Stars Collide: Gaga, Reynolds Lead Star-Studded Webby Awards Nominations

Olivia Bennett, 4/2/2025Darlings, the 29th Webby Awards nominations are serving us a delicious cocktail of star power and digital brilliance! From Lady Gaga to AI, Google's tech tango with Apple (38 nominations each!), and Donald Duck getting spicy on "Hot Ones" – it's a fabulous reminder that in today's internet playground, glamour knows no bounds.

The nominations dropped in New York like a perfectly timed Met Gala entrance. And honey, they're everything — well, almost everything.

Between Kendrick Lamar's mind-bending "Not Like Us" (which, let's be real, makes TikTok's usual fare look like amateur hour) and — wait for it — Donald Duck getting spicy on "Hot Ones" (a sentence that would've gotten you committed in 2020), this year's lineup reads like a fever dream curated by a particularly ambitious entertainment executive.

Jesse Feister, Executive Director of Webby Media Group, got all serious about it. "The Webby Awards have always been a barometer for digital progress," he declared, probably while wearing something impossibly chic in that New York media way. But darling, he's not wrong.

The awards committee's gone and done something rather fabulous — introducing their first-ever Brand of the Year achievement. Google and Apple are neck-and-neck with 38 nominations each, serving corporate rivalry realness that'd make Taylor Swift's squad wars look positively tame.

And the podcast category? Honey, it's more star-studded than a Kardashian Christmas card. Oprah, Keke Palmer, and those delightful troublemakers Will Arnett and Jason Bateman are all competing for audio supremacy. The category's gotten so extra they had to create a whole separate "Podcast Company of the Year" situation, with Audible leading the pack (14 nominations, but who's counting? We are.).

Here's the gag — it's not just about the glitz. This year's nominees are serving substance with their style. New categories celebrating creator excellence are giving platforms to voices like Kai Cenat and Caleb Simpson. There's a whole thing about accessible technology and responsible innovation, because apparently, we've all grown up a bit since the days of dancing baby GIFs.

NBCUniversal's flexing hard with 30 nominations, while MTV Entertainment Studios trails with a respectable 18. CNN and National Geographic are tied at 16 — proving that sometimes, actual journalism can compete with cat videos. Who knew?

But the real tea? The collaborations, sweetie. Will Ferrell, Nick Jonas, and Jimmy Fallon created some mullet-filled masterpiece about jorts (which is either brilliant or the end of civilization as we know it), while Gracie Abrams is out here baring her soul in "The Secret of Us." The range, darling. The range.

With nearly 13,000 entries from over 70 countries — and fewer than 12% making the cut — these nominees are the cream of the digital crop. Mark your calendars for April 22 when the winners will be announced in New York, followed by Ilana Glazer hosting what promises to be a perfectly chaotic ceremony on May 12.

Until then, the masses can vote in the People's Voice Awards, because democracy looks fabulous with a filter. In this corner of the internet, there's room for everyone — from Hollywood royalty to AI innovators, all chasing that Webby spotlight like it's the last designer sample at a clearance sale.

Darlings, the digital red carpet has been rolled out, and the 29th Annual Webby Awards nominations are serving us the most deliciously eclectic mix of talent since Madonna's cone bra met Instagram's algorithm. Picture this: Lady Gaga sharing virtual space with ChatGPT, while Ryan Reynolds brings his signature snark to web design excellence. It's giving very 2025, sweetie.The nominations dropped in New York like a perfectly timed Met Gala entrance. And honey, they're everything — well, almost everything.Between Kendrick Lamar's mind-bending "Not Like Us" (which, let's be real, makes TikTok's usual fare look like amateur hour) and — wait for it — Donald Duck getting spicy on "Hot Ones" (a sentence that would've gotten you committed in 2020), this year's lineup reads like a fever dream curated by a particularly ambitious entertainment executive.Jesse Feister, Executive Director of Webby Media Group, got all serious about it. "The Webby Awards have always been a barometer for digital progress," he declared, probably while wearing something impossibly chic in that New York media way. But darling, he's not wrong.The awards committee's gone and done something rather fabulous — introducing their first-ever Brand of the Year achievement. Google and Apple are neck-and-neck with 38 nominations each, serving corporate rivalry realness that'd make Taylor Swift's squad wars look positively tame.And the podcast category? Honey, it's more star-studded than a Kardashian Christmas card. Oprah, Keke Palmer, and those delightful troublemakers Will Arnett and Jason Bateman are all competing for audio supremacy. The category's gotten so extra they had to create a whole separate "Podcast Company of the Year" situation, with Audible leading the pack (14 nominations, but who's counting? We are.).Here's the gag — it's not just about the glitz. This year's nominees are serving substance with their style. New categories celebrating creator excellence are giving platforms to voices like Kai Cenat and Caleb Simpson. There's a whole thing about accessible technology and responsible innovation, because apparently, we've all grown up a bit since the days of dancing baby GIFs.NBCUniversal's flexing hard with 30 nominations, while MTV Entertainment Studios trails with a respectable 18. CNN and National Geographic are tied at 16 — proving that sometimes, actual journalism can compete with cat videos. Who knew?But the real tea? The collaborations, sweetie. Will Ferrell, Nick Jonas, and Jimmy Fallon created some mullet-filled masterpiece about jorts (which is either brilliant or the end of civilization as we know it), while Gracie Abrams is out here baring her soul in "The Secret of Us." The range, darling. The range.With nearly 13,000 entries from over 70 countries — and fewer than 12% making the cut — these nominees are the cream of the digital crop. Mark your calendars for April 22 when the winners will be announced in New York, followed by Ilana Glazer hosting what promises to be a perfectly chaotic ceremony on May 12.Until then, the masses can vote in the People's Voice Awards, because democracy looks fabulous with a filter. In this corner of the internet, there's room for everyone — from Hollywood royalty to AI innovators, all chasing that Webby spotlight like it's the last designer sample at a clearance sale.