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In celebration of Web culture, Webby Awards announces its 2016 nominees

Lulu Chang
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webby award nominees the 19th annual awards inside
Actor Zach Woods accepting a Webby Award on behalf of HBO Go at the 19th Webby Awards in 2015. The Webby Awards
If there’s one place on Earth where improvement is constant, it’s the Internet. And now, to celebrate exactly how little you can’t do online, the Webby Awards are back for the ceremony’s 20th year, with the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) today announcing the nominees for the annual awards. The Oscars of the Internet, the Webby’s celebrate all that is good about the Web, from Web services and tools to personalities, and of course, it all comes down to you to determine who walks away a winner at the end of the month.

Known for its recognition of some of the most lasting and innovative trends on the Internet since 1996, the Webby Awards have honored mainstays in the digital world, as well as enduring institutions that have bridged the gap between the online and offline experience. From Amazon.com to the Smithsonian, this is one truly diverse awards shows. And this year, some of the very first nominees (which include PBS, The Onion, and the Smithsonian) are being honored again two decades later, a testament to the transcendence of some Internet trends.

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“Since its inception in 1997, The Webby Awards has celebrated inspiring talent and visionary innovation on the Internet,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. “This class of 20th Annual Webby Nominees, both veterans and newcomers alike, continues to challenge convention and transform the world in ways we could have only imagined in 1997.”

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This year’s show will also reflect some more recent developments in the online world, with categories dedicated to virtual reality for the first time — The New York Times’ VR series The Displaced, CNN’s VR at the Democratic Debate, Stella Artois’ Buy a Lady a Drink, and VRSE’s Walking New York are all vying for a win.

But of course, there will also be old standard bearers looking to hold off relative newcomers to the scene — The New York Times, National Geographic, 60 Minutes, and The New Yorker are all going head to head with newer publications like VICE Media, Quartz, Refinery29, Mic Network, and Well+Good.

Regardless of who comes out on top, however, the nominee pool already represents the elite of the Internet. Out of nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries worldwide, less than eight percent were ultimately selected as nominees. VICE Media led the pack with the most nominations (16), and indeed, some of the most honored teams hailed from journalistic backgrounds. National Geographic, the New York Times, the Guardian News & Media, CNN, PBS, and CBS all came away with multiple nominees.

You’ve got until April 21 to cast your votes for your favorite nominees, and results will be announced on April 26. Check out some of the highlights among the nominations below.

Animals (Social)

  • Catstacam
  • Doug the Pug
  • Goats of Anarchy
  • Jimmy the Bull
  • National Geographic Social Media

Best Overall Social Presence (Social)

  • CNN’s Social Media
  • Game of Thrones
  • Mashable
  • NASA Social Media
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Best Podcast (Mobile Sites & Apps)

  • Reply All
  • Stuff You Should Know
  • 99% Invisible
  • The New Yorker’s Podcasts
  • Re/code Decode with Kara Swisher

Best Use of Mobile Camera (Mobile Sites & Apps)

  • GIPHY CAM
  • musical.ly
  • Splice
  • Heads Up!
  • Layout

Best Web Personality/Host (Online Film & Video)

  • Tyler Oakley
  • Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
  • The Slow Mo Guys
  • Kid President
  • Carmelo Anthony

Celebrity/Fan (Websites)

  • U2.com
  • One Direction: Made in the A.M.
  • Team Coco
  • Ellentv.com
  • Kendall Jenner 

Comedy: Individual Short or Episode (Online Film & Video)

  • Anaconda — The Education Version (with Nicki Minaj)
  • Go to College Music Video (with First Lady Michelle Obama)
  • Dennis Quaid’s On-Set Freak Out: The Full Video
  • Fight Club for Kids (with Chuck Palahniuk)
  • Trumptastic Voyage (The Simpsons)

Comedy: Long Form or Series (Online Film & Video)

  • If Google Was a Guy
  • Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
  • Billy on the Street with First Lady Michelle Obama
  • Celebrities Read Mean Tweets #9 (Jimmy Kimmel Live)
  • Epic Rap Battles of History

Culture & Lifestyle (Social)

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Instagram Account
  • MoMA Instagram
  • Refinery29 Facebook
  • Tastemade Snapchat Discover
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Instagram Account

Entertainment (Mobile Sites & Apps)

  • Star Wars app
  • Marvel Unlimited
  • Saturday Night Live app
  • The A-Z of YouTube: Celebrating 10 Years
  • Phallania 

Events (Social)

  • Coders vs. Cancer
  • #RugbyBattle
  • Instaconcert
  • The 69th Annual Tony Awards: An Integrated Digital Experience
  • The 16th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards – Social Media Celebration

Fashion & Beauty (Social)

  • #MINDFCUK
  • Madewell Social Media
  • Kiehl’s Act Any Age
  • Lilly Pulitzer for Target
  • W Magazine

Games (Mobile Sites & Apps)

  • You Must Build a Boat
  • Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes
  • Vainglory
  • Her Story
  • Two Dots

Humor (Websites)

  • Cracked.com
  • Funny or Die
  • John Oliver – Leap Second
  • ClickHole
  • The Onion 

Media Streaming (Websites)

  • 92Y On Demand
  • TED
  • HBO NOW
  • PBS.org
  • Pluto TV

Music (Websites)

  • Triple J Hottest 100
  • Inside Abbey Road
  • Pitchfork
  • Spotify – Year in Music 2015
  • Beyoncé – Official Site

News (Websites)

  • CNN.com
  • The Guardian
  • Quartz
  • The Intercept
  • NYTimes.com

Public Service & Activism (Social)

  • Hurts Me Too
  • I Am A Witness
  • Kids Read Mean Tweets
  • #nofilter campaign
  • MTV’s Look Different campaign

Sports (Social)

  • Wall of Jordan
  • NHL #MyPlayoffsMoment
  • #SendBadLuck
  • Wimbledon 2015: Sharing the Moments that Matter
  • Gamedayplus

Virtual Reality: Gaming, Interactive or Real-Time (Online Film & Video)

  • Cardboard Crash VR for Google Cardboard
  • Insidious Chapter 3: Into the Further
  • House on Hallow Hill
  • William Hill: Get in the Race
  • The Neymar Jr. Effect

Weird (Websites)

  • Adventure Cats
  • Emoji Party
  • Run Wars
  • 2 Kinds of People
  • National Corndog Day

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Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
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