Keke Palmer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Shannon Sharpe, Kara Swisher, Jerrod Carmichael, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Laverne Cox, Madison Tevlin, Chad Ochocinco Johnson, Ina Garten, Lil Rel Howery, Meena Harris, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and More Among 28th Annual Webby Winners, Special Achievement Honorees, and Presenters at Star-Studded Ceremony
The Wiz and Late Night with Seth Meyers Writer Amber Ruffin Returned as Host of the
“Internet’s Biggest Night”
**Press Images HERE**
**Video Reel HERE**
***CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES FOR THE WEBBY AWARDS***
**Portraits HERE**
***CREDIT: JAMES HARTLEY***
Highlights – 5-Word Speeches:
“Listen to old women, motherfuckers.” –Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“I ain’t done, tech bros.” –Kara Swisher
“Wear pink, get shit done.” –Governor Gretchen Whitmer
“Risk everything every time.” –Jerrod Carmichael
“I’m blessed to do this.” –Keke Palmer
“Healing, collective trauma, necessary, possible.” –Laverne Cox
“It’s fun proving people wrong.” –Madison Tevlin
“We fucking love you guys.” –Chad Ochocinco Johnson
“It feels like a revolution.” –Tracy Droz Tragos (Director, Plan C)
“Available in all 50 states!” –Francine Coeytaux (Co-Founder, Plan C Pills)
Watch the best moments from The Webby Awards at @TheWebbyAwards across social media and at webbyawards.com
NEW YORK, May 13, 2024 – Tonight, the 28th Annual Webby Awards honored the year’s biggest internet personalities, visionaries, and activists with a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The award show was hosted by The Wiz and Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Ruffin, and featured hallmark Webby 5-Word Speeches from Winners such as Keke Palmer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Shannon Sharpe, Kara Swisher, Jerrod Carmichael, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Laverne Cox, Madison Tevlin, James and Oliver Phelps, Josh Scherer, Michelle Buteau, Jason and Travis Kelce, and more. Presenters and attendees included Coco Rocha, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Ina Garten, Maggie Haberman, Lil Rel Howery, Amanda Litman, Nilay Patel, and Meena Harris among others.
“Tonight we’ll be honoring the best in websites, apps, podcasts, games, and branded entertainment. Basically, we are honoring all the best ways to procrastinate,” quipped host Amber Ruffin while welcoming the audience to the Webby Awards. Ruffin set the crowd on fire throughout the night, from her hilarious spoof on Meatloaf’s classic song “I’d Do Anything for Love,” to her Webby in memoriam, in which she said goodbye to the concepts, products, and personalities and that have become “obsolete or uncool,” such as Tesla Cybertruck, Truth Social, Drake, and NFTs.
Webby Awards President Claire Graves delivered inspiring remarks reflecting on the great leaps the internet has taken over the past year and the inspiring women who were at the forefront of its innovation. “The internet is evolving, and the pace of change is accelerating. We aren’t walking into the future. We’re leaping.”
Graves also recognized the “the women and men who are standing up to fight back” against the assault on women’s reproductive rights, later welcoming Meena Harris, CEO of Phenomenal Media, to the stage to present Francine Coeytaux, Co-Founder of Plan C Pills, and Tracy Droz Tragos, award-winning filmmaker of the Plan C documentary, with a Webby Award in the Public Service, Social Impact & Activism category for the film’s revolutionary social media campaign. Their respective acceptance speeches exclaimed, “Available in all 50 states!” and “It feels like a revolution.”
Additional highlights from this year’s ceremony included:
With a tribute from media icons and figures such as Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Stacey Abrams, Evan Spiegel, Katie Couric, Barry Diller, Marc Benioff, and Monica Lewinsky among others, Kara Swisher accepted the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented by Maggie Haberman, Swisher was recognized for her incomparable career as a veteran tech journalist covering a rapidly transforming industry and for her work as a pioneering digital entrepreneur. “I ain’t done, tech bros,” Swisher assured the audience after receiving her award.
Ina Garten presented Julia Louis-Dreyfus with the Webby Podcast of the Year Award for Wiser Than Me, a series that connects generations through meaningful, funny, and important conversations with unforgettable women. “Like Julia herself, Wiser Than Me is a first-of-its-kind: a podcast for wise and accomplished women to share their insights. You might cry, you will for sure laugh and I suggest you take notes,” said Garten when presenting the award. In her acceptance remarks, Louis-Dreyfus urged the audience to “Listen to old women, motherfuckers.”
Keke Palmer accepted a Webby Special Achievement Award for her unparalleled contributions as an actress, activist, and entrepreneur and for her unique brand of digital innovation on projects like Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, and KeyTV. While accepting her award, Palmer expressed gratitude for her career and platform on the internet, saying “I’m blessed to do this.”
Shannon Sharpe received the Webby Advocate of the Year Award, presented by Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP. This recognition was selected by a committee led by the NAACP and IADAS, celebrating his significant impact in sports commentary, advocacy for racial equality, education, and health, and his wildly successful podcast, Club Shay Shay. “His legacy is set,” said Johnson when presenting the award to Sharpe. “No one is requiring him to give back to the world. But Shannon does so because he requires himself to do so.” Sharpe accepted his award with, “God is great, thank you.”
Jerrod Carmichael accepted the Webby Outstanding Comedic Performance Award, presented by Lil Rel Howery, for his brilliant, hilarious, fresh, and honest work in the HBO & Max documentary series “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.” Never afraid to push the limits with his comedy, Carmichael encouraged the audience to “Risk everything every time.”
Coco Rocha presented Madison Tevlin, the viral content creator, actress, model, and advocate with several Webby Awards including a Webby People’s Voice Winner in Social for Best Creator the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Influencer. In her confident five-word speech, Tevlin declared, “It’s fun proving people wrong.”
Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer accepted a Webby Award in the Public Service, Social Impact & Activism category, presented by Amanda Litman, co-founder and co-executive director of Run for Something, for “Governor Barbie,” the Governor’s viral and empowering social media campaign. “Wear pink, get shit done,” declared Governor Whitmer onstage with her Governor Barbie doll in hand.
Laverne Cox accepted the Webby Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Podcasts, presented by Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the ACLU, for her moving, engaging, and singular podcast, “The Laverne Cox Show.” Her acceptance speech, “Healing, collective trauma, necessary, possible,” evoked a passionate response from the crowd.
Other notable 5-Word Speeches include:
- “Thank you for this bong.” –Jimmy Kimmel
- “Cooking Show Pretend, Gratitude Real.” – Jennifer Garner
- “Don’t put twinkies on pizza.” –Josh Scherer
- “Protect Kids, Not Guns, Bitches.” – Michelle Buteau & Farnoosh Torabi
- “Actually, we are all one degree.” –Kevin Bacon
- “Thanks for watching Tiny Desks.” –Bobby Carter
See all the best moments from last night’s show on social media by searching #Webbys, and at webbyawards.com.
For the full list of Webby Award winners, please visit: https://winners.webbyawards.com/winners
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising; Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Podcasts; Games and AI, Metaverse & Virtual. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, LinkedIn, YouGov, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Vox Media, The Hustle, Podcast Movement, It’s Nice That, Convince & Convert, The Neuron, The Gradient, Last Week in AI, MKT1, Bens Bites, The Tilt, Orangeletter, AIGA and The Standard Hotel.
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