The nominations for this year's Webby Awards showcase the internet's most eclectic and viral successes, spanning celebrity endorsements to remarkably unusual product promotions.

Major Celebrities and Viral Stunts Lead the Pack

The nominations, announced after reviewing over 13,000 entries from more than 70 nations, feature high-profile figures. Cardi B, recognized for content discussing her dating misfortunes with athletes, secured three nominations.

NBA star Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors team also garnered recognition. Meanwhile, actress Sydney Sweeney earned a nod for her collaboration with Dr. Squatch, which involved offering fans a limited-edition soap made with her actual bathwater.

Key Category Showdowns

Sweeney’s bathwater soap campaign is set to compete directly against Kylie Jenner in the category for Best Viral PR Campaigns. The Webby Awards feature eight main categories, including Video & Film, Podcasts, AI, and Advertising, Media & PR.

Winners are scheduled to be revealed on April 21. The official awards ceremony, hosted by The Daily Show correspondent and writer Josh Johnson, will take place on May 11 in New York City.

Corporate Contenders and Creative Campaigns

Several major corporations dominated the list of organizations with the highest number of nominations. Google led the pack with 46 nods, followed by PBS with 29, and Apple and The Walt Disney Company each securing 23 nominations.

The awards highlighted several out-of-the-box marketing efforts from 2023. These included Absolut’s Tabasco-flavored vodka and Ricola’s limited-edition scarf infused with its signature Swiss alpine herbs.

Innovative PR and Earned Media

Panera Bread was recognized for its Croissant Clutch handbag, while Lidl earned a nomination for its Eau de Croissant fragrance, both leveraging classic French pastry themes. Duolingo also secured nominations for its best PR campaign and best use of earned media following the faked death of its mascot, Duo.

This campaign prompted a witty response from Dua Lipa on X: “Til’ death duo part.” Lipa herself is nominated after Apple documented a full day during her Radical Optimism tour.

The promotion for the series Stranger Things, which was a cultural phenomenon, received three nominations, including one for its mobile scavenger hunt involving a 20-sided die to access the Upside Down.

Music, Sports, and Podcast Recognition

In the music video category, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” video competes against entries from Sabrina Carpenter, Rosalía, and Little Simz. Benedict Cumberbatch received two nominations for dramatically reading Amazon customer reviews for the second installment of his series.

Dwayne Johnson’s surprise visit to the Apalachee High School football team following a shooting earned a nomination in the best long-form video category. Lady Gaga was nominated for best events and livestream social campaign for answering fan questions about her album Mayhem on Spotify.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay earned two nominations for content, including one where he put MrBeast through culinary boot camp, garnering over 71 million views. Justin Bieber’s live Twitch broadcast of his Coachella preparations was nominated for community engagement.

Podcast nominations were highly competitive. Nominees for best feature podcast host included Amy Poehler, Katie Couric, Monica Lewinsky, and Keke Palmer. Palmer’s podcast also received a nod in the interview or talk show category.

Sports podcasts recognized include “New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce,” “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” and “All the Smoke.” The awards distinguish between those selected by the academy and the Webby People’s Voice Award, which is decided by global fan voting.