13th Annual Shorty Awards Categories

The Shorty Awards honor the talented agencies, brands, and industry leaders behind the best and most innovative work on social media and digital channels, campaigns, websites and applications.

By Campaign
By Design
By Industry
By Overall Presence
Campaign by Platform
Content and Media
Influencer & Celebrity Brand Partnership
Strategy & Engagement
Video by Platform
Video Content
Virtual
Websites & Apps

From the 10th Annual Shorty Awards Best in Social Activism

This award honors brands, organizations and institutions that use social media to address and dismantle systemic structural and interpersonal inequities based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability status and any intersection(s) thereof.

See previous winners and honorees here.

Winner

Social Activism
winner
#TakeAKnee
To counter the President's narrative, that taking a knee was un-American, we wanted to create a film to remind the public of the truth behind this powerful sign of respect and peaceful protest.

Finalists

Social Activism
finalist
60 Second Docs Present Time: The Kalief Browder Story
With "Time: The Kalief Browder Story" set to premiere on Spike, we knew we wanted the historic story to reach as many people as possible. Executive produced by iconic rapper Jay-Z, the six-part series detailed the accounts from a multitude of experts, witnesses, friends, and the community to tell the tragic story of sixteen year-old Kalief Browder…
Social Activism
finalist
audience
Child Poverty in the Spotlight with Influencer Campaign for #RedNose Day
As one of the country's largest and most prominent retailers, Walgreens has an active philanthropic policy. In its third consecutive year of raising funds to help end child poverty, Walgreens welcomed back Red Nose Day with comic cheer and a steady stream of celebrations and fundraising activities nationwide.Starting April 17, the iconic Red Noses…
Social Activism
finalist
Red Wednesday: Shining a Light on the Injustice of Persecution
As a call to stand up for religious freedom, Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City lit its façade red. All a part of Red Wednesday, the campaign is known for its activist spotlighting of churches and monuments in the color of martyred blood. The bold symbolic gesture, worship service and social media campaign were designed to shine compassion …
Social Activism
finalist
The Bail Project
Our goal was to illustrate the human cost of unaffordable cash bail. We have an unjust bail system that exclusively impacts low-income communities, and disproportionately people of color. "One of the hardest parts of bail reform specifically, and criminal justice reform in general, is to help people understand that we're talking about human beings…
Social Activism
finalist
We Are Sikhs
Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, but the 500,000 Sikhs Americans in the United States have long been victims of discrimination because of their physical appearance. The years following the September 11 attacks saw an increase in animosity toward them, with more than 300 instances of documented violence and discrimination.The tipping …

Nominees

Social Activism
MTV Decoded
America is at a boiling point with racial tension, so of course we're going to have a digital show that dishes it all out for everyone. MTV Decoded is everywhere - Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, - and we're getting to the bottom of this racial hotbed we call America. Our fearless host, Franchesca Ramsey, brings her comedic, conversational, and brilliant persp…

About the Shorty Awards

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media.

Millions of people participate in The Shortys to recognize individuals and organizations producing great content on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, Snapchat, and the rest of the social web.

shorty awards finalists will be announced in mid-march!