One hip-hop legend saluted another at the 29th annual Webby Awards, when Ice-T presented Snoop Dogg with the Webby Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The awards, hosted by comedian, actor, advocate, and creator Ilana Glazer, were held on Monday (May 12) at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Ice-T saluted Snoop for his leadership in the online cannabis industry space, his record label and more. “Of course, the internet changed the game, but one thing didn’t change: Snoop Dogg. He’s never gonna change, and Snoop is still on top,” said Ice-T when presenting the award.
The event featured the show’s signature Webby five-word acceptance speeches from winners such as Walton Goggins, Questlove, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Marcello Hernández and Andrew McCarthy. Presenters and attendees included Justin Theroux, Sean Evans, Kenan Thompson, Peppermint and NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson.
“Tonight’s theme is ‘All Good’ because the title ‘The Broligarchy’s Speeding of the Onslaught of Facism in the Face of the Climate Catastrophe at the Point of No Return’ would have bummed everybody out,” joked Glazer.
Other winners from the music world included Kendrick Lamar, whose “Not Like Us” won for video and film: music video; Laufey, who won for creators, art, culture and music; and U2, whose U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, won for AI, immersive and games, best performance.
Webby Awards executive director Jesse Feister, who was marking his first Webby Awards in this new role, said, “What I love most about the internet is that it gives talented, self-made, creative people a way in. And tonight’s winners are proof of that.”
Additional highlights from this year’s ceremony included Walton Goggins receiving the Best Actor Webby Award, presented by Justin Theroux. This recognition was based on Goggin’s performances across such streaming hits as The White Lotus, The Righteous Gemstones and Fallout. “Walton’s acting is a masterclass in commitment, nuance, and the rare art of making you laugh, cry, and ask yourself, ‘When does this motherf–ker take a nap?’ said Theroux. Goggins accepted his award with this five-word speech: “If it happens, be grateful.”
Sean Evans presented Amelia Dimoldenberg with a Webby special achievement award recognizing for her work redefining the classic celebrity interview with her hit series Chicken Shop Date (which is commissioned under her production company, Dimz Inc). While accepting her award, Dimoldenberg encouraged the audience: “Don’t wait. Make it yourself.”
Kenan Thompson presented Marcello Hernández with a Webby Award for outstanding comedic performance, highlighting his sharp, culturally resonant humor on Saturday Night Live and his viral impact on the internet, redefining digital comedy for a new generation. “Marcello is a master at connecting with audiences across platforms,” said Thompson. In his acceptance remarks, Hernández listed “Kenan, Mama, Lorne, Domingo, gracias,” counting on his fingers.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett accepted the advocate of the year Webby Award, presented by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, recognizing her use of platforms to drive national conversations, mobilize communities, and champion the rights of marginalized groups across the Internet and beyond. “Only organized outrage overcomes oppression,” declared Congressman Crockett.
Kara Swisher presented Dr. Fei-Fei Li with the Webby lifetime achievement award for her foundational contributions to artificial intelligence and her leadership in advancing ethical, human-centered AI. “Dr. Li is a genius with unimaginable grit … and deserves much of the credit that she is not getting — others are sucking up,” Swisher proclaimed, to which Dr. Li said “Artificial intelligence must benefit humanity.”
Also new this year, the Webbys partnered with Adobe to present designer and educator Norman Teague with a Webby special achievement in creative AI. Teague was celebrated for his breakthrough MoMA exhibition Jam Sessions, where he used Adobe Firefly as a “search engine for his imagination,” reinterpreting iconic objects from MoMA’s collection through the lens of Black aesthetics. When accepting his award, presented by Hannah Elsakr and Spencer Nugent, who called out his role in reimagining the future of industrial design, Teague proclaimed “Respect history. Reimagine futures.”
Here are 10 of the night’s best five-word acceptance speeches:
- “If it happens, be grateful.” –Walton Goggins
- “Don’t wait. Make it yourself.” –Amelia Dimoldenberg
- “Kenan, Mama, Lorne, Domingo, gracias.” –Marcello Hernández
- “Only organized outrage overcomes oppression.” –Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett
- “Long live the Brat pack.” –Andrew McCarthy (Actor and Director of BRATS)
- “Just start a f–king blog.” –Toni Lodge and Ryan Jon (Hosts, Toni & Ryan Podcast)
- “Retirement – the enemy of longevity.” –Howard Tucker (Oldest practicing doctor)
- “Artificial intelligence must benefit humanity.” –Dr. Fei-Fei Li
- “AI’s cool. People are cooler.” –Robert Wong (Co-Founder, Google Creative Lab)
- “Dad it’s Shopify, not Spotify.” –Maggie Fost (Creative Director, Shopify)
Watch the best moments from The Webby Awards at @TheWebbyAwards across social media and at the Webby’s website.
