Webby Award Nominations For Lizzo, "Ted Lasso," R/GA, TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Webby Award Nominations For Lizzo, "Ted Lasso," R/GA, TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Tuesday, Apr. 4, 2023

Lizzo performs on NBC's Today show at Rockefeller Plaza on July 15, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

By
Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP)
--

Harry Styles, Post Malone, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, the cast of “Ted Lasso” and the web series that gave us a kid loving corn are among the nominees for this year’s Webby Awards, recognizing the best internet content and creators.

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences announced the nominees on Tuesday, the result of nearly 14,000 entries from 70 countries.

Styles nabbed a nomination for his commercial for AirPods, Trevor Noah for his segments filmed between the scenes at “The Daily Show” and BTS fans for their YouTube uploads called #MyBTStory. Lizzo got one for her hosting her show “Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls,” in which she hunts for dancers.

Doja Cat’s reluctant social video for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza — “I like my pizza with refried beans/Peep my ad/ Search YouTube/This ain’t even Mexican food” — was nominated for best advertising partnership, and faces-off in that category with the collaboration between “Ted Lasso” and FIFA 23.

Nominees include “Recess Therapy,” the show that highlighted 7-year-old corn-loving Tariq, Post Malone’s listening experience for “Twelve Carat Toothache” and a VR concert by Megan Thee Stallion was nominated for best metaverse, immersive or virtual performance.

In other music nods, Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems, Muse’s “Compliance,” Disturbed’s “Bad Man” and Christina Aguilera’s reworked “Beautiful” for World Mental Health Day are competing for best music video.

Metallica’s teaming up with “Stranger Things” for a collection of Hellfire Club merchandise was nominated for best partnership or collaboration and the social media accounts of Lupita Nyong’o, Stephen Colbert and Jennifer Garner got nods.

A focus on artificial intelligence reflected the tech world’s fascination with its promise, including OpenAI getting a nomination for best science website or mobile site, and nods for the Heinz ketchup AI artwork campaign and the voice-activated AI color system for Sherwin-Williams.

Companies earning the highest number of nominations are Apple with 22, MTV with 15, National Geographic and Netflix each with 14, Audible with 13, CNN and HBO and The Washington Post each with 12, Google and Meta with 11 apiece and Amazon with 10.

Awards are selected by the Academy, while The Webby People’s Voice Awards are voted on by fans around the world. Voting for that award is open now until April 20. Winners for all awards will be announced on April 25.

Academy members include drummer, filmmaker and writer Questlove, podcaster Roxane Gay, actor LeVar Burton, comedians Samantha Bee and Ziwe Fumudoh, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, Savage X Fenty executive Natalie Guzman, fashion designer Tan France, “Abbott Elementary” creator and actor Quinta Brunson, Amazon executive Werner Vogels, podcaster Andy Slavitt, software engineer Tracy Chou and artist Takashi Murakami.

Advertising, Media & PR
Among those recognized this year in the Advertising, Media & PR categories for the 27th Annual Webby Awards are McCann, BBDO, Apple, Accenture Song, Duolingo, Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, Paramount, VMLY&R, Observatory, Mischief @ No Fixed Address, CHEP Network, Serviceplan Germany, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and more.

The contenders for this year’s Agency of the Year are companies that earned more Webby Awards nominations across all categories than any other agency. Leading the nominees are BASIC/DEPT (19), R/GA (14), DEPT (12), TBWA\Media Arts Lab (12), and McCann New York (10).

This year saw an explosion of creative partnerships with brands tapping into new audiences by collaborating with talented creators, celebrities, big budget shows, games and by working together. Stand out collaborations include: Axe Body Spray and Fortnite creator Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf with Mistaverse (The Martin Agency); Doja Cat x Taco Bell: A “Contractual” Partnership (Deutsch LA); Chipotle Mexican Grill x Corn Kid (Day One Agency); Just Eat & Katy Perry – Did Somebody Say (McCann London); High Valyrian Lessons (Duolingo x HBO); Good Night World (Headspace and Sesame Street); Megan Thee Stallion and Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Snackable Screens (OMD USA); Burberry x Minecraft (Burberry) and Ted Lasso and FIFA 23 (Apple).

Reflecting the industry’s focus on using new technologies like artificial intelligence and creating immersive experiences, nominated brands and agencies are connecting and entertaining consumers with projects like Sherwin Williams Speaking in Color (Wunderman Thompson) and Heinz Ketchup AI (Rethink), House of the Dragon: DracARys (HBO) and Nike – Just A/Run (R/GA)

Webby nominees are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Members include: Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer, IHOP; Peggy Ang, chief marketing officer, LG Electronics; Charisse Hughes, chief brand & advanced analytics officer, Kellogg; Sérgio Mugnaini, chief creative officer, Ogilvy Brasil; Kerstin Emhoff, co-founder and CEO of PRETTYBIRD; Joanna Popper, chief metaverse officer, Creative Artists Agency; Jorge Hernandez, founder partner & chief marketing officer, Majority; Jennifer Cotter, CCO, Peloton Interactive; Alexander El-Meligi, co-founder & CEO, Demodern; and Joakim Borgstrom, chief creative officer, BBH London.

Creative Agencies are also entertaining, educating and inspiring the industry in new ways with nominated podcasts in the Creativity & Marketing category, they include: #5Things: This week in social (Grey); Icons in the Making (Lippincott) and Creativity in Captivity (Sweetwood Creative).

Alongside Agency of the Year, this year’s Webbys will also recognize Production Company of the Year. Companies currently in the running include: Media.Monks B.V. (11), Cut+Run (4) and m ss ng p eces (4).

Network of the Year will also be presented at this year’s Webby Awards. The following networks that earned more Webby Awards nominations across all categories are in contention: McCann Worldgroup (41), DEPT (31), TBWA Worldwide (22), Accenture (17), BBDO Worldwide (14) and Wieden+Kennedy (14).

With nearly 14,000 entries from over 70 countries around the world and a record number of Social entries, this year’s competition was extremely competitive. From the tens of thousands of global entries submitted, fewer than 12% were selected as Nominees.

Winners for The 27th Annual Webby Awards will be announced on April 25, and will be celebrated at a star-studded in-person award show on Monday, May 15, at Cipriani Wall Street. For a complete list of nominees and to vote for the People’s Voice Awards, visit here.

27th Annual Webby Advertising, Media and PR nominee highlights include:

Media & Entertainment, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)

The Afterparty: R.I.P. Xavier – Apple
Live From The Upside Down – Observatory
Verizon Pepsi Halftime Ultra Pass – R/GA
SMILE – Theatrical Viral Marketing Campaign – TriplePlay Digital
Supercell – Clash From The Past – Wieden+Kennedy

Products & Services, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)

Trapped in the 90’s – McCann
Prime Night: Longest TikTok Live Ever for Deals – Amazon
JP Morgan Wealth Management – Droga5
The Athlete – Your Privacy, More Protected – Meta
Shot on iPhone 13 Pro – Those That Follow – TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Health, Wellness & Pharmaceutical, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)

HISTOIRE DE SE FAIRE PLAISIR – DENTSU CREATIVE
The Truth, Undressed – AnalogFolk
The Sleep Games – Bustle Digital Group
Dear Rich – Stept Studios
I Will Always Be Me – VMLY&R

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

FIFA 23 x TED LASSO – Apple
Doja Cat x Taco Bell: A “Contractual” Partnership – Deutsch LA
High Valyrian Lessons – Duolingo
The Coors Light – Mischief @ No Fixed Address
Mind Ordering – WorkInProgress

Best Partnership or Collaboration, Metaverse & Immersive Features (Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual)

Burberry x Minecraft Partnership – Burberry
ADOBE x BOWIE – Dentsu Creative Amsterdam
AMBUSH x Reese’s Puffs Breakfastverse – Active Theory
McDonald’s x Karen X Cheng – IW Group
RIMOWA x RTFKT – RIMOWA

Best Partnership or Collaboration, Features (Podcasts)

Goodnight, World – Headspace
Live Debate: Unresolved: Information Disorder – Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates
World Corrupt – Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis
Björk: Sonic Symbolism (Mailchimp & Talkhouse) – Talkhouse
Naturally Curious-Houston Museum of Natural Science – Texas Monthly Studio

Best Original Music or Music Supervision, Craft (Advertising, Media & PR)