Twitter wrote the basic rules of social media. Before Twitter, people did not broadcast their breakfast or breaking thoughts to everyone at once; after Twitter, a short public post became the default way to speak online. Users invented the grammar of @mentions, hashtags, retweets, and threads, and the feed became the public square where officials announce policy, journalists report in real time, and news breaks first. The Webby Awards first recognized Twitter in 2007, and in 2009 it was Breakout of the Year, when cofounder Biz Stone said, “Creativity is a renewable resource.” Live tweeting turned sports and award shows into second-screen rituals, and brands learned a conversational voice. Vine, acquired by Twitter and honored at the Webbys in 2014, proved six seconds could mint stars and set the pace for short video everywhere. Hashtags powered movements, with #BlackLivesMatter named Webby Social Movement of the Year in 2016 and 2022. It now calls itself X, but the blueprint endures.

NOTABLE WORK

Twitter (2007)

Webby Breakout of The Year (2009)

Vine (2014)

#BlackLivesMatter (2016)

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The 30th Annual Webby Awards is Open

Earning a Webby Award can take your company to new heights, but only if you participate. Submit work in the 30th Annual Webby Awards by the Early Entry Deadline on Friday, October 24, 2025 for best pricing.