The Shorty Awards

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

The Shorty Awards provides recognition of outstanding digital and social media work across brands, agencies, nonprofits and individuals through annual international awards programs.

Target Customer

Brands, agencies, nonprofits, and individual creators/influencers seeking recognition, exposure, credibility, and networking within digital and social media.

Key Differentiator

First social-media focused awards show (founded 2008) with real-time voting via hashtags, two annual international award programs (The Shorty Awards and The Shorty Impact Awards), plus a dedicated Creatives Fund to support winners.

Implementation Timeline

Annual awards cycle with entry window, finalist announcements, and winners within each cycle; example entries open Oct 28, 2025 for the 18th Shorty Awards

Pain Points

1Lack of credible recognition for digital/social campaigns
2Limited visibility and exposure for campaigns across channels
3Financial barriers for creatives to break into the industry

Key Features

1Annual award programs (Shorty Awards and Shorty Impact Awards)
2Entry submissions and finalist/winner voting
3Winners Gallery and Finalist lists
4Jury oversight and partner ecosystem
5Elevate Creatives Fund (up to $100,000 total) with five $20,000 prizes and coaching

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Global Head of Employer Brand & Talent Marketing
2Head of Social Mission Europe
3Head of Top Creator Partnerships
4Senior Director, Brand + Creative
5Global Marketing Director - Smirnoff
6VP Creative
7Sr. Director, Global Head of Marketing
8Senior Director of Social Media and Influencer Marketing
9Chief Creative Officer
10Chief Marketing Officer
11Global Brand and Content Strategy Director
12Global Chief Creative Officer

Client Results

1Finalist or winner recognition across categories; exposure in the Winners Gallery; potential prize funding via Elevate Creatives Fund (up to $100k across five winners)

Competitive Advantages

1Longstanding pioneer in social media awards (since 2008)
2Real-time, hashtag-driven voting
3Two independent international programs plus a creator-focused fund and media properties (podcast, blog, gallery)

Key Benefits

1Recognition and credibility for campaigns

2Exposure through finalists/winners galleries and media attention

3Monetary funding opportunities (Elevate Creatives Fund)

4Networking with leading brands and agencies

5Access to a community and content (podcast, blog)

Case Studies & Success Stories

Google Black-owned Friday 2023

Case #1

Winner in Branded Content, Youtube Partnership and Long Form Video

Jake Social by TMA, State Farm

Case #2

Winner in Brand Voice, Insurance and Multi-Platform Presence

It's Time for Supreme Court Term Limits by Brennan Center for Justice

Case #3

Winner in Animation

#FindTheKetchupBoatGuy by The Kitchen North America, Kraft Heinz

Case #4

Winner in Call to Action and User-Generated Content

Decorify by Wayfair

Case #5

Winner in Artificial Intelligence

Additional Product Information

Product Description

Annual international awards programs recognizing and celebrating outstanding work in digital and social media across brands, agencies, nonprofits and individuals; includes Shorty Impact Awards, a fund for creatives, and winner galleries, case studies, and media content.

Target Market

Global brands, agencies, nonprofits, and individual creators/influencers seeking award recognition, exposure, and credibility in digital and social media

Unique Value Proposition

Historic, pioneer awards for social/digital excellence with real-time audience voting, dual award programs, and dedicated funding to empower creators

Technical Requirements

Not specified in content

Pricing Model

Not specified in content

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