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[UPDATED] It Seems Like the Shorty Awards for Social Media Excellence Are the Only Ones With Gender and Racial Parity

image: Shorty Awards logo

[EDIT 12:48AM 1/16/18: This article has been edited to identify nominees which were previously incorrect in the information we received. Check out the corrected full list of nominees below!]

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Social media has become media, so it makes sense that the Shorty Awards exist to recognize excellence among those who entertain, educate, and inspire via those platforms. What’s interesting is that, unlike other award shows, the Shorty Awards seem to do a better job with inclusion.

One of the first things I noticed is the Shortys gender-neutral Best Actor category. Of the 12 nominees, six are women, and six are people of color. If only the Oscars or Emmys were that solid on inclusion. Nominees include TMS faves Tiffany Haddish, Riz Ahmed, Terry Crews, and Elisabeth Moss.

In the 12-nominee Best Celebrity category, there were six women and seven people of color. The gender breakdown wasn’t as equal in the Best Comedy category, with five female nominees (among them, the awesome Kristen Schaal and Lena Waithe), but it also has seven people of color out of 12 nominees, including Hasan Minaj, Julio Torres, Michelle Wolf, and Vir Das.

This year is the Shorty Awards’ 10th year, marking a huge milestone for one of the newer award shows on the block. Shorty Awards co-founder and CEO of MuckRack, Gregory Galant says, “We’re constantly inspired by all the creators that have launched their careers on social media.”

But this isn’t just about internet personalities who’ve launched their careers on social media, it’s also about people in all fields who know how to use social media; those who really know how to connect with others using this unique medium, with categories like Best in Activism, Best in Literature, and Best in Music.

If only other awards shows could be as diverse and representative as the Shortys are. Take notes, Emmys, Oscars, and Golden Globes!

As reported by Deadline Hollywood, here’s the full list of nominees:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Best Actor

Ansel Elgort
Busy Phillips
Constance Wu
Elisabeth Moss
Ethan Wacker
Gal Gadot
James Van Der Beek
Lil Rel Howery
Riz Ahmed
Terry Crews
Tiffany Haddish
Tracee Ellis Ross

Best Celebrity

Amber Rose
Andy Cohen
Donald Glover
Erykah Badu
Jimmy Kimmel
Jordan Peele
Kris Jenner
Mia Farrow
Miley Cyrus
Rihanna
RuPaul
Snoop Dogg

Best in Comedy

Billy Eichner
Carl Reiner
Demetri Martin
Eric Andre
Hasan Minaj
Julio Torres
Kristen Schaal
Lena Waithe
Liza Treyger
Margaret Cho
Michelle Wolf
Vir Das

Best in Dance

Backpack Kid
Brown Girls Do Ballet
Gaurav N Chandni
Isabella Boylston
Jabbawockeez
Kyle Hanagami
Les Twins
Lil’ Buck
Merrick Hanna
Taylor Sieve
Tessa Brooks
Werk for Peace

Best in Music

Amine
Cardi B
Chloe x Halle
Dua Lipa
John Mayer
Kesha
Khalid
Lil Dicky
Logic
Phish
Schoolboy Q
SZA

Best TV Show

13 Reasons Why
American Vandal
Big Mouth
Blackish
Handmaid’s Tale
Insecure
Rick & Morty
Riverdale
Shark Tank
The Good Place
The Simpsons
This is Us

TEAM INTERNET

Instagrammer of the Year

Betches
Boop My Nose
But Like Maybe
Coco Pink Princess
Eva Chen
Howard Lee
Lil Mayo
My Day With Leo
Pete Souza
The New Yorker Cartoons
Topher Brophy
TSA

Live Streamer of the Year

Ariel Viera
Brent Morgan
Bryce Xavier
Dick Vitale
Emma McGann
Drake
Liz Cook
Ron Waxman
Antonio Brown
Tasmin Lucia-Khan
Thomas Kuc
Scott Rogowsky

Muser of the Year

Adam Jernberg
Alicja Mocek
Anna Catify
Case Walker
Chuch the Cavalier
Felipe Farias
Isaiah Xavier
Jayden Bartles
Lucas and Marcus
Lucki Starr
Annie LeBlanc
Rebecca Zamolo

Snapchatter of the Year

Amanda Cerny
Andy Burgess
Chris D’Elia
Chrissy Teigen
Eva Longoria
Geeohsnap
Giorgio Copter
Kelly Oxford
Laura Perlongo
Phil the Culture
Ross Smith
Spencer Pratt

Best Web Series

Buddy System
Escape the Night
Guidance
Hot Ones
Jay Versace is Stuck in the 90s
Speechless with Carly Fleischmann
Mr. Student Body President
OMG We’re Coming Over
Real Bros of Simi Valley
Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television
The Breakdown
Worth It

Best YouTube Comedian

Abdullaziz Baz
Anwar Jibawi
Brandon Rogers
Candace Lowry
Chris Klemens
dangmattsmith
Danny Gonzalez
F0XY
Hannah Stocking
Miel Bredouw
Rudy Mancuso
Tana Mongeau

Best YouTube Ensemble

@Pack
dareUS
De’arra & Ken
Dude Perfect
Funk Bros
Legendary Shots
Niki and Gabi
Sugar Pine 7
Team 10
The Dolan Twins
Vlog Squad
Walk Of The Earth

Best YouTube Musician

80fitz
Brooklyn & Bailey
Desmond Dennis
DeStorm Power
Fresh Big Mouf
Kurt Hugo Schneider
Leslie Wai
MattyBRaps
Our Last Night Band
PostmodernJukebox
The Filharmonic
Vidya Vox

Best Breakout YouTuber

Austin McConnell
Beau Brown
Elle Mills
Emma Chamberlain
Julius Dein
Karina Garcia
Kraig Adams
Luke Korns
Michael Dappah
Molly Burke
Olivia Jade
Teala Dunn

YouTuber of the Year

Andrea Russett
Cody Ko
Coyote Peterson
David Dobrik
Eva Gutowski
Gabbie Hanna
Jack Douglass
Jake Paul
Juanpa Zurita
Lele Pons
Safiya Nygaard
Yuya

Vlogger of the Year

Alex Wassabi
Aspyn and Parker
Scotty Sire
Cat Creature
iJustine
Jason Nash
Kade Speiser
Margot Lee
Meghan Rienks
Negin Mirsalehi
Todd Smith
Wil Dasovich

Creator of the Decade

Casey Neistat
Dude Perfect
Gigi Gorgeous
Hannah Hart
Jenna Marbles
Lilly Singh
Liza Koshy
Markiplier
MKBHD
Phillip DeFranco
Rhett & Link
Tyler Oakley

CREATIVE & MEDIA

Best Animal

Albert (albertonwheels)
Black Jaguar-White Tiger
bubalahpoochie
Cash Cats
Cincinnati Zoo
Fiona the Wonder Pig
Louboutina (Loubie)
Manny The Selfie Cat
Mike Coots
NORBERT
The Look of Lal
We Rate Dogs

Best in Art

Alexa Meade
Blake Kathryn
Charlotte Love
Chris Hong
Dan Hogman
Hanksy NYC
Jon Burgerman
Nick Misani
Penelope Gazin
Toyin Ojih Odutola
Vashti Harrison
Web Comic Name

Best in Literature

Atul Gawande
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Cleo Wade
Colson Whitehead
Curtis Sittenfeld
Dwight Garner
Jon Ronson
Jonny Sun
Kevin Kwan
Nancy Jo Sales
Owen King
Rebecca Traister

Best in Beauty

Alex Faction
Arshia Moorjani
Jake Warden
Jazmina Daniel
Jordan Hanz
Nià The Light
Nyma Tang
Patricia Bright
Raw Beauty Kristi
Simply Nailogical
Sydney Szramowski/sydn4sty
Thomas Halbert

Best in Lifestyle

Christine Mai Nguyen
Freddy Rodriguez
Jason Cheung
Katie Sturino
LaTonya Yvette
Lauren Elizabeth
Mackenzie Horan
Mick Batyske
Nabela Noor
Paloma Elsesser
Scout the City
Something Navy

Best LGBTQ+ Account

Alok V Menon
Amy Ordman
Arlo Sullivan
Aydian Dowling
Ethan Hethcote
Lateef Thynative
Miles McKenna
Raymond Braun
Stephanie Frosch
Trace Lysette
Trixie Mattel
V Squared

Best in House & Home

Andy & Candis Meredith
Brady Tolbert
Château de Gudanes
Dabito
Emily Henderson
I Have This Thing With Floors
Kelly Wearstler
LaurDIY
Mandi Gubler
Sherry & John Petersik
Tessa Neustadt
The Sorry Girls

Best in Fashion

Accidental Icon
Benjamin Kicks
Danielle Prescod
Derek Blasberg
Lainy Hedaya
Luka Sabbat
Mickey Boardman
Nikki Ogunnaike
Pia Arrobio
Rochelle Johnson
Victoria Beckham
What Fran Wore

Best in Food

Binging with Babish
Candice Kumai
Daym Drops
Desserted in Paris
First We Feast
FoodBabyNY
Holly Fox
Joy The Baker
Matt Stonie
Nusr-Et Etiler (SaltBae)
Rachael Ray
Rosanna Pansino

Best in Health & Wellness

Akin Akman
DJ Townsel
Dr. Mike
Elyse Fox
Emily Skye
Joe Holder
Katie Willcox
Koya Webb
Luis Badillo Jr.
Remi Ishizuka
Sophia Gall
Valerie Sagun (biggalyoga)

Best Journalist

Amina Khan
Annie Karni
April D. Ryan
Chris Geidner
Elle Reeve
Ellen McGirt
Felipe Dana
Jason Concepcion
Jodi Kantor
Joshua Topolsky
Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Ronan Farrow

Best Meme/Parody Account

_diplo_
Adam The Creator
beigecardigan
Bros Being Basic
Comment Awards
daddyissues_
Fake Science
FuckJerry
hilariousbabies
Kim Kierkegaardashian
NotSportsCenter
Unspirational

Best in Parenting/Family/Kids

Action Movie Kid
Arlo Sullivan
Cute Girls Hairstyles
Fathering Autism
Laura Izumikawa
Live Sweet
MAZELEE
Pam Stepnik
Ryan Toys Reviews
Sarah Grace Vlogs
Sholom Ber Solomon
Two Gay Papas

Best in Sports

Brooke Ence
Conor McGregor
Donald De La Haye
Hillary Knight
Katie Ledecky
Kevin Durant
Kristaps Porzingis
Laila Ali
Lolo Jones
Lisa Leslie
Richard Sherman
Serena Williams

Best in Weird

@dubstep4dads
Adam Ellis
Animated Text
da share z0ne
If you high
James Fridman
Krang T. Nelson
NOT A WOLF
Poppy
Shavaunna
slimeysugar
The Report of the Week

TECH & INNOVATION

Best in Activism

Amber Tamblyn
American Ferrera
Cameron Russell
Dan Savage
Deray McKesson
Eileen Kelly
Erica Garner
Kailash Satyarthi
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Laurie David
Tarana Burke
Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez

Best in Gaming

Airforceproud95
Chad Wild Clay
cybernova games
DashieGames
Fangs
iMAV3RIQ
ItsFunneh
MangoTango
Sylvibot
Norman Caruso (Gaming Historian)
PushingUpRoses
runJDrun

Best Podcast

Bodega Boys
How Did This Get Made
Lady Lovin
Another Round
Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
Pardon My Take
Pod Save America
Politically Re-Active
S Town
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
VIEWS

Best in Education

Angela Duckworth
CrashCourse
Joe Hanson
Leland Melvin
Meet Arnold
Minute Earth
Physics Fun
Primitive Technology
The Financial Diet
The School of Life
Tom Scott
Upulie Divisekera

Twitch Streamer of the Year

Aphromoo
Deadmau5
Faker
Grimmmz
Jenna Marbles
KayPeaLoL
Kitty Plays
KPopp
nl_Kripp
Pokimane
ProfessorBroman
Shroud

Best in Travel

Bon Traveler
Celine Bossart
Damon and Jo
Exploring with Josh
Fly with Stella
Juan-Peter Schulze
Kara and Nate
Kate McCulley
She is Not Lost
The Place I Was Telling You About
The Points Guy
Travel Babbo

CONTENT

Emoji of the Year

Avocado
Bowie
Clown Face
Eyes
Facepalm
Gotcha
Meh
Pride Flag
Puerto Rican Flag
Starry Eyed
Unicorn
Up to no good

GIF of the Year

A Clap for the Ages
Blinking White Man
Chance at the Grammys
Get Out
Help Me
I’m Pickle Rick!
Johnson/Hanks 2020
Kris Bryant’s World Series Smile
Lavar Ball Enters First Take
Salt Bae
Winona Ryder’s Grammy Face
YAS MERYL

Instagram of the Year

Beyonce’s Birth Announcement
Blacktip Reef Shark
Boss Baby
Caption this…
Flower Power
I can’t believe I still…
Ok we’re ready
#PuberMe
Solar Eclipse
The New Guard
Vegas Strong
Who’s that in the mirror

Meme of the Year

Distracted Boyfriend
Eating Tide Pods
Expanding brain
Finally Whippin BowWow Challenge
I love my curvy wife
Law and Order Spotify Playlists
Retire bitch
Right in front of my salad
Roll Safe
Snapchat hotdog
The Floor is…
Tiny Trump

The Shorty Awards will take place on April 15 at the Playstation Theater in New York City’s Times Square. And if “Distracted Boyfriend” doesn’t win Meme of the Year, the system is broken.

(image: Shorty Awards)
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Author
Teresa Jusino
Teresa Jusino (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, Jewish, bisexual woman with ADHD. She's been writing professionally since 2010 and was a former TMS assistant editor from 2015-18. Now, she's back as a contributing writer. When not writing about pop culture, she's writing screenplays and is the creator of your future favorite genre show. Teresa lives in L.A. with her brilliant wife. Her other great loves include: Star Trek, The Last of Us, anything by Brian K. Vaughan, and her Level 5 android Paladin named Lal.

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