Lessons from the Webbys – featuring SZA, Tracee Ellis Ross, Hoda Kotb, Anderson Cooper and Sharon Horgan

It’s been a week since this year’s Webby Awards but lessons from the event—hosted in New York by The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. and featuring winners including music artist SZA; actress and activist Tracee Ellis Ross; Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb; journalist Anderson Cooper; actress/producer Sharon Horgan; TV personality Gordon Ramsey; Internet sensation and gay icon Tika the Iggy; and Shigetaka Kurita, the inventor of the emoji—continue to resonate at a time many awards shows strive to clarify their purpose and regain audience traction.

In keeping with the show’s trademark five-word acceptance speech limit, here are five, five-word takeaways awards show creators would be wise to chew on:

Refresh Your Categories For Relevancy

One could argue there are too many Webby categories, with so many winners only a fraction are invited to accept their trophy onstage. But the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is to be commended for continually examining its categories, adding and subtracting as relevancy wanes or builds.

In the awards’ infancy and the infancy of the Web 27 years ago, they recognized only websites, notes Ciel VanderVeen, managing director of the Webby Awards, but has added categories for apps, software, games, video, social, podcasts, and more.

“This year we added many categories to be reflective of the work we’re seeing across the Internet, including categories recognizing formats and technologies like vertical video, decentralized apps, web3 technology, and metaverse & immersive work,” VanderVeen says. “Most importantly, we unveiled brand new honors for responsible technology, in an effort to recognize world-class examples that are mitigating harms online and to inspire our community to create work in more responsible ways.”

Air Awards Where Viewers Flock

No TV? No problem for this event that’s seeped in the Internet like most of its fans. Viewers were able to check out the show live via the Webbys YouTube channel, Instagram and Twitter sites. As audiences move away from live broadcast television viewing, alternative channels such as online streaming are becoming increasingly attractive.

Social Impact Grows In Importance

Alignment with socially impactful purpose is no longer a nice to have for brands, companies and influencers—it is a necessity if they want to remain relevant with Gen Z and a lot of members of other Gens as well.

This year’s awards highlighted multiple social movements, including the protests in Iran and Black Lives Matter. Iranian American actress Nazanin Nour presented a moment highlighting the revolution led by women in Iran who are fighting for their fundamental human rights and protesting the brutal killing of Mahsa Amini. George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, accepted an award on behalf of the Ad Council and R/GA for the Gentle Giant Campaign.

“The Internet has always been a place for people to connect and call each other to action, to raise awareness, fundraise and challenge the status quo,” notes VanderVeen. “Because of this The Webbys has a long history recognizing change makers around the world including; the folks who used Twitter and Facebook to start the revolution in Egypt to bring down President Mubarak in 2011, the founders of Black Lives Matter in 2016, the organizers of the Women’s March in 2018, Greta Thunberg in 2019.”

Connect Your Presenters And Winners

While it’s natural to want to go for the biggest-name stars to bestow awards, the authenticity of having those who fete the winners have an actual connection with them is refreshing. A few examples from this year’s event included musician DJ Jazzy Jeff presenting the special achievement Webby to Grammy nominee Tobe Nwingwe for his innovative use of the Internet to create poignant art; and choreographer Parris Goebel, the mastermind behind Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show who has worked with SZA, honoring SZA as artist of the year,

Keep Those Acceptance Speeches Short

Like it or not, attention spans are shrinking and long acceptance speeches often drag awards shows well past their posted end time. The origin of the five-word Webby acceptance speech dates back 27 years, to the first event.

“The organizers decided to buck the trend of really long, really boring acceptance speeches,” VanderVeen says. “They wanted to have an award show that was reflective of the Internet, which is irreverent, often brief and sometimes a little bit weird. So they established our hallmark five-word acceptance rule. It’s also incredible how much impact our winners can have with only five words.”

Among this year’s most poignant: “Pay writers what they deserve” – Horgan, creator and star of Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters, in a show of support for the current Writers Guild of America strike.