Vote early! Vote often!

Three Smithsonian projects have been nominated for what the New York Times calls “the Internet’s highest honor.” Voting ends April 17, so be sure to cast your vote for your colleagues and help support the important work they do.

The Webby Award (courtesy the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences)

The Webby Award is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the infancy of the World Wide Web, The Webbys are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, comprised of Executive Members—leading Internet experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities—and Associate Members who are former Webby winners, nominees and other Internet professionals.

The Webby Awards honor excellence in eight major media categories. Two honors are presented in each category—The Webby Award and The Webby People’s Voice Award. Members of IADS select the nominees and the Webby Award winners, while the Webby People’s Voice is selected by popular public vote. Each year, The Webby People’s Voice Awards garners millions of votes from all over the world.

Winners are selected for recognition based on “overall experience,” as well as excellence in the following areas:

• Websites and Mobile Sites: Content, Structure and Navigation, Visual Design, Overall Experience, Functionality and Interactivity
• Video and Film: Concept and Writing, Overall Experience, Quality of Craft, Integration and more
• Advertising, Media and PR: Creativity, Overall Experience, Integration and more
•  Apps and Software: Content, Structure and Navigation, Visual Design, Functionality and Interactivity, Creative Production and more
• Social: Content, Creativity, Overall Experience, Engagement and more
• Podcasts: Concept and Writing, Quality of Craft, Overall Experience and more
• AI, Immersive and Games: Technology, Content, User Experience, Writing, Innovation and more
• Creators (NEW): Creativity and Originality, Engagement, Authenticity and Voice and more

Three Smithsonian nominees–two podcasts and an online exhibition–are nominated for 2025 Webby Awards:

Sidedoor
Office of Communications and External Affairs

Nominated for the podcast episode The Whole Truth | Smithsonian Institution. (History)

From “The Whole Truth” episode of Sidedoor

Sojourner Truth was a women’s rights advocate known best for her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” But Truth never actually said these words. In fact, much of the Truth we know…is fiction. Depictions from different artists and journalists have tweaked Truth’s legacy to fit their messages, giving her a “kaleidoscopic reputation,” according to Nell Irvin Painter, author of Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol.

So how did a speech she never gave make Sojourner Truth one of the most famous women’s suffragists of the 19th century? And what did Truth actually say? Turns out, the whole Truth is even better than fiction.

VOTE HERE

Portraits
National Portrait Gallery

Nominated for the podcast episode Social Media and the Subway (Arts and Culture)

There are not many portrait artists who get recognized on the street, but it happens to Devon Rodriguez all the time.

After quietly honing his skill for a decade, Devon started posting videos of his live drawings of New York City subway commuters to social media. The videos took off, earning him some 50 million followers and placing portraiture in front of a huge new audience.

NPG Director Kim Sajet speaks with Devon about the mentors who had his back, and this new model for showing art— not in museums, but on screens.

Devon Rodriguez

VOTE HERE

Becoming Visible
Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum

Nominated for the online exhibition Becoming Visible (Cultural Institutions)

When women are invisible in American history, it’s a loss for all of us. We all benefit from a clear view of the past. Narrated by actor Rosario Dawson, the online exhibition explores a few of the many women’s stories that has been excluded, erased, obscured, forgotten and almost lost.

VOTE HERE

Key dates for the 29th Annual Webby Awards

• April 1, 2025: Nominee Announcement
• April 17, 2025: VOTING ENDS
• April 22, 2025: Winners Announcement
• May 12, 2025: The Webby Awards Show