Here Are the Brands and Organizations Finalists for the 11th Annual Shorty Awards

The 11th Annual Shorty Awards will be handed out in New York May 5, and the finalists for brands and organizations were revealed Tuesday.

Categories are adjusted every season, and the six new ones that were added this year were: Best Use of Localization; Best Use of Reddit; Best Use of IGTV; Best Use of Facebook Messenger; Best UX/UI (user experience/user interface); and Best Influencer and Celebrity TikTok Campaign.

Long-form videos (two minutes or more) and storytelling crashed the list of most entered categories this year. The top six were: Social Good Campaign; Integrated Campaign; Multiplatform Campaign; Long-Form Video; Branded Content; and Storytelling.

Categories that grew significantly in entry popularity included Long-Form Video, Storytelling and Comedy Video, with a spokesperson for The Shorty Awards saying, “More platforms like Facebook with Facebook Watch and Instagram with IGTV are investing in video and encouraging brands and influencers to take part in their use, whether through individual videos or full series.”

On the flip side, the popularity of Facebook Live entries plummeted, likely due to competition from YouTube, IGTV, Twitch and new addition LinkedIn Live.

Other trends that emerged in nominations for brands and organizations for the 11th Annual Shorty Awards included:

Video was the most prominent trend, both long-form and short-form, with comedy representing the most popular type of video.
Brands are looking to video to share the stories of their customers or “those who represent a mission or core value of the brand.”
Prominent themes in social good entries included: youth activism; diversity and inclusion; multicultural awareness; social justice; inspiring the next generation of voters; and empowerment.
Augmented reality is a key technology to watch.

Gregory Galant, co-founder of the Shorty Awards and CEO of MuckRack, said in a statement, “The entries this year were the most diverse yet. The judges from our academy were very excited. Long-Form Videos (anything two minutes or more qualifies) continue to grow in popularity. It was one our three most-entered categories this year, alongside Storytelling and Comedy Video. Storytelling plays an essential role in the way brands communicate with their audience. The audience becomes more engaged and invested in the brand.”