Shigetaka Kurita will be honored with the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for making the Internet a more expressive, welcoming and fun space by creating the emoji with his first set of 176 in 1998. His pioneering work has revolutionized and added depth to how we communicate on digital platforms.

SZA will be recognized with the Webby Artist of the Year Award for releasing the instant classic album SOS and for her ingenious use of the Internet to share unique, brilliantly honest art.

Tracee Ellis Ross will receive a Webby Special Achievement Award for her authentic use of the Internet to share multidimensional stories of belonging through her podcast I Am America, and for fighting for increased Black representation in the beauty industry with her inclusive haircare brand Pattern.

SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, will be recognized with the Webby Podcast of the Year Award for bringing plenty of hilarity to online audiences everywhere with their witty banter, genuine friendships, and thoughtful interviews with guests. The incredible chemistry of the hosts and the dynamic conversations featured have cemented the podcast as a cultural phenomenon.

Tobe Nwigwe will receive a Webby Special Achievement Award in honor of his innovative use of the Internet to create art that is imaginative and poignant, as seen in his album moMINTS, and for bringing his talents to streaming as Nick in the Netflix original series Mo.

Sharon Horgan will be honored with the Webby Best Actress Award for capturing the Internet’s attention by creating and starring in her acclaimed Apple TV+ show Bad Sisters, and for her career as a voice of radical self-awareness and razor sharp wit.

Under The Desk News, hosted by Vitus “V” Spehar will receive a Webby Special Achievement Award for making the news accessible and understandable to young people through their candid, hard-hitting, and synoptic reporting. Their remarkable journalism has made them one of the main sources of news for millions on TikTok.

Webby Breakout of the Year Award goes to digital phenomenon ChatGPT, the game-changing, generative AI writing tool that is changing the way we write and create.