Behind the Scenes at the Webby Awards: A Winner's Perspective

A few days ago, one of our boldest dreams came true: We walked the red carpet at the prestigious Webby Awards in New York City to accept our famous Webby trophy - the Internet's highest honor - for our innovative project with Equality AI.

We can't wait to tell you all about our big night, but before we take you behind the scenes of the much-anticipated gala, let's back up a bit and consider how we got there in the first place.

What are the Webby Awards? 

The Webby Awards is the most important and relevant award, honoring the best of the Internet since 1997 when the web took its first steps.  

The Webbys are awarded by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), a group of over 3000 judges comprised of Executive Members (like Vint Cerf, Co-inventor of the Internet; Marian Croak, VP of Responsible AI and Human-Centered Technologies at Google; Shigetaka Kurita, Artist & Father of Emoji, etc.) and Associate Members made up of past winners, nominees, and other internet pros. 

Since its first edition 28 years ago, the Webbys have expanded alongside the internet and are now recognizing excellence in 100+ categories across Websites and Mobile Sites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps & Software, Social, Podcasts, Games, AI, Metaverse & Virtual.

This year, due to the rapid advancements in AI, the Webby Awards introduced two new categories, "Best Use of AI" and "Responsible AI," to recognize innovative projects and commend prioritizing ethical practices.

And since snagging a Webby has been our dream, and our work with Equality AI fit the bill perfectly, we threw our hat in the ring.

We thought that an exciting healthcare project that champions responsible AI development providing a robust web tool that tackles bias and discrimination in AI-powered clinical decisions might just earn us a spot in the Webby hall of fame.

Time and the judges proved us right! A few weeks later, we were thrilled to find out that we were an official Webby Award nominee. Among a total of 13,000 entries, ours was chosen as one of the top five in its category, alongside industry legends like Adobe, Pinterest, and Hello Monday. We couldn't be more excited! 

That was until April 23, 2024, when the winners were announced and our work with EqualityAI was named a Webby Award Winner in the Responsible AI category. 🎉

Now, let's fast forward to the day before the award ceremony and see how it unfolded. 

Official Webby International Breakfast and Portrait Day

On May 12, Gina and Adi, our co-CEOs, joined Claire Graves, the President of the Webby Awards, and the other Webby winners from around the world to mingle over bagels and coffee at The Standard, High Line New York. 

After breakfast, they took their official portrait with the iconic Webby trophy.

Arrival at the Webby Awards

This year's Webby gala was held at Cipriani Wall Street, one of New York's greatest landmarks, the former home to the New York Mercantile Exchange, located on one of the world's most famous streets in Manhattan's Financial District.

At arrival the red carpet was already vibing with celebration, creativity, and diversity. Amidst the buzz and the camera flashes, the stars of the evening made their grand entrance in unique outfits, each one telling its own story.

Gina, our co-CEO, wore a colorful dress to illustrate the importance of diversity in the world of AI - a theme connected to the mission of our winning project, EqualityAI.

Lights, Camera, Webbys!

Stepping into the Webby Awards venue was like entering a digital dream world. 

With 1000 people in the room, catching a glimpse of some A-listers like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, BetterMe Founder & CEO Victoria Repa, Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer, and twin brothers James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps known as the Weasley brothers from the Harry Potter movies, only added to the surreal experience. Their presence definitely added to the excitement of the evening.

The award ceremony itself was a blast, complete with a delicious dinner. Multiple hosts kept the audience entertained throughout the night, but it was really Amber Ruffin who stole the show with her amazing humor and infectious energy. 

The 5-word acceptance speeches were the highlights of the night, leaving everyone wanting more.

Our two personal favorites came from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the winner of the Podcast of the Year, Wiser than me: "Listen to old women motherf*ckers!" and BetterMe's Founder & CEO Victoria Repa, the winner of People's Choice in the Health, Wellness & Fitness Apps category: "Change What Happens Inside You!".

As for our 5-word acceptance speech, here's ours:

Webby Afterparty

After the gala, the celebrations kept going at the official Webby Awards exclusive after party at Marquee, New York.

We've got  Natasha Diggs on the decks to keep the party going late, with an opening and closing set by Bad Colours. 

Our overall Webby Experience

The entire Webby experience was nothing short of amazing. From the moment we received the news of our nomination to walking the red carpet, attending the ceremony, meeting fellow innovators & industry giants, and celebrating at the afterparty, every moment was unforgettable. It was an honor to be recognized alongside industry legends and to be part of such an inspiring event. We will now go back to doing work worth celebrating!

This Webby means the world to us

Winning a Webby Award is more than just a trophy on our shelf; it's a huge acknowledgment of all the sweat and passion our team poured into our winning project, Equality AI. 

It's also a massive motivator for all of us to keep pushing boundaries and developing cutting-edge solutions for real-world problems. But most importantly, this award shines a spotlight on how important responsible AI development is. We hope it inspires others to join us in building a more fair and ethical future powered by technology. 

Huge thanks are definitely in order! 

Since our nomination, we've taken every opportunity to express our gratitude to our fantastic team for making this happen, the Webby Awards for recognizing Equality AI's potential, our friends for their votes and support, and, of course, our incredible partners at Equality AI for trusting us with their vision. This award was truly a team effort and a dream come true in every sense of the word.

If you're looking to build powerful, cutting-edge web or mobile apps or implement AI into your products, we're here to help. Contact us at contact@wolfpack-digital.com to explore how we can bring your ideas to life with innovative AI solutions.