The Webby Awards is excited to welcome a slate of brand new experts to the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS): the 2,000+ member body of Internet experts and luminaries who judge work entered into The Webbys each year.
Meet new Webby Judge Maurice Cherry, Head of Media at Glitch, a first-of-its-kind digital community of regular people creating web apps. Cherry is also the host of Revision Path, a podcast showcasing Black designers, developers, and digital creators from all over the world.
We chatted with Cherry about why he’s excited to join IADAS, what he brings to the Academy, and some of his favorite things on the Internet right now.
Read our Q&A below, and enter your work before the extended deadline: Friday, Feb. 7th!
1. Why are you excited to join IADAS as a Webby Awards judge? What particular expertise do you bring to the Academy?
I don’t think there’s anyone who works on the web these days who hasn’t heard of The Webby Awards, so being invited to join IADAS as a Webby Awards judge is a really huge achievement.
I think that I bring a lot of expertise to the Academy—particularly my professional experience in design, tech, entrepreneurship, podcasting, and higher education—but with all that, I come from a vantage point of celebrating the creativity of Black people throughout the diaspora.
“ The creative industry recognizes that winning a Webby Award lends a certain level of prestige to your work.”
2. Why do you think being a part of The Webby Awards community matters?
I think it matters because the creative industry recognizes that winning a Webby Award lends a certain level of prestige to your work. And being a part of this community not only means that you understand that, but that your work is at a level that can really make an impact.
3. What trend or emerging technology are you most excited about in your field of work?
Augmented reality. I’ve seen a few examples both on Glitch and out in the real world, and I’m excited by the possibilities of how we can tell stories and share experiences. I haven’t dabbled in it yet, myself, but I am definitely intrigued by it.
4. What’s your favorite app that other people haven’t heard of?
Right now, my favorite app is probably Notion. I was using it at work, but now I’ve transitioned to using it as a repository for my personal projects, such as my design anthology RECOGNIZE, or my graphic novel project. I just wish they had an iPad app (**hint hint**)!
5. What specific project or service caught your attention on the Internet recently and why?
Butter.ATL, for sure. What they’re doing with Instagram is really next level—it’s unlike anything I’ve seen with other brands on the platform. The mix of video, animation, and graphics is just stellar, and it does a great job of representing Atlanta culture.
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**BONUS!** Describe yourself in one GIF.
OMG—there are so many! I literally have a folder of reaction GIFs on my phone, so it’s tough to choose just one. I’d probably go with the one below because I am always thinking or strategizing on something behind the scenes.
