Indie Soap Awards History and Archive

After an interview with EMPIRE's Greg Turner and Brian Hewson in June 2009, We Love Soaps founder Roger Newcomb coined the term "indie soap" and began producing the Indie Soap Beat segment for the We Love Soaps Radio podcast that aired at the time. Later that year, as a way to bring attention to the talented groups and individuals who were creating serialized scripted content for the web, We Love Soaps created the Indie Soap Awards.

When the first Indie Soap Awards nominations were revealed on January 6, 2010, it was unclear how the web series community would react, would anyone even notice? But the response was instant and overwhelming.

We Love Soaps produced a very low-tech pre-recorded "ceremony" that aired the evening of February 1, 2010 (ISA1). Many of the winners created brilliant accept speech videos while others pre-taped speeches and presentations at Shetler Studios in midtown Manhattan. The stream was a hit and a live event was promised for 2011.

The nominations for the 2nd Annual ISAs (ISA2) were announced on January 10, 2011, with a ceremony planned for February 21. Once again the indie soap community embraced the idea and the Awards were a smashing success. The event was held at Alvin Ailey Studios in New York with around 125 people in attendance hosted by Emmy winner Martha Byrne.

In 2012 (ISA3) the show doubled in size. At least three dozen web series were represented and, for the first time, many of the awards were divided up into Drama and Comedy categories. The ceremony was held on February 21 at New World Stages with over 250 attendees.  Actress Colleen Zenk closed the show as the theater filled with bubbles.

The 4th Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISA4) took place on February 19, 2013, once again at New World Stages in New York. Colleen Zenk and Kevin Spirtas, who both landed on web series after attending ISA3, opened the close. Two former ISA winners, Martha Byrne and Hillary B. Smith, closed the show as the theater once again was filled with bubbles. The ceremony was livestreamed for the first time ever.

WINNERS TO DATE

Best Web Series
2010: DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
2011: DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
2012: RAGGED ISLE (Drama)
         PRETTY (Comedy)
2013: OUT WITH DAD (Drama)
         THE BLOODY MARY SHOW (Comedy)

Best Lead Actress
2010: Rachael Hip-Flores, ANYONE BUT ME
2011: Monica Calhoun, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
2012: Kate Conway, OUT WITH DAD (Drama)
         Emma Caulfield, BANDWAGON (Comedy)
2013: Miriam Pultro, MYTHOS (Drama)
         Cynthia Watros, CYNTHIA WATROS GETS LOST (Comedy)

Best Lead Actor
2010: Craig Frank, COMPULSIONS
2011: Anthony Anderson, ANACOSTIA
2012: Sebastian La Cause, HUSTLING (Drama)
         John Colella, VAMPIRE MOB (Comedy)
2013: Sebastian La Cause, HUSTLING (Drama)
         Brad Bell, HUSBANDS (Comedy)

Best Writing
2010: Susan Miller & Tina Cesa Ward, ANYONE BUT ME
2011: Susan Miller & Tina Cesa Ward, ANYONE BUT ME
2012: Anthony Anderson, ANACOSTIA (Drama)
         Jason Vitteri-Lewis, TRAILER MADE (Comedy)
2013: Michael Caruso, DEVANITY (Drama)
         Brad Bell & Jane Espenson, HUSBANDS (Comedy)

Best Directing
2010: Kai Soremekun, CHICK
2011: Gregori J. Martin, THE BAY
2012: Barry Dodd, RAGGED ISLE (Drama)
         Henryk Cymerman & Tim Russ, BLOOMERS (Comedy)
2013: Barry Dodd, RAGGED ISLE (Drama)
         Liz Ellis, WRECKED (Comedy)

Best Editing
2010: Michael Darrow, COMPULSIONS
2011: Wiley Abbas, IN BETWEEN MEN
2013: Nate Locklear, ONCE YOU LEAVE

Best Use of Music
2010: VENICE
2011: OUT WITH DAD
2012: MISS BEHAVE

Best Soundtrack
2013: HUNTING SEASON

Best Original Score
2013: Rob Gokee, COST OF CAPITAL

Best Sound Design
2010: Tom Boykin, COMPULSIONS
2011: CELL

Best Ensemble
2010: ANACOSTIA
2011: PRETTY
2012: SUNDAYS (Drama)
         PRETTY (Comedy)
2013: HUSTLING (Drama)
         THE BLOODY MARY SHOW (Comedy)

Best Supporting Actress
2010: Taryn O'Neill, COMPULSIONS
2011: Hillary B. Smith, VENICE
2012: Michael Myracle, CALIFORNIA HEAVEN (Drama)
         Diane Delano, FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES (Comedy)
2013: Pasha Diallo, ANACOSTIA (Drama)
         Dee Freeman, PRETTY (Comedy)

Best Supporting Actor
2010: Joshua Holland, ANYONE BUT ME
2011: Jordan Clarke, VENICE
2012: Timothy Olin, THE RAs (Drama)
         Blake Hammond, THEN WE GOT HELP! (Comedy)
2013: Adam Henry Garcia, MYTHOS (Drama)
         Robert Bergin, WRECKED (Comedy)

Best Guest Performance
2010: Billy Dee Williams, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
2011: Liza Weil, ANYONE BUT ME
2012: Martha Byrne, ANACOSTIA (Drama)
         Joan Van Ark, PRETTY (Comedy)
2012: Terri Garber, MISS BEHAVE (Drama)
         Michele Lee, FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES (Comedy)

Breakthrough/Breakout Performance (tie)
2010: Preston Davis, BUPPIES (tie)
         Renée Olbert, SEEKING SIMONE (tie)
2011: Pasha Diallo, ANACOSTIA
2012: Lynn Wactor, BANDWAGON
2013: Caitlynne Medrek, OUT WITH DAD

Best Cimematography
2012: Barry Dodd & Derek Kimball, RAGGED ISLE
2013: Paul Awad, THURSTON

Best Costume Design
2013: Kathryn O’Sullivan, THURSTON

Best Makeup
2013: Jamey-Leigh Weber & Julia Coleman, THE BLOODY MARY SHOW

Best Visual/Special Effects
2013: Pranjal Verma, HITMAN 101

Best Opening Sequence
2013: GAY NERDS

Best Crossover Performance
2012: Michael O'Leary, THE BAY ("Far From The Bay")/STEAMBOAT

Best Storyline
2010: Vivian adjusts to her new life, ANYONE BUT ME
2011: Theodora takes over Empire, EMPIRE

Best Performance in a Comedic Role
2010: Chante Frierson (Kourtney, BUPPIES)

Best Indie Web Series (Comedy)
2010: THEN WE GOT HELP!

Fan's Choice Award
2010: VENICE
2011: THE BAY
2012: THE BAY

Special Editor's Awards:
2010: Marketing/Publicity: VENICE
2010: Business Model: HIGH RISE
2010: Main Title Design/Opening Sequence: LUMINA
2010: Scene Transition: EMPIRE
2010: Future Hit: GOTHAM
2011: Song of the Year: "Gumdrop the Unicorn" - PRETTY
2011: Innovative Marketing & Fundraising: ANYONE BUT ME

All-Time Total Wins by Show:
ANYONE BUT ME 7
ANACOSTIA 6
PRETTY 6
VENICE 5
OUT WITH DAD 4
RAGGED ISLE 4
THE BAY/"Far From The Bay" 4
COMPULSIONS 4
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM 4
THE BLOODY MARY SHOW 3
HUSTLING 3
HUSBANDS 2
MYTHOS 2
THURSTON 2
WRECKED 2
BANDWAGON 2
BUPPIES 2
EMPIRE 2
FUMBLING THRU THE PIECES 2
MISS BEHAVE 2
THEN WE GOT HELP! 2
BLOOMERS 1
COST OF CAPITAL 1
CYNTHIA WATROS GETS LOST 1
DEVANITY 1
GAY NERDS 1
HUNTING SEASON 1
ONCE YOU LEAVE 1
CALIFORNIA HEAVEN 1
CELL 1
CHICK 1
GOTHAM 1
HIGH RISE 1
HITMAN 101 1
IN BETWEEN MEN 1
LUMINA 1
SEEKING SIMONE 1
STEAMBOAT 1
SUNDAYS 1
THE RAs 1
TRAILER MADE 1
VAMPIRE MOB 1

THE INDIE SOAP AWARD
2010: None
2011: In a playful nod to the origin of the art form we honored, each Indie Soap Award winner received a one-of-a-kind, 500g block of Savon de Marseille Bonne Mere from L'Occitane.
2012: So many series, so many stories; so many stars. What is it our winners have in common? They take ingredients available to everyone--anecdotes, friends, the Internet--and create original and lasting works of art.

Armando Ramirez fashioned each Indie Soap Award specifically for We Love Soaps, LLC by hand, from discarded car parts. Under his care, a spark plug, a potentiometer, and some nuts and bolts become beguiling, unique statuettes. Like our winning indie soaps, the Award itself is a testament to craftsmanship and whimsy, inspiration and perspiration, beauty and wit.