NetGuide Web Awards reveal blogger’s true identity

NetGuide magazine today announced the winners of the annual NetGuide Web Awards, the premier competition for recognising the best websites produced in New Zealand. The awards have identified the who’s who of New Zealand online, and in one category this has come with an unexpected twist.

The winner of Best Personal Blog this year was bizgirl.blogspot.co.nz, a narrative of experiences and insights in the life of a Wellington librarian, ‘Natalie Biz’. The unexpected twist is that Natalie is in fact a “he”. ‘Bizgirl’ is none other than James Guthrie, a Wellington man, happily married with children.

“It’s been fun exercising creativity, but I have to say it’s nice to be recognised – in more ways than one. I guess I’ll have to rethink the website’s ‘international librarian of mystery’ subtitle though,” Mr Guthrie said.

Bizgirl’s win came over an impressive list of finalists including publicaddress.net, idolblog.com and kiwiblog.co.nz. International judge Kevin Maney, one of America’s top technology writers, described the site as “witty and fun and full of personality… like a New Zealand version of the Bridget Jones diaries.”

Mr Maney was one a panel of three independent judges who selected winners in special categories including Most Innovative Use of the Web, Best Personal Blog, Best News Service and Best New Website or Relaunch. Other members of the panel were Warwick Roger, editor at large for North & South, and Susanna Stuart, a Senior Financial Advisor for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

NetGuide Editor Nigel Horrocks said the internet is a unique medium in which people can pursue their passions – or fantasies.

Winners in other categories were selected based on an overall ranking, a combination of the number of votes registered for each site on NetGuide’s website (www.netguide.co.nz) and their average rating out of 10 by voters.

Mr Guthrie and other award winners received their awards at an awards evening at the Hyatt Regency Auckland tonight, hosted by Jaquie Brown from TV channel C4 and featuring guest speaker Ralph Norris, Managing Director and CEO of Air New Zealand.

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