Variety Lands Two 2026 Webby Awards Nominations

2 weeks ago 101

The nominees for the 30th Annual Webby Awards have been announced — and Variety has received two nominations from the awards program honoring the best of the internet.

Winners of the 2026 Webby Awards will be announced Tuesday, April 21, at a ceremony hosted by stand-up comedian and “The Daily Show” correspondent Josh Johnson on Monday, May 11, in New York City. Fans can watch special moments and the trademark 5-Word Speeches from the ceremony on the Webby Awards’ Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X (Twitter) and Facebook accounts.

All nominees are eligible to win the year’s two top awards: The Webby Award, selected by the Academy, and the fan-voted Webby People’s Voice Award. You can find a complete list of nominees and vote for the People’s Voice Awards (open through April 16 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time) at vote.webbyawards.com.

Variety was nominated for “Does Jennie Know Her Lyrics From Her Biggest Songs?”, featuring the singer of K-pop group Blackpink, in the Music, General Video & Film; and “‘Hacks’ Cast Explain Viral Boofing Scene & The Inspiration For Dance Mom” in the Comedy, General Video & Film category.

This year, the Webby Awards received more than 13,000 entries from over 70 countries, with fewer than 17% of submissions named nominees. The organizations with the most nods are Google (46), PBS (29), Apple (23), Disney (23), NBCUniversal (22) and Netflix (22).

Celebs and public figures picking up 2026 Webby Awards nominations include: Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, LeBron James, MrBeast, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Kylie Kelce, Katseye, Jimmy Kimmel, Timothée Chalamet, Rosalía, Amy Poehler, Dwayne Johnson, Keith Lee, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Bieber, Stephen Colbert, Sydney Sweeney, Lisa, Carmelo Anthony, Trixie Mattel, Pedro Pascal, Colin & Samir, Jason and Travis Kelce, and Cardi B.

The Webbys span eight major media types: Websites & Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Podcasts; Social & Games; Apps, Software & Immersive; Creators; and AI (new in 2026). OpenAI’s Sora 2 is nominated in the Creative Tools, AI Experiences & Applications category; OpenAI just announced last week that it is shutting down the Sora app.

This year, the Webby Awards expanded its Creator honors to include a suite of honors for Creator Business, which “recognizes creators who are building brands, businesses and communities that shape today’s digital landscape.”

“The Webby Awards’ 30-year legacy reflects how the Internet continues to expand how we create, connect and express ourselves,” said Jesse Feister, Webby Media Group executive director. “Each wave of technology reshapes our lives and the standards of what great work looks like online. From the birth of eBay to the rise of TikTok, the Webbys have defined excellence in those moments. This year, by recognizing new frontiers in AI and creators, we’re continuing to champion the kinds of creativity that challenge our conventions.”

The Webby Awards nominees are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). Members include: Joanne Jang (GM, OpenAI Labs), Tekedra Mawakana (co-CEO, Waymo), Walton Goggins (actor and filmmaker), Kim Larson (global managing director & head of creators, YouTube), Bob Carrigan (CEO, Audible), Kinney Edwards (global head of creative lab, TikTok), Manuel “Manolo” Arroyo (EVP & global chief marketing officer, the Coca-Cola Co.), Alex Schultz (VP, analytics & chief marketing officer, Meta), Tiffany Rolfe (chair & global chief creative officer, R/GA), Todd Kaplan (chief marketing officer, Kraft Heinz), Paris Hilton, Garry Tan (president & CEO, Y Combinator), Tyler Bahl (chief marketing officer, Activision), and Paula Kerger (president & CEO, PBS).

KPMG provides vote tabulation consulting for the Webbys.

30th Annual Webby Awards Nominee Highlights

Music, General Video & Film (Video & Film)

ABC News Studios – Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story
Chance the Rapper – Ride | The Booth
Park Sessions – Outside Inc.
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco – I Said I Love You First… (Short Film) – Vevo
Does JENNIE Know Her Lyrics From Her Biggest Songs? – Variety

Comedy, General Video & Film (Video & Film)

The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel
The Lying Game – Channel 4
Ali Siddiq: Rugged – ICM
D.E. Eye Exam – The New Yorker: Shouts & Murmurs
Hacks’ Cast Explain Viral Boofing Scene & The Inspiration For Dance Mom – Variety

Entertainment, General Social (Social)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Bravo TV Social Media – Deep Focus Agency
The Muppets 70th Anniversary Celebration – Disney
Heated Rivalry Social – Bell Media
Sony Instagram account

Best Use of Earned Media, Media Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)

The Death of Duo – Duolingo
Panera Croissant Clutch – 72andSunny
Steph Curry Shoots the Moon – Known
Bet on Kendall – OBB Media & Fanatics Studios
e.l.f. x Sailing with Phoenix – e.l.f. Beauty

Politics & Advocacy, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)

Zohran for NYC (New York City Mayoral Primary) – Melted Solids
The Final Exam – BBDO Chicago
NYC Votes x Mad Realities – Hollywood IQ
Gavin Newsom: @GavinNewsom – LaMont Digital
Poder Latinx North Carolina – Desconsiderados – Mundial Media

Brand Strategy, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)

YouTube Rickrolls the Internet for 20th Birthday Celebration – We Are Social North America
Mammut – Give mountainwear the life it deserves – DEPT
Adolescent Content x Ipsy: I Play Beauty
The Swedish Prescription – Weber Shandwick
Food Deserves Pepsi – BBDO New York

Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)

LinkedIn – The Mom B.A. – R/GA
Nat Geo x Costa Sunglasses – Disney CreativeWorks
The Mind Set – Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab
Sorry – Droga5 London
How Ya Travellin’? – Keep Left

Best Partnership or Collaboration, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)

Kyle F*cking Connor – Courage
What’s Next? with LeBron James – Amazon
Bet on Kendall – OBB Media & Fanatics Studios
Stranger Things Season 5 Campaign – Game Seven
Absolut Tabasco – Wieden+Kennedy London

Video Ad Longform, Individual (Advertising, Media & PR)

The Unanswered Children – Accenture Song Brand Denmark A/S
Facebook “Secret Santa” – Droga5, part of Accenture Song
Human Grade (Taxider My Family) – Good Behavior
Imagine That, Frankenstein – Park Pictures
A Spicy But Not Too Spicy Plumber, Björn Rühmann – Smuggler

Game or Application, Individual (Advertising, Media & PR)

The Final Exam – BBDO Chicago
The Roblox Unbox – Serviceplan Germany
One Battle After Another: The Revolution – Sawhorse Productions
KFC 11 Secrets – m ss ng p eces
The World’s Hardest Captcha – Loop

Belonging & Inclusion, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)

Defy the Storm – Vladimir Jones
Re:framing Mentorship – SixDegrees.org
HBO Max Pride 2025: Trixie Mattel Gay HBO Max Song
Face the Difference – BDG
How to Raise Adults – SHE Media

Creative Tools, AI Experiences & Applications (AI)

Flow – Google
Sora 2 – OpenAI
Stitch by Google – Google
Suno – The Untold
ElevenLabs Creative Platform – ElevenLabs

Best AI Agent, AI Features & Innovation (AI)

Opal – Google
G42.ai – R/GA
Google’s Agentic Checkout – “Buy for me” with Price tracking
Deductive AI – Method Communications
You.com’s ARI: the most intelligent, accurate deep research agent – Six Eastern

Best Product or Service, AI Features & Innovation (AI)

Claude Code – Anthropic
Particle – Particle
Flow by Google – Google
Google NotebookLM – Google
AI Arbitrator – American Arbitration Association

Best Use of AI Voice & Conversational Interface, AI Features & Innovation (AI)

ElevenLabs Agents Platform – ElevenLabs
Krisp.ai
VoiceAI by EliseAI
T-Mobile’s AI Assistant
Project Jade – a Peridot embodied AI experience – Niantic Spatial

Best Creator-to-Creator Collaboration, Creator Excellence (Creators)

Try Guys Try Ghost Hunting – The Try Guys
Ask It Anyway – Uncommon
Dancing Weatherman X Cortis collab – Social Simpatico
Quest for the Impossible – Portal A
Veritasium, featuring Tom Brady: The biggest misconception in football – Electrify Video Partners

Best Prank, Stunt or Activation, Creator Excellence (Creators)

Cardi B – “Am I the Drama?’ Album Content – 300/AMG
J.C. Carter – Kensington Grey
Delivery Man Falls for Grandma’s Prank – Getti Show
Back to the Future Garden Railroad – Bungalow Heaven Railroad
Nick Pro – Viral Nation

Creator/Influencer Partnership or Collaboration – Brand, Creator Business (Creators)

Toast x Keith Lee “It’s the Little Things” – neuemotion
Planet Fitness – New Year’s Eve – Movers+Shakers
Booking.com – This Guy Books – We Are Social Amsterdam
Full Bush Summer – The Martin Agency
W Presents: The Retreat – Marriott

Multi-Creator Campaign, Creator Business (Creators)

InStyle’s “The Intern” Series – People Inc.
The Community Wears Gap – Buttermilk
Where Are You Going? – Uncommon
Alexis Williams and Aidan Kohn-Murphy — @Creators4Zohran
LIV Golf’s The Duels – Oust

Best Community Engagement, Creator Excellence (Creators)

The @MeetCutesNYC Universe – Palette Media
Justin Bieber Livestream on Twitch – StagePilot
Shop Cats – Hollywood IQ
Astronaut Mom Takes on the TSA – and Wins – TheSpaceGal Company
The Nursery Nurse: Ofsted Storyline – We Create Popular

Sports, General Creator (Creators)

Rabid Fans
Katie Feeney – Snapchat
The Trauma Behind the KO. Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua – Dynamo Health
Coach RAC
Boardroom

Best Longform Video, Creator Excellence (Creators)

What does Palantir actually do? – Morning Brew
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Surprises Apalachee High School Football Team, Attends First Home Game – Seven Bucks Marketing
Flying the U-2 Spy Plane 70,000 Feet to the Edge of Space – SE Media
Can I Turn MrBeast Into A MasterChef? – Nick DiGiovanni
Veritasium – Electrify Video Partners

Fitness, Health & Wellness, General Creator (Creators)

Joel Bervell – The ‘Medical Mythbuster’ – Kensington Grey
Chloe Ting
I Shaved My Vag For This – Katie Thompson & Soul People Productions
Rena Malik, MD – Rena Malik, MD
growwithjo

Podcast, General Creator (Creators)

Steven Bartlett
One Nightstand – Bustle
Silver Linings with The Old Gays – iHeartMedia
Jay Shetty – On Purpose
Jake Shane – Pass That Puss

Art, Culture & Music, General Creator (Creators)

Alex Warren – Odd Projects
Arianna Cabrera – Whalar Group
CG5 Music
Thoughts Become Things – SJD World
Audrey Chou.Studio

Most Viral, Creator Excellence (Creators)

Cardi B – “Am I the Drama?’ Album Content – 300/AMG
Vanessa Van Edwards | Science of People Viral Teachings – Science of People
Motherhood, From the Very First Steps – Fluffy Feather Farm
Cheryl Porter – Cheryl Porter Vocal Method
Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Competition – Pufferfish Studio

Best Duo or Group, Creator Excellence (Creators)

Colin & Samir
Smosh
The Siu Siblings (RJ, Jalin & Kina): Dynamic Comedy & Sibling Content Creators – Whalar Group
Trixie & Katya – Producer Entertainment Group
Rhett & Link – Mythical

Best Series: Longform, Creator Excellence (Creators)

AntsCanada
Track Star
Exploring All 350 NYC Neighborhoods as a Native New Yorker
Hank Green – Ask Hank Anything – Complexly
Soirée School – To Be Hosted

Best Community Experience, Games Excellence (Games)

Pokémon GO
Overwatch 2: Spotlight Community Management & War Room – Mutiny
Phasmophobia – Swipe Right
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Warframe – Digital Extremes

Kids & Family, Games General (Games)

Lego Party!
Planet Pigeon – PBS Nature / The WNET Group
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Mission US: Spirit of a Nation – The WNET Group
Lego Voyagers

Best Music/Sound Design, Games Excellence (Games)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Outer Worlds 2 – Obsidian Entertainment
Battlefield 6
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
Split Fiction

Scripted (Fiction), Shows (Podcasts)

DC High Volume: Batman – Realm
Red For Revolution
The Big Fix: A Jack Bergin Mystery – Audible
Calm Sleep Stories
Buzz: The Man & The Moon – iHeartMedia

Best Partnership or Collaboration, Features (Podcasts)

The Rest Is History: The Complete History of The Beatles with Tom Holland and Conan O’Brien – Goalhanger
Bowen Yang/Matt Rogers X Sesame Street X NBC Olympics Crossover Event – iHeartPodcasts
Not Gonna Lie, with Kylie Kelce “My Disney Spectacular” from Walt Disney World, Episode 43 – Disney Experiences
The Story of Woman in Kenya, with Orchid Project – The Story of Woman
Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast – Treefort Media

Best Host, Features (Podcasts)

Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Next Question with Katie Couric – Katie Couric Media
The Mel Robbins Podcast – SiriusXM
Baby, This is Keke Palmer – Wondery
Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky – Wondery

Lifestyle, Shows (Podcasts)

We Can Do Hard Things – Silver Tribe Media
Coffee Convos Podcast – Killr Network
Food Network Obsessed
Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club – iHeartMedia
Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike – Future PLC

Sports, Shows (Podcasts)

Pablo Torre Finds Out – Meadowlark Media
All The Smoke – All The Smoke Productions
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce – Wondery
Bussin’ With The Boys – Hirsch Leatherwood
7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony

Interview or Talk Show – News, Business & Society, Shows (Podcasts)

On with Kara Swisher – Vox Media
The Assignment with Audie Cornish – CNN
My First Million – HubSpot
The Diary of a CEO With Steven Bartlett
Not Another CEO Podcast – Ringmaster B2B Podcasting

Interview or Talk Show – Entertainment & Culture, Shows (Podcasts)

Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim
All There Is with Anderson Cooper – CNN
Office Ladies – Audacy
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard – Wondery
Baby, This is Keke Palmer – Wondery

Best Co-Hosts, Features (Podcasts)

SmartLess – SiriusXM
Sibling Rivalry – Studio71
The Pivot Podcast
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce – Wondery
The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast – Rabbit Grin Productions

Best Video Podcast Host, Features (Podcasts)

The Don Lemon Show – Lemon Media Network
Seen on the Screen with Jacqueline Coley – We Are Social North America
This Is Gavin Newsom
In the Test Kitchen – America’s Test Kitchen
Take Your Shoes Off – TYSO Productions

Best Live Podcast Recording, Features (Podcasts)

On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Eva Guzman: You Are Enough | Women, Ambition, & Reinvention in Law – MMO Media
Surface Level Live
Crime Junkie Live on Tour – Audiochuck
The Magic of Mushrooms with Kacey Musgraves and Paul Stamets – Sing For Science

Featured Guest, Individual Episode (Podcasts)

Michelle Obama Reveals All: Life-Changing Lessons on Fear, Faith & Hope – The Jamie Kern Lima Show – The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Aspire with Emma Grede – Audacy
Skip Intro – Netflix
One Song – Hartbeat
Mark Ruffalo Says ‘Boycott, Divest, Sanction, and Prosecute’ Israel – Zeteo

Events & Live Streams, Social Video Short Form (Social)

Justin Bieber Livestream on Twitch – StagePilot
NFL on YouTube: The São Paulo Game – We Are Social North America
Opposites Attack – Wieden+Kennedy
Shot on iPhone – Dua Lipa – TBWA\ Media Arts Lab
Northeastern University Commencement 2025 Event Coverage

Celebrity/Fan, General Social (Social)

Jennifer Garner (& Pretend Cooking Show series)
Backstreet Boys – Millennium 2.0 Residency Sphere + Germany Residency Marketing – Crowd Surf
Ron Funches – Block Party
Jimmy Kimmel social
This Month On Social – The Kelly Clarkson Show

Food & Drink, General Social (Social)

Mythical Kitchen – Mythical
Can 8 Cultures Make One Sandwich? | Sandwich Club Jackson Heights – TheFull-Half
Chili’s | Triple Dipper Virality
Food Network social
Get Cookin’ – People Inc.

Television & Film, General Social (Social)

Jimmy Kimmel Live social
South Park social – Comedy Central
Heated Rivalry social – Bell Media
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert social
A Minecraft Movie theatrical social campaign – Warner Bros.

Television & Film, Social Campaigns (Social)

Stranger Things: One Last Rewatch – Netflix
The Righteous Gemstones – Season 4 Social Campaign – BOND Creative
Toy Story’s 30th Anniversary – The Walt Disney Company
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Social Campaign – Part 4
Weapons theatrical social campaign – Warner Bros.

Arts, Culture & Lifestyle, Social Campaigns (Social)

Yahoo – The Touch Grass Keyboard – Conscious Minds
Google x Wicked For Good: The Magic of Choice
The Beatles Anthology 2025 – Versus Creative
Loctite’s Museum of Second Chances – Kill Boring Dead
Taylor Swift’s Fate of Ophelia on YouTube – We Are Social North America

Best Partnership or Collaboration, Social Features (Social)

Tracking Bad Bunny – DDB Latina Puerto Rico
Disney x F1 at Las Vegas Grand Prix – Disney
The Masked Singer | Where Partnerships Take Center Stage – Fox Entertainment
Sesame Street Comes to Netflix – Netflix
Superman + Spotify Collaboration (Superman Official Playlist) – Warner Bros.

Best Community or Fan Engagement – Media/Entertainment, Social Features (Social)

Tracking Bad Bunny – DDB Latina Puerto Rico
Heated Rivalry: Hudson Williams vs. Connor Storrie – Razorfish
When Fandom Leads: Law & Order: SVU on TikTok – NBC Entertainment
Kellyoke Request – The Kelly Clarkson Show
Sinners Juke Joint – Warner Bros.

Events & Livestreams, Social Campaigns (Social)

Lady Gaga Monster Press Conference – Spotify
Butter Baby and LV8’s Strategic Content Rollout for LA Pop-Up – LV8
7-ELEVEn × Hot Wheels, The First Official 7-ELEVEn Car Meet – Dentsu Creative US
Edition Hotels x Met Gala – Marriott
It’s Britney, Twitch – Legacy Recordings

Music & Performance, Social Video Short Form (Social)

Step to the Mike – Fallen Media
Someday – TBWA\ Media Arts Lab
Nat Geo x Fred Again – National Geographic
Benson Boone – Coachella Performance with Brian May – Warner Records
GiaNina’s Dance that started the JLo ‘on the floor’ trend

Business, General Video & Film (Video & Film)

I’m Building an Algorithm That Doesn’t Rot Your Brain – Patreon
CNN goes inside the shipping industry to follow the journey of made-in-China goods – CNN
Explainomics | I tried to live a tariff-free life. Here’s how it went. – Dow Jones
A bold idea to rebuild the working class – TED Conferences
You Need to Be Bored. Here’s Why. – Harvard Business Review

Music, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)