they admitted to using that feedback for future episodes.\n\"In this day and age, it's OK to have that dialogue,\" says Peele. \"It's all evolving \u2014 we all know this is the way it's going to be, and it's moving so fast.\"\nThe awards show, which is hosted by Comedy Central, is one of the most socially engaged pushes from the network. By partnering with GetGlue and Viggle, viewers tuning in with their mobile device in hand will get exclusive stickers and extra points for checking in to the show. \n\n\n\nMake sure to check in to the #ComedyAwards tonight on @GetGlue and earn the exclusive sticker: ow.ly/aI7lg\u2014 The Comedy Awards (@TheComedyAwards) May 6, 2012\n\n\n\nSocial and digital technology have become an integral part of programming, and it's no wonder the big winner at the Comedy Awards this year was FX. Louie won for \u201CBest Sketch/Alternative Comedy Series\u201D and \u201CBest Comedy Directing \u2014 TV,\u201D and Archer took home \"Best Animated Comedy Series,\" beating out The Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park. \nFX has made a significant push for social TV with its programming \u2014 including Archer, in which they partnered with GetGlue on an app that gives fans stickers for playing a spy-themed game and checking in. There\u2019s also a second-screen app for the show, built in HTML5. \nLouis CK won \u201CBest Stand-Up Tour\u201D and  \u201CBest Comedy Special.\u201D After the success of his digitally distributed special, he'll bring it to television for the first time on FX. The 42-minute televised version will also run commercials for the website. \n\u201CI love FX, I'm very grateful to them \u2014 so I thought they've never had a comedy special on, and it might be kind of cool to let them get a crack at it,\" says CK.\nWere you surprised by the winners this year? Do you think social and digital media play a role in their success? Let us know in the comments.\n      window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement('script');js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);};\n_msla(\"//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\",\"twitter_jssdk\");"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/05/06/comedy-awards-social-media/>