Apple, XM Vie For Billboard Digital Honors

Apple Computer and XM Satellite Radio lead the music finalists for the first Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards.

Apple, XM and their top executives are named in four categories each. RealNetworks is named in three categories.

Winners will be announced during an awards dinner Nov. 5 in Los Angeles. The event at the Grand Horizon Ballroom at UCLA Covel Commons at Sunset Village will close the two-day Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards.

Apple/Pixar CEO Steve Jobs is among the finalists for visionary of the year. Apple is also a finalist for brand of the year, innovator of the year (for the iTunes Music Store) and best music service.

XM president/CEO Hugh Panero is a finalist in the innovator category. XM is also up for brand of the year, best radio service and digital music innovation of the year.

Also competing for visionary of the year are RealNetworks chairman/CEO Rob Glaser, game designer Will Wright ("SimCity" and "The Sims") and HDNet chairman Marc Cuban, who will deliver a DECA keynote address on Nov. 5.

Activision and Ubisoft are the leading finalists in the gaming category. Each is up for five awards. In the film/TV/video segment, Sony Pictures is named in three categories.

The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards honor vision, innovation, entrepreneurship and brand development in digital entertainment. Finalists and winners are determined by a panel of judges from the music, gaming and film/TV industries.

For a list of judges, or to register for the conference, visit digitalentertainmentawards.com. For a complete list of finalists, go to billboard.com/awards.

The awards are organized by Billboard in partnership with Digital Media Wire.

In related news, Todd Rundgren has been confirmed as keynote speaker for the conference. He will address DECA attendees Nov. 4.

For more than 30 years, musician and multimedia pioneer Rundgren has been at the vanguard of technological innovation in audio recordings, video, computers and live performances. He most recently used the Internet to interact directly with his fans through the PatroNet subscription service. Earlier this year, Rundgren released his first new studio album in nearly a decade, "Liars," through a worldwide licensing deal with Sanctuary.