The annual Pwnie Awards recognize people and organizations for making a mark, one way or the other, on the information security industry.
The awards ceremony, held at the Black Hat USA security conference, bears little resemblance to the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, or pretty much any other awards show. There's no glitz or glamour. The dress code is strictly informal; shorts and T-shirt are perfectly acceptable sartorial choices. Judges lightheartedly B-box and/or thigh-slap the drumrolls, and the awards themselves recognize not just excellence in the field of information security, but also the more dubious distinctions and epic fails.
For those who win — in the excellence category, that is — the awards are both peer recognition and an affirmation of their contributions to the broader security community. For those selected for some of the less desirable Pwnies (lamest vendor response, for instance), the awards are often both a rebuke and reminder to improve their acts.
This year, Pwnies were awarded in 10 different categories, including two new ones: Most Under-Hyped Research and Epic Achievement. Here's a complete listing of the winners in each of the categories.