Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar winners at Webby Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP):

Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Travis Kelce, and Simone Biles all won honours at the Webby Awards, which recognise the best internet content and creators.

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences announced winners Tuesday in a variety of categories. The 29th annual ceremony will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on May 12.

The Webby Entrepreneur of the Year Award went to Snoop Dogg for breaking through as a versatile businessman with Death Row Records, along with two alcohol brands, an ice cream and cannabis brands. Walton Goggins won Best Actor Award for his performances across streaming projects, including The White Lotus, The Righteous Gemstones and Fallout.

The ceremony will be hosted by comedian-actor Ilana Glazer and will honour major brands and platforms including Nike, Netflix, Letterboxd and Apple. Dr Fei-Fei Li will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to artificial intelligence and leadership in advancing human-centred AI.

“This year’s winners represent a masterclass of creativity and innovation,” said Jesse Feister, executive director for the Webby Media Group. “They’ve harnessed the power of the Internet to drive change, spark conversations and connect us in new ways. With the introduction of new categories, these creators are being recognised for shaping the future of the digital world.”

The awards started in 1996 by recognising websites. They have grown to embrace new technologies, from apps and software to social media and games.

Google won their first-ever Brand of the Year achievement. NBCUniversal was honoured for being Best Media Company.

Special achievement recipients include Amelia Dimoldenberg, Representative Jasmine Crockett, Jools Lebron, Marcello Hernández, the MeidasTouch Podcast and Norman Teague.

Other winners include Lady Gaga for her website, Mariah Carey’s It’s Time partnership with KAY Jewelers, RuPaul’s Drag Race: The Pit Stop, Lamar’s Not Like Us music video and Brian Cox’s Brian Cox Goes to College.

Some mission-driven organisations that won included The Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Immigration Law Center and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

This year marked a new suite of categories that shed a spotlight on the booming creator economy and growing influence of creators. Some of the winners included Zach King, Caleb Simpson and Jameis Winston.