Actor Will Smith, NASA, Fortnite and Disney are among the 2019 Webby Award winners for internet excellence.
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced the winners Tuesday.
Smith’s The Jump won a Webby for events and live stream video while Disney was chosen the WebbyMedia Company of the Year for earning the most honors across all Webby categories with 32 wins overall. Fortnite is recognized in the game category, and NASA won for best overall social presence.
Actress Issa Rae is the Webby video person of the year for using the internet to showcase breakthrough content from diverse creators. Activist Greta Thunberg scored a Webby for social movement of the year for igniting the #FridaysForFuture global movement for climate justice.
Webby winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences; members include Lyft CEO Logan Green, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, Twitter founder Biz Stone, actor and activist Jesse Williams, GE CMO Linda Boff, Pod Save the People host and activist DeRay Mckesson, and Rent the Runway founder Jenn Hyman. Three million votes were cast from Internet fans in more than 240 countries and territories around the world to choose the Winners of the Webby People’s Voice Awards.
Hosted by actress and comedian Jenny Slate, The Webby Awards’ star-studded ceremony will take place in New York City on Monday, May 13, and will celebrate the best work on the Internet.
The Webby Awards will once again honor a group of individuals for their outstanding work on the Internet this year with Special Achievement Awards. They join the ranks of previous Special Achievement winners like Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Prince, Solange, Jessica Alba, and Black Lives Matter. This year’s Special Achievement Winners are:
- Webby Video Person of the Year: Rae for her groundbreaking work with her production house Issa Rae Productions and her ingenious use of the Internet to showcase breakthrough content from diverse creators.
- Webby Social Movement of the Year, accepted by Thunberg for igniting the #FridaysForFuture global movement for climate justice led by youth activists, and for using the Internet to draw the world’s attention to the urgent issue of climate change.
- Webby Artist of the Year: Tierra Whack for making brilliant use of Instagram’s 60-second video limit to create experimental, genre-bending, and imaginative art with her debut album “Whack World” laced with high caliber music and expert art direction.
- Webby Special Achievement: Hasan Minhaj for his outstanding work with his Netflix series “Patriot Act.” Where others have struggled to make talk shows succeed on streaming, “Patriot Act” is a dynamic, fast-paced, super-Internetty, funny, deep, and informative show and one of the most exciting recent additions to Netflix.
- Webby Entrepreneur of the Year: Emily Weiss for her incredible success using the Internet to create the people-powered, direct-to-consumer company Glossier. A one-time blog now named a Unicorn for its $1.2 billion valuation, Glossier—with Weiss at the helm—has made community engagement core to what the company creates.
- The Academy also announced Disney as the Webby Media Company of the Year. VICE, Warner Media, and Conde Nast were among those in close contention for Webby Media Company of the Year.
The 23rd Annual Webby Award Winner highlights include:
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah won 5 awards including: Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Humor (Websites), Webby People’s Voice Award for Television & Film (Podcasts), Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Social Video Series (Social), Webby People’s Voice Award for Humor (Social)
- The New Yorker won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Magazine (Websites)
- The Carter III Anniversary by Spotify won the Webby Award for Celebrity/Fan (Social)
- NASA won the Webby Award for Best Overall Social Presence – Brand (Social)
- This Is America won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Music Video (Video)
- HBO Westworld: The Maze won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Use of Machine Learning (Advertising)
- Gritty won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Athletes & Sports Teams (Social)
- Girls Who Code – Sisterh>>d Campaign won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Public Service and Activism (Social)
- Kesha “I Need A Woman” won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Editing (Video)
- Patagonia Action Works won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (Websites)
- The Guardian app for iOS and Android won the Webby Award for News & Magazines (Apps, Mobile Sites, and Voice)
- Headspace for Alexa won the Webby Award for Health, Fitness & Lifestyle (Voice)
- Fortnite won the Webby Award for Best Multiplayer/Competitive Games (Games)
- Will Smith: The Jump won the Webby Award for Events & Live Streams (Video)
- Serial won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Series (Podcasts)
- National Geographic’s First Ever 3D VR Filmed in Space won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Narrative Experience (Video)
- Slate Magazine’s Slow Burn Season 2 won the Webby Award for Best Podcast Series for (Podcasts)
- The Bleacher Report App won the Webby Award for Sports (Apps, Mobile, and Voice)
- The Walking Dead: Our World won the Webby Award for Best Use of Augmented Reality (Games)
- Marvel Unlimited won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Entertainment (Apps, Mobile, and Voice)
- Stephen Curry’s ‘5 Minutes From Home’ Series won the Webby Award for Best Web Personality/Host (Video)
- Undercover Lyft with Chance the Rapper won the Webby Award for Branded Entertainment Viral (Video)
- Billy on the Street with Emma Stone by Funny or Die won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Comedy: Longform (Video)
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Celebrity/Fan (Social)
- Deadpool The Musical 2 won the Webby Award for Best Writing (Performance & Craft)
- Team Coco won the Webby Award for Comedy for Conan Helps His Assistant Buy a Car (Video)
- BBDO New York’s Monica Lewinsky – #DefyTheName campaign won the Webby Award for Best Influencer Endorsements (Advertising)
- The Verge won the Webby Award for Science & Education (Video)
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Overall Social Presence – Media/Entertainment (Social)
- CBS Interactive’s James Corden’s Next James Corden won the Webby Award for Best Individual Performance (Video)
- CNN’s Anthony Bourdain’s Explore Parts Unknown: Little LA won the Webby Award for Travel & Lifestyle (Video)
- Pod Save the People won the Webby Award for Best Host (Podcasts)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Mean Tweets – Avengers Edition won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Comedy: Shortform (Video)
- Spotify In-House’s Tha Carter III Anniversary won the Webby Award for Celebrity/Fan (Social)
- Schitt’s Creek Social Media won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Television & Film (Social)
- GrandSon Creative’s A Star Is Born trailer won the Webby Award for Trailer (Video)
- Astroneer won the Webby Award for Adventure (Games)
To view the full list of Winners, click here.
.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More