Categories Debuting at the 31st Annual Webby Awards

The Internet moves faster than ever, making it easier to create, adapt and chase what’s next. But what does it take to make work that stays with us?

For the 31st Annual Webby Awards, we’re expanding our honors to recognize the ideas, formats and creative collaborations doing just that, along with the people bringing them to life. Explore this year’s newest categories, find where your work belongs and Show Your Work.

A Bigger Stage for Sports
Sports bring athletes, creators, brands and fans together around moments that travel far beyond the game. From athlete-led businesses and breakout personalities to memorable campaigns and storytelling, sports are shaping culture across the Internet. This season, The Webby Awards is introducing a new roster of competitive Sports honors, including:

• A major expansion for the Sports industry, with new sports categories across Video & Film, Social, Creators, Advertising, PR, Branded Content, and Podcasts.
• New awards for sports marketing and storytelling, including Best Sports Storytelling in Video & Film, Sports in Social Campaigns, Best Sports & Entertainment Campaign in Advertising Campaigns, Best Sports PR Campaign in PR Campaigns and Sports in Branded Content.
• Introducing new Creator Business categories for Creator/Influencer Partnership or Collaboration – Sports, Athlete-Led Media or Venture, and College Athletics Campaign.

A New Wave of Creator Honors
Creators are building businesses, shaping culture and changing how brands connect with audiences across new formats, partnerships and real-time experiences. For the 31st Annual Webby Awards, we’re introducing new categories to recognize even more of the creators and campaigns leading the industry forward, including:

• New Creator Business honors, including Branded Entertainment, Real-Time Collaboration, Creator/Influencer Partnership or Collaboration – Sports, Athlete-Led Media or Venture, and College Athletics Campaign.
• New Creator Excellence offerings include Best Interview or Conversation and Best Visual Effects, alongside the newly revised Best Activation or Stunt.
• Introducing General Creator: Animals & Pets, recognizing outstanding creators and creator-led work centered on animals and pet culture.
• New recognition for creator-led podcasts through Podcasts – Features: Best Video Podcast Co-Hosts and the newly revised Best Creator Series.

More Ways to Honor the Best in Podcasting
Podcasting keeps growing, and so do the ways people are using it to tell stories, share ideas and build audiences. With creators, athletes, experts and entertainers now working across both audio and video, The Webby Awards is expanding its Podcast honors to better reflect what the medium has become. New and expanded recognition includes:

• Expanded offerings in Podcasts – Individual Episode, including Sports, Technology, and Public Service & Activism.
• Introducing Podcasts – Limited-Series & Specials: Sports, extending sports recognition into limited and event-based podcast formats.
• New and expanded Podcasts – Features honors, including Best Video Podcast Co-Hosts and Best Creator Series.
• Expanded opportunities for podcast talent and programming through Creator Excellence: Best Interview or Conversation and Creator Business: Athlete-Led Media or Venture.

The Next Frontier of Honoring AI
Artificial intelligence is changing how people build, search, create and experience the Internet. As the field advances, The Webby Awards is expanding its AI honors to recognize the products, features and creative applications establishing new standards across the industry. Check out our slate of upcoming AI awards that will highlight the best in the business and help you break through the noise:

• Expanded AI Experiences & Applications honors for Coding & Developer Tools and Search & Knowledge, joining existing categories for Creative Tools, Consumer Applications, Productivity & Work Tools, Customer Experience or CRM, Data Visualization & Reporting, and more.
• New AI Features & Innovation awards for Best Multimodal AI, Best AI Personalization, and Best AI Co-Creation, alongside existing recognition for Best AI Agent, Best AI Technical Achievement, Best AI User Experience, Best Responsible AI Implementation, Experimental & Innovation, and Best Product or Service.
• A new Apps, Software & Immersive – Business Software & Services: AI Agents & Automation honor, complementing existing categories for Developer Tools & APIs and Productivity, Workflow & Collaboration.
• Updated Best Use of AI recognition across Apps, Software & Immersive – App Excellence and Social Features, expanding the opportunities to honor thoughtful AI implementation across the competition.
• More entry points for AI-powered creative work, including Advertising, Media & PR – Craft: Best Use of AI & Machine Learning; Websites & Mobile Sites – Features & Design: Best Visual Design – Innovation; and Creator Excellence: Best Visual Effects and Best Creative Use of AI & Technology.

New Honors for Digital Storytelling and Production
Even as new industries and technologies emerge, the formats at the heart of the Internet continue to evolve. This season’s additions recognize the visual craft, immersive production and inventive storytelling shaping how people experience digital work. New honors include:

• Exciting new recognition in Video & Film, including Performance & Craft: Best Vertical Series and Best Sports Storytelling, and Branded Entertainment: Technology.
• Introducing new Websites & Mobile Sites – Features & Design honors for Best Visual Design – Innovation and Best Digital Storytelling.
• New and expanded categories across Social, including Social Campaigns: Sports, Automotive, and Travel & Lifestyle, and Social Features: Best Reactive Campaign, Best Contest or Challenge, Best Immersive or Interactive Experience, and Best Use of AI.
• New and expanded opportunities for immersive production, including Immersive Content: Social Impact and Best Branded Immersive Experience; Advertising, Media & PR – Individual: Immersive Technology; and Social Features: Best Immersive or Interactive Experience.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Submit before the Early Entry Deadline to secure the best pricing!

The Early Entry Deadline for the 31st Annual Webby Awards is Friday, October 30. Explore the new categories, find where your ideas belong and Show Your Work.