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COMEDIAN AND WRITER AMBER RUFFIN TO HOST 22ND ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS
Star-Studded Celebration of Internet Culture Set for May 14
Webbys Promotes Claire Graves as Executive Director
NEW YORK, March 27, 2018 – The Webby Awards announced today that acclaimed comedian and Late Night with Seth Meyers writer/performer Amber Ruffin will host the 22nd Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, May 14, 2018.
As host, Ruffin will open the show and keep this year’s Winners in check, ensuring they each follow The Webby Awards’ 5-Word Acceptance Speech rule, as Webby tradition dictates. Notable 5-Word Speeches from past shows include “It’s pronounced ‘JIF’ not ‘GIF’” (GIF inventor Steve Wilhite), “Nude selfies ‘til I die” (Kim Kardashian West), “No, you are fake news” (BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith), and “Women, look what we did” (The Women’s March).
“I’m so excited to host this year’s show!” said Ruffin. “It’ll be surprising, hilarious, and a little embarrassing, just like the internet!”
A first-time host to The Webby Awards, Ruffin is a writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and has become known for her regular segments “Amber Says What?” and “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.” When she joined the show, she became the first black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the United States. In addition to Late Night, Ruffin writes on the Comedy Central show Detroiters and is a regular narrator on another Comedy Central show, Drunk History. She is also a former performer at Boom Chicago, iO Theater, and The Second City. Ruffin is currently working on a new version of the Broadway musical The Wiz that will premiere this summer at The MUNY in St. Louis.
“Team Webby has watched every video of Amber we could find online and LOL’d the whole way through,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “She’s winning the Internet with her raw talent, wit, and outspoken style. We are ecstatic to bring her refreshingly frank and brilliant humor to the Webby Awards stage.”
Today The Webby Awards also announced the appointment of long-time Managing Director Claire Graves as its new Executive Director, overseeing the Webby P&L and brand.
“Claire has been an indispensable part of our team for many years and knows the Webby universe better than anyone,” said Webby Media Group CEO David-Michel Davies. “We’re so grateful for her leadership and expertise and are thrilled that she will be taking on this exciting and expanded new role.”