I had to share a post about this new awards show I saw that I thought was so great! The inaugural Anthem Awards, a new awards show launched by The Webbys to recognize social impact work across the globe, was hosted virtually on February 28, 2022.
Hosted by Insecure‘s own Jay Ellis, the show honored celebrities and organizations like Trevor Noah, the Malala Fund, Naomi Osaka, Dr. Jane Goodall, Sesame Workshop, Megan Thee Stallion, and more! “It’s a tremendous honor to host the first annual Anthem Awards,” Jay previously stated about his hosting gig. “As we enter the third year of a global pandemic that heightened serious disparities around the world, this important award presents an opportunity to celebrate work that has had real impact from industry leaders making a difference in their communities and globally.”
“We launched this platform to show the world that all corners of our culture, from sports and entertainment to business leaders and celebrities, are all standing up to say, it is time for systemic change and that social good is what we value as a society,” shared Jessica Lauretti, Managing Director of the Anthem Awards.
Categories of the award show were: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Education, Art, & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment, & Climate. As this is an inaugural award show, below is more about the purpose of the awards directly from Jessica Lauretti!
Anthem Award winners were selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. The diverse group of judges for the Anthem Awards Members include Lisa Sherman, President & CEO of the Ad Council, Mitchell Baker, CEO & Chairwoman of Mozilla, actor and humanitarian Ashley Judd, actor and activist Daniel Dae Kim, and more.
You can see the full list of winners here.
The Anthem Awards honored Naomi Osaka with the award for Athlete of the year, not only for snagging her third Grand Slam title but also for continuing vital conversations surrounding mental health, racial injustice, and police brutality. Adam McKay took home Entertainer of the Year for his directing and storytelling that shares impactful messages with audiences. The show also honored Dr. Jane Goodall with a Lifetime Achievement award for her advocacy work in conservation and groundbreaking research with chimpanzees.
I saw this being promoted since Jay was the host and thought, ‘Wow…this is so awesome to see all of these great organizations and people honored for their impactful work!’ I was unable to watch live, but I wish I had after looking at all of the amazing organizations featured (some I knew and others I didn’t). With all of the craziness happening in the world today, it’s always heartwarming to see people doing positive work that shakes up this world. Love it!
