ST. LOUIS-(BUSINESS WIRE)-There are millions of Internet cat videos but the best of the best were celebrated last night at an awards gala to honor the finalists and officially announce the winners of “The Friskies”– the renowned awards for the best Internet cat videos of the year. It was up to the public to vote on their favorite videos from August 11, 2014 through September 8, 2014 at www.TheFriskies.com and America has spoken.
After months of competition and anticipation, the 12 finalists of “The Friskies” gathered in Los Angeles, Calif. to find out which felines would take home a coveted catuette. YouTube celebrities The Fine Bros. and category captains Grace Helbig, Zach King, Will Braden and Jesse Wellens were also in attendance to honor the finalists and present the awards. By the end of the night, Friskies® crowned the four category winners and the Grand Prize winner.
“This year’s ‘The Friskies’ was one of the best yet. Some videos were hilarious, some were adorable and some were absolutely outrageous!” said Whitney Evans, Friskies assistant brand manager. “We were blown away with the amount of fan support and votes each video received. Without a doubt, the videos combined with the countless votes of passionate fans made for a fierce but amazing competition.”
Friskies awarded each category winning videos’ creator a $5,000 cash prize, a golden catuette and bragging rights as one of the best Internet cat videos of 2014. The Grand Prize winner, Dumpster Kitty, received the most votes overall and took home an additional $20,000.
CATEGORY WINNERS
Funny: Cat vs. Flipflop starring Buddy; Palm Coast, FL
Buddy likes order in the house and when he sees something unfamiliar, he gets quite curious. In this playful video, Buddy is exploring a strange object on the floor and becomes the ultimate scardey cat!
Res-cute: Cat and Baby Play Peekaboo starring Howie; Liverpool, OH
In this absolutely adorable video, Howie plays a game of peekaboo with baby Joy. A cute cat coupled with a cute baby is impossible to beat!
Epic: How Bob Gets His Exercise starring Bob; Atlanta, GA
Bob enjoys getting his exercise in a unique way. The technique and speed with which he chases his tail is really impressive. Maybe he’s practicing to be a break dancer?
Strange: Dumpster Kitty starring Cole and Marmalade; Tampa, FL
In this peculiar video, Marmalade puts on disappearing act for Cole. Mesmerized, Cole is left wondering where his feline friend goes!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Dumpster Kitty starring Cole and Marmalade; Tampa, FL
Friskies gave away more than cash and catuettes. To recognize the hard work cat shelter organizations do to ensure cats find forever homes, Friskies partnered with 10 cat shelter organizations nationwide. Friskies awarded those partners 250,000 total cans of Friskies wet cat food. Every vote for a finalist video between August 11, 2014 and September 8, 2014 equaled one can of Friskies wet cat food donated to a shelter partner. Additionally, with direction from the category captains, Friskies donated a total of $23,500 to shelter partners.
Visit www.TheFriskies.com to view the winning videos and continue to join the conversation with #TheFriskies.
ABOUT FRISKIES
The Friskies® brand offers a complete line of great-tasting cat foods, including more than 60 wet, dry and treat varieties. Friskies is manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare, a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.