The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards is a 30-year-old, private Internet awards organization recognizing digital excellence across eight media categories. It monetizes through per-entry fees, tiered corporate sponsorships, and an annual New York ceremony, serving 13,000+ annual entrants from 70+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Webby Awards does
The Webby Awards is a private, for-profit international awards organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City, that recognizes excellence across the Internet. Its core product is the annual Webby Awards competition, which evaluates entries across eight media types — Websites & Mobile Sites, Video & Film, Advertising Media & PR, Podcasts, Social & Games, Apps Software & Immersive, Creators, and AI — judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), a 3,000+ member panel, alongside the public-voted People's Voice Awards. The annual cycle is anchored by the Webby Awards Show, an in-person New York ceremony featuring the organization's iconic five-word acceptance speech tradition, with the 30th edition hosted by Josh Johnson in May 2026.
The business operates three digitally distributed revenue streams: (1) entry fees of $105 (student) to $255 (standard) per submission; (2) corporate sponsorships from a roster tiered as Flagship (Adobe), Core (WP Engine since 2019, Meltwater, NAACP), and Minor (ElevenLabs, Meta Lab, Framer, KPMG, Patreon); and (3) ancillary revenue from trophy/merchandise sales, ceremony tickets, and branded content such as the annual Webby Trend Reports and the Webby Awards Indexes. Supporting infrastructure consists of a digital submission platform (entries.webbyawards.com), a public voting platform (vote.webbyawards.com), a searchable Winners Gallery (winners.webbyawards.com), and editorial programs such as "Crafted with Code" produced with WP Engine. The organization operates with an 11–50 employee base on a seasonal, event-driven cadence.
Scale metrics include 13,000+ entries submitted annually from 70+ countries, 4.6 million People's Voice votes cast by approximately 940,000 participants, 22 billion media impressions from coverage in outlets including CNN, BBC, NYT, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter, and a 4% acceptance rate (702 awards given in 2025). Past winners and honorees include Apple, Google, Netflix, NPR, Anthropic, Waymo, The New York Times, and Shonda Rhimes, underscoring the program's brand cachet among both enterprise technology buyers and cultural figures. Leadership comprises Executive Director Jesse Feister and General Manager Nick Borenstein; no parent company, outside investors, or institutional funding is disclosed in the available data.
The Webby Awards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Webby Awards
- Legal name
- The Webby Awards
- Website
- https://webbyawards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Webby Awards is a 30-year-old, private Internet awards organization recognizing digital excellence across eight media categories. It monetizes through per-entry fees, tiered corporate sponsorships, and an annual New York ceremony, serving 13,000+ annual entrants from 70+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Webby Awards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Awards & Recognition
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management (EDALAJAB)
Keywords
Where The Webby Awards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Webby Awards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Entry Fees: The Webby Awards generates revenue through entry fees for submissions to the annual awards competition. Categories range from $255 for standard entries to $105 for student categories.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including Adobe, WP Engine, Meltwater, Patreon, ElevenLabs, Meta Lab, Framer, NAACP, and KPMG sponsor the annual awards ceremony and related events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Category Entry |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Student Category Entry |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Webby Awards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Webby Awards is an annual awards program honoring excellence on the Internet across eight media types (Websites & Mobile Sites, Video & Film, Advertising Media & PR, Apps Software & Immersive, Social & Games, Podcasts, Creators, and AI). The core offering combines a judged competition by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) with a public People's Voice voting component, complemented by an annual in-person ceremony featuring iconic five-word acceptance speeches.
Product overview
The Webby Awards is an annual awards program honoring excellence on the Internet, now in its 30th year. The core offering consists of the Webby Awards Competition across eight media types (Websites & Mobile Sites, Video & Film, Advertising Media & PR, Apps Software & Immersive, Social & Games, Podcasts, Creators, and AI), the Webby People's Voice Awards for public voting, the annual Webby Awards Show/Ceremony, and Special Achievement Awards. Supporting products include Winner Resources, Nominee Resources, and Honoree Resources (campaign kits, PR tips, logos/badges), plus the Entry Platform and People's Voice Voting Platform. Additional offerings encompass research publications (Webby Trend Reports, Webby Awards Indexes), editorial content (Crafted with Code series), and commemorative programs (Webby30).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Webby Awards Competition The flagship annual awards program accepting entries across eight media types (Websites & Mobile Sites, Video & Film, Advertising Media & PR, Apps Software & Immersive, Social & Games, Podcasts, Creators, and AI) from over 70 countries, with winners selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Entry fees are $255 per standard category and $105 for student categories.
- Webby People's Voice Awards
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of Webby Winners attribute their win to earning new business
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Webby Awards
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Webby Awards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Webby Awards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- AdobeflagshipAdobe is a major sponsor of The Webby Awards, presenting the Webby Special Achievement in Creative AI award. The partnership extends to joint initiatives promoting responsible, creator-led AI that maintains human authorship at the center of creative storytelling.
- WP EnginecoreWP Engine is a sponsor of The Webby Awards, partnering since 2019 on the 'Crafted with Code' initiative that shares stories behind the best of the Web through interviews with developers, designers, and creators.
- MeltwatercoreMeltwater is a strategic partner producing the annual Webby Trend Reports, including the 2025 'it's giving brainrot' report and 2026 'Trust the Generative Process' AI report exploring digital culture trends.
- ElevenLabsminorElevenLabs is a sponsor of The Webby Awards, supporting the annual celebration of digital excellence.
- Meta LabminorMeta Lab is a sponsor of The Webby Awards.
- FramerminorFramer is a sponsor of The Webby Awards.
- NAACPcoreNAACP partners with The Webby Awards on the Webby Advocate of the Year award and the 'Black & Viral' event series celebrating Black digital excellence.
- KPMGminorKPMG is a sponsor of The Webby Awards.
- PatreonminorPatreon is a sponsor of The Webby Awards.
- International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)flagshipIADAS is the judging Academy for The Webby Awards, providing 3,000+ industry experts including judges like Paris Hilton, Yann LeCun, Tekedra Mawakana, and others to evaluate entries across all categories.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Webby Awards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Clio Awards: Long-established international awards program for creative excellence in advertising. Comparable awards-as-business model with entry fees and sponsorships, broader in advertising specialty but overlapping significantly on the Webby's Advertising, Media & PR categories.
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The most prestigious global award for creative communications and advertising. Comparable event-driven recognition business model with entry fees, sponsorships, and an annual ceremony, though at significantly larger scale and broader creative scope.
- Effie Awards: Global awards program recognizing marketing effectiveness. Comparable entry-fee and sponsorship model serving the same brand and agency customer base, though focused on measurable marketing impact rather than creative execution.
- The One Show: Global awards for creative excellence in advertising and design. Comparable entry-fee awards business operated by The One Club for Creativity, with overlapping brand/agency customers but broader advertising focus rather than Internet-native categories.
- D&AD Awards: International awards for design and advertising excellence. Comparable professional recognition business with entry fees and judged categories, though focused on design craft rather than the full breadth of Internet categories the Webby covers.
Direct peers
- The Podcast Academy (The Ambies): Professional organization hosting The Ambies awards for podcast excellence. Direct competitor in the podcast category—a core Webby vertical—with comparable judged awards, membership dues, and ceremony-driven business model.
- Shorty Awards: Awards program honoring excellence in social media, content, and digital marketing. Closely comparable business model—entry fees plus sponsorships, with both judged and public voting components—targeting overlapping brand and agency customers.
- Streamy Awards: Annual awards program honoring excellence in online video and digital creators. Direct competitor to the Webby Awards in the digital creator recognition space, though narrower in scope (focused on streaming/YouTube rather than the full Internet). Operated by Tubefilter/VidCon.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Webby Awards social profiles
Digital presenceThe Webby Awards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Webby Awards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Webby Awards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Webby Awards M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Webby Awards
What does The Webby Awards do?
The Webby Awards is an annual awards program honoring excellence on the Internet across eight media types (Websites & Mobile Sites, Video & Film, Advertising Media & PR, Apps Software & Immersive, Social & Games, Podcasts, Creators, and AI). The core offering combines a judged competition by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) with a public People's Voice voting component, complemented by an annual in-person ceremony featuring iconic five-word acceptance speeches.
Is The Webby Awards a public or private company?
The Webby Awards is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Webby Awards founded?
The Webby Awards was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Webby Awards based?
The Webby Awards is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Webby Awards make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships.
Who are The Webby Awards's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Clio Awards, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Effie Awards, The One Show and D&AD Awards. Direct peers are The Podcast Academy (The Ambies), Shorty Awards and Streamy Awards.
Does The Webby Awards have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Webby Awards.
What industry is The Webby Awards in?
The Webby Awards's product category is Digital Awards & Recognition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAOAN, Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting), with a secondary code of EDALAJAB, Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 7990.