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Webby Awards 2024: Kendrick Lamar, Gracie Abrams, and Viral Sensations Among Nominees for Best Internet Content
NEW YORK – The annual Webby Awards, celebrating excellence in internet content and recognizing top creators, have announced their 2024 nominees. This year’s list includes a diverse array of talent, from music icons like Kendrick Lamar and Gracie Abrams to Hollywood star Zoe Saldaña and even the quirky brand Nutter Butter. The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences unveiled the nominations, culled from nearly 13,000 submissions across more than 70 countries.
Top Webby Award Nominees and Highlighted Categories
Music and Film Nominees
A humorous music video featuring Will Ferrell, Nick Jonas, and Jimmy Fallon, centered around mullets and jorts, secured a nomination in the general music video and film category. It will compete against Abrams’ extended behind-the-scenes piece, “The Secret of Us.”
Viral Trends and Comedy Recognition
The Generation Alpha-driven viral phenomenon, Skibidi Toilet, received a nomination for its fan multiverse by Invisible Narratives studio. Meanwhile, Donald Duck’s 90th birthday celebration, marked by an appearance on “Hot Ones,” earned him a nomination for his spicy chicken wing challenge.
Comedy Category Showdown
The Webby Award for best video or film comedy presents a competitive field, featuring Jim Gaffigan, The Onion, the makeover series “Very Important People,” and comedic content from Kai Cenat, Kevin Hart, and Druski. They face strong competition from a skit on “The Tonight Show” where Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman playfully spar.
Podcast Nominations: Celebrities and Top Shows
“New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce,” a previous Webby winner, returns with a nomination for best podcast video series. Zoe Saldaña’s guest appearance on Netflix’s “Skip Intro” podcast, discussing her movie role in “Emilia Pérez,” garnered her a nomination for best individual podcast interview.
Beauty, Brands, and Unexpected Nods
In the beauty category, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty brand is nominated alongside Alexis Bittar’s “The Bittarverse,” Byrdie, Retrofête, and theSkimm. The language-learning application Duolingo also received a nomination for its satirical take on “The Bear,” featuring its mascot, Duo.
Celebrity Appearances and Educational Content
Cynthia Erivo earned a nomination for her appearance on “Celebrity Substitute,” a video series where she visited a New York City public school to emphasize the importance of storytelling to elementary students. Erivo, along with Ariana Grande, also received nominations for their widely discussed “holding space” interview related to “Wicked.”
Webby Award Selection and Fan Participation
Webby Award winners are chosen by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. Separately, the Webby People’s Voice Award allows fans worldwide to vote for their favorites. Voting for the People’s Voice Award is currently open until April 17. All Webby Award winners will be revealed on April 22 and celebrated at a ceremony on May 12, hosted by Ilana Glazer.
Media Companies Leading in Nominations
NBCUniversal leads media companies with the most Webby nominations, securing 24. MTV Entertainment Studios follows with 18, while CNN and National Geographic each received 16. PBS, The Walt Disney Company, and The Washington Post are tied with 14 nominations each.
Viral Advertisements and Music Video Recognition
Matthew McConaughey’s Super Bowl commercial for Uber Eats, which humorously linked football and food, earned nominations in two categories. Kelley Heyer’s popular “Apple” dance to a Charlie xcx song, and Ogilvy’s unconventional CeraVe commercial featuring Michael Cera, also became Webby nominees.
Music Video Nominees: A Star-Studded Lineup
The music video category features nominations for Dua Lipa’s “Illusion,” Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi,” Charli xcx’s “Von Dutch,” and Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.” These music videos will compete with Kendrick Lamar’s acclaimed track “Not Like Us.”
Multiple Nominations for Celebrities and Brands
Keke Palmer received two nominations – one for hosting her podcast “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” and another for appearing on “Paging Dr. Chanda.” Oprah Winfrey also garnered two nominations, one for “The Oprah Podcast” and another for her appearance on “The Jamie Kern Lima Show.”
The 56-year-old cookie brand Nutter Butter, known for its viral TikTok content, received two Webby nominations. The “SmartLess” podcast earned nominations for best comedy podcast and best co-hosts, recognizing Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes.
Comedy Podcast Category Rivals
Podcasts competing against “SmartLess” in the comedy category include “Office Ladies,” “Lovett or Leave It,” “Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker,” and “Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang,” the latter recently winning a comedy Ambie Award from The Podcast Academy.
“Pod Save America” is nominated for best politics podcast, alongside “Next Question with Katie Couric.” “The Pink House with Sam Smith” received a nomination in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging category.
Academy Members Judging Webby Awards
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences includes notable members such as Quinta Brunson, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Anjali Sud, Todd Kaplan, Desiree Perez, Shannon Sharpe, Esi Eggleston Bracey, Jen Sargent, and Sarah Harden, among other industry leaders.