THE 23RD ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS HONORS BEST OF THE INTERNET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Sunshine Sachs
webby@sunshinesachs.com
212-691-2800
“Stop believing stupid people, shit.” – Issa Rae
“My kids think it’s hilarious.” – Michael Douglas
“Act now or face disaster.” – Greta Thunberg
“Shoutout to the Bronx! Y’heard!” – Desus Nice and The Kid Mero
“It pronounced Wooder, not water.” – Gritty
“Weird hype and creative kids.” – Tierra Whack
“Season nine premieres next week.” – Sean Evans
“Questlove is DJing the Afterparty.” – Jimmy Fallon
“Unbelievably grateful, click with kindness.” – Monica Lewinsky
“This is going on eBay.” – Hasan Minhaj
“Look mom, art school worked!” – Emily Weiss
Watch the best moments from The Webby Awards at #Webbys across social media and youtube.com/webby
NEW YORK, May 14, 2019 – The 23rd Annual Webby Awards honored the year’s biggest Internet visionaries and activists, with a star-studded ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on May 13th. First-time Webby Awards host, actress, and comedian Jenny Slate led the celebration to honor this year’s Webby Winners and Special Achievement Honorees, including actor Michael Douglas, actress/producer Issa Rae, late night hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, climate activist Greta Thunberg, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty, entrepreneur Emily Weiss, comedian and producer Hasan Minhaj, and artist Tierra Whack.
Slate opened the show and won over the crowd with her unpredictable wit and humor, reminiscing on Y2K and the panic that ensued for no reason and talking about the funniest videos she’s seen on the Internet that made her “laugh so hard I sneezed up Doritos.” She kept the audience laughing throughout the night, while ensuring all Webby Winners kept to The Webby Awards’ signature 5-word acceptance speech limit.
Internet pioneer and co-founder Vint Cerf was on hand to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Internet and bring to light the power the people in the room have to continue creating the “Internet We Want,” speaking to the theme of this year’s Webby Awards. “I expect you to keep inventing that future and making it safe and secure and advantageous for all of us,” said Vint Cerf.
The evening was capped off by a passionate and moving tribute, celebrating the relentless work of 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg. The moment was presented by author/journalist David Wallace-Wells, who also welcomed to the stage New York-based youth activists Alexandria Villaseñor and Spencer Berg who urged leaders in the room to use their platforms to solve the climate crisis before it is too late. Thunberg, who does not fly in order to reduce her carbon footprint, accepted the award via video, declaring her 5-Word Speech: “Act now or face disaster.”
“So many of tonight’s winners represent the promise of the Internet: the ability to unite people all over the world in pursuit of something better,” said Webby Awards Executive Director, Claire Graves. “This is the Internet we want.”
Additional highlights from this year’s Webby Awards Show include:
Creator of Issa Rae Productions who got her start on the Internet with the series Awkward Black Girl, Issa Rae accepted the Webby Video Person of the Year Award from Little co-star Luke James with these 5 words: “Stop believing stupid people. Shit.”
Beloved star of stage and screen Michael Douglas took the stage to accept Webby Special Achievement Award for his role as Sandy Kominsky in the Netflix original, The Kominsky Method. Sarah Baker who plays Douglas’ daughter on the show presented him with his Award. His 5-Word Speech was: “My kids think it’s hilarious.”
Comedian Tracy Morgan presented a Webby Special Achievement Award to late night duo Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, for their incredible success online from Bodega Boys to DESUS & MERO. They accepted their Webby by saying: “Shoutout to the Bronx, y’heard!”
The rapper Tierra Whack accepted the Webby for Artist of the Year from fellow Philadelphia rapper, Freeway, for her brilliant album Whack World created and distributed on Instagram. Her 5-Word Speech was: “Weird hype and creative kids.”
Glossier Founder Emily Weiss accepted the Webby for Entrepreneur of the Year from former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue (where Emily began her career) Elaine Welteroth for her company Glossier. Her 5-Word Speech was: “Look Mom, art school worked!”
Former Daily Show Correspondent, and current host of the Netflix series Patriot Act, Hasan Minhaj accepted a Webby Special Achievement Award from friend and Daily Show correspondent Desi Lydic with his signature wit, saying: “This is going on eBay.”
Man v. Food’s Adam Richman said, “Let’s get this over with” and turned around and took a selfie with the crowd, before presenting the Webby Award in Film & Video for Best Host to Sean Evans of Hot Ones, who offered up these five words: “Season nine premieres next week.”
Host of Conversations with People Who Hate Me Dylan Marron took The Webby Awards stage to present to Monica Lewinsky for her Webby-winning campaign #DefyTheName, created with BBDO NY. Lewinsky offered this moving 5-Word Speech: “Unbelievably grateful, click with kindness.”
Following a hilarious video documenting the rise of the now infamous Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty took the stage to offer his Webby 5-Word Speech on a series of cards: “It pronounced Wooder, not water.” He then proceeded to shoot off a confetti cannon and dance offstage.
Other notable 5-Word Speeches include:
Jimmy Fallon: “Questlove is DJing the afterparty.”
DeRay Mckesson: “We will win one day.”
Girl vs. Cancer: “Go check your fucking boobs.”
Fulton Leroy Washington: “Enough. End mass incarceration now.”
OceanX: “Try finding that on Mars.”
Pepsi: “Bubbly – these sips don’t lie.”
Girls Who Code: “Stop sexual harassment in tech.”
ACLU: “Great stories make people change.”
Chani Nicholas: “Love and protect each other.”
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood “Won’t you be my neighbor.”
Leavingstone, Levan Lepsveridze and Meli Badgavadze: “Meli, will you marry me?”
See all the best moments from last night’s show on social media by searching #Webbys and on YouTube.
Links to post-event footage:
High-res red carpet arrival photos are available here.
Photo Credit: Getty/The Webby Awards
High-res photos from the ceremony are available here.
Photo Credit: Getty/The Webby Awards
B-Roll for press: http://wbby.co/2019epk
Credit: The Webby Awards
***PLEASE CREDIT THE WEBBY AWARDS WITH ALL VIDEO AND PHOTO USE***
Find The Webby Awards Online:
Website: webbyawards.com
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Snapchat: TheWebbyAwards
YouTube: youtube.com/webby
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, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps, Mobile, and Voice, Social, Podcasts, and Games. Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Instagram, WP Engine, Amazon Prime Video and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, EY, YouGov, Vitamin T, YouTube, WNYC Studios, Fast Company, The New Museum, ESA, Product Hunt, and Social Media Week.