History
Since its inception in 1996, The Webby Awards' unwavering mission has been to honor excellence on the Internet.Born as part of The Web, a magazine from tech publisher IDG, The Webbys used $30,000 and in-kind donations from 11 companies to produce the first-ever Webby Awards in ’96.
The awards launched with 15 categories, and Webby Winners were selected by an array of Internet aficionados – a group that would become the basis for the International Academy of the Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). When IDG closed The Web in 1998, it allowed the Webby team to carry on because of The Webby Awards’ overwhelming success (in fact, many from the original Webby team still guide the awards today).
“ If brevity is the soul of wit, then The Webby Awards might be the wittiest show of all time.”
The Webbys’ success parallels the rise of the Internet itself. From humble beginnings, The Webby Awards has become the undisputed top honor for Websites & Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Podcasts; Social & Games; Apps, Software & Immersive; Creators; and new this year, AI! And just as the Web is a critical tool for every area of life today, The Webby Awards remains the most important and relevant award honoring achievement in interactive media.
For more than three decades, The Webby Awards has celebrated the people and work shaping the Internet.
The team behind The Webbys also co-founded Internet Week New York with the City of New York in 2008. The festival quickly became a major annual gathering for the Internet industry, drawing 50,000 attendees to more than 200 events across the city. It expanded internationally with Internet Week Europe in 2010, before a majority stake in Internet Week was acquired by Crain Communications in 2012.
Last year, The Webby Awards received more than 13,000 entries from over 70 countries worldwide. Today, the competition recognizes excellence across Websites & Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps, Software & Immersive; Social; Podcasts; Games; Creators; and AI. The Webby Awards is supported by leading marketing and strategic partners including Adobe, WP Engine, Patreon, ElevenLabs, Meta Lab, Framer, NAACP, The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and more.
As The Webbys enters its 31st year, it continues to look ahead, evolving to recognize the new technologies, creative formats, and cultural forces shaping the future of the Internet.
Historical Photos
Lifetime Achievement Winner Prince closes the 10th Annual Webby Awards with a special acoustic performance.
From the Left: Lifetime Achievement Winner Dr. Robert Kahn, Breakout of the Year Winner Chris DeWolfe of MySpace.com, and Webby Person of the Year Thomas L. Friedman.
Beastie Boys received Webby Artist of the Year Award at the 11th Annual Webby Awards.
Fritz Grobe and Stepen Voltz, creators of "The Great Diet Coke and Mentos Experiments", at The 11th Annual Webby Awards.
Chocolate Rain's Tay Zonday with Mashable Founder Pete Cashmore at the Webby Film and Video Awards.
Seth Meyers hosts the 12th Annual Webby Awards in New York City.
Martha Stewart presents Twitter co-founder Biz Stone with Breakout of the Year Award at the 13th Annual Webby Awards.
Bob Greenberg, Founder of R/GA, accepts an award at the 13th Annual Webbys.
Vint Cerf accepts a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th Annual Webbys.
Roger Ebert accepts Person of the Year at the 14th Annual Webby Awards.
Lisa Kudrow accepts for Web Therapy at the 14th Annual Webby Awards.
P.S. 22 accepts Artist of the Year at the 14th Annual Webby Awards .
Zach Galifianakis hangs out with the muppets at the 14th Annual Webbys.
Antoine Dodson performs with The Gregory Brothers at the 15th Annual Webby Awards.
Norah Jones performs Johnny Cash's Ain't No Grave as part of the Johnny Cash Project at the 15th Annual Webby Awards.
OK Go's Damian Kulash presents LCD Sound System's James Murphy with Artist of the Year at the 15th Annual Webby Awards.
Inventor of the Mobile Phone Martin Cooper accepts a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Annual Webby Awards.
Vogue's Anna Wintour gives a 5-Word Speech at the 15th Annual Webby Awards for redesigned vogue.com
Daniel Radcliff presents to Anna Wintour at the 15th Annual Webby Awards.
Funny or Die's Chris Henchy and Adam McKay accept Webby Film & Video person of the year at the 15th Annual Webby Awards
Denis Crowley Presents former teacher Red Burns with a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual Webby Awards
Spike Lee presents to Basketballer Jeremy #LinSanity Lin at the 16th Annual Webby Awards
Game of Throwns Kingslayer, actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau backstage at the 16th Annual Webby Awards
David Karp presents Michael Bloomberg with the 16th Annual Webby Lifetime Achievement Award
Justin Long (I'm a Mac) and John Hodgman (I'm a PC) pay tribute to Steve Jobs at the 16th Annual Webby Awards
Instagram accept Breakout of the Year at the 16th Annual Webby Awards
Jerry Seinfeld Accepts a Special Achievement Award at the 17th Annual Webby Awards
Ben Stiller, Ken Marino and Erica Oyama accept their Webby Award for Burning Love
Radio Labs Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad present the team behind the NASA's @MarsCuriosity
Steve Wilhite Accepts a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Annual Webby Awards