Elephant shrews nearly win BIG at the Webbys

Created for us by British director and animator Tim Hope, the video is from the first season of our YouTube miniseries, Animals in Therapy. It incorporates real animal footage and the voice of talent Mae Martin. Using satire to skewer species misclassification, the episode prompts viewers to question whether there’s an unjust relationship between humans and other species.

What is a Webby Award?

Now in their 27th year, these prestigious internet awards celebrate excellence and achievement in online media. And 2023 was unprecedented, with almost 14,000 entries from 70+ countries and all 50 US states, generating 9 billion media impressions worldwide. 

There are eight Webby Awards categories: Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Social; Podcasts; Games; Apps, dApps and Software; Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual Experiences and Advertising, Media & PR. Winners are chosen by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) and by the online public.

On the Edge in top 5!

Being nominated means our video was one of the top five in its category for content created on behalf of animals using animal faces and voices. It was in the top 10% of work submitted overall. That means we join the lofty ranks of previous nominees like NASA, Instagram, Megan Thee Stallion, SmartLess podcast and the BBC. 

We were up against pretty big contenders: Doxie Din DOO, PBS Nature, Xochitlpup Industries (RuPawl) and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. And let’s be honest, in the final count that irrepressible fashionista Tika the Iggy would probably have got our vote, too! Still, we’re thrilled and want to shout out to everyone who helped us create the elephant shrew video and to all those who voted for us. Who’s to say when we may be sharing our 5-Word winners’ speech with the world?!