Marking its 40th anniversary, The Telly Awards announced this year’s winners, including animated, environmentally-conscious standouts like Passion Pictures’ “There’s a Rang-Tan in my Bedroom” for Greenpeace, live streaming favorite DC Entertainment’s “DC Daily Live with Kevin Smith,” Netflix’s drag show music video of Dolly Parton’s legendary “Jolene,” and CBS Interactive’s viral juggernaut for “The Late Late Show with James Corden: The Biggest Baby Shark Ever” starring a crooning Josh Groban and Sophie Turner. A resurgence of documentary filmmaking also garnered top honors for a diverse range of companies: ESPN, AETN, AJ+, HBO Latin America, and PBS.
Also, for the first time ever, The Telly Awards has crowned a Telly Company of the Year: CBS Interactive–recognizing years of achievement across platforms with video content from its many properties like Chowhound, "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," and CNET who created the widely shared video “Mark Zuckerberg explains the internet to old people.”
This year’s winners not only represent a further broadening of the online landscape to embrace more documentary, scripted and even episodic pieces, but an increased focus on branded content and innovative new platforms like VR and Social Streaming.
“We spend a lot of time listening to the creative community and our industry to better understand where the opportunities are for storytelling, and social and branded content rose head and shoulders above the rest,” said Telly’s managing director Sabrina Dridje. “CBS Interactive especially should be commended for its approach to social and online video. These are areas that take a specific set of skills to produce great work, and as an organization honoring video and television content, spotlighting their efforts is fundamental to our mission.”
Telly Award entries were evaluated by jury members from creative powerhouse Droga5, next generation motion picture studio Ryot, Condé Nast, Framestore, Vimeo, Vice, A&E Networks and more.
Indicative of their renewed multi-screen focus is the VR category, which recognized Google’s “Back to the Moon,” an animated fairytale adventure that celebrates the life and art of French illusionist and film director Georges Méliès, and BBDO Dublin’s “Consequences” which shows the tragic results of a night of drinking and driving. Tribeca and New York Film Festival favorite “Fire Escape” also won VR gold for its gripping story centered on solving a murder mystery.
Meanwhile, newer studios and networks also found success with Stept Studios, Blue Chalk Media, and SoulPancake picking up awards in various categories.
In online and social video, publishers made their mark with Wired, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Bon Appétit all being recognized. Additionally, Verizon Media earned four golds for their in-depth online video profiles “This Tattoo Artist Has Been Inking for 46 Years,” “Anthony Mancinelli: The World’s Oldest Barber” and webseries “Real Life Love”.
Additional 40th Annual Telly highlights from this year’s winners include:
Branded Content
- National Geographic won for “A Wild Lager Story” in Videography/Cinematography
- Passion Pictures & CNN won for “What is Beauty?” in 2D Animation
- Univision Communications Inc. won for “Target Holiday” in Commercials
- WeTransfer won for “Breaking The Circle” in Directing
- Dow Jones won for “Chasing Ambition” in Campaign: Branding
Social Video
- Condé Nast won for Wired’s “Former CIA Chief Explains How Spies Use Disguises” in General: Education & Discovery
- PBS Digital Studios won for PBS Digital Studios “It’s Okay to be Smart “ in Series: Education & Discovery
- AETN won for “Native American Campaign” in Series: Culture & Lifestyle
- AJ+ won for “Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women” in General: News & Information
Television
- AETN won for “We Are One” in Sports
- CBS Interactive won for “Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke” in Comedy
- ESPN Films won for “30 for 30 Shorts: Locked In” in Documentary: Individual
- HBO Latin America won for “O Negócio” in Directing
- Adult Swim won for “Final Deployment 4: Queen Battle – Walkthrough” in Use of Humor
Online Series/Shows/Segments
- PBS Digital Studios won for “Do We Need a President of the United States | America From Scratch” in Social Issues
- Viacom Media Networks won for “Real Life Love” in Webseries: Documentary
- Culture Trip won for “Hungerlust” in Documentary: Series
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah won for “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” in Entertainment
- Fast Company & Inc Magazine won for “Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper turned their chemistry into a side career” in Entertainment
For a full rundown of winners, click here.
