11th Annual Shorty Awards

May 2019. New York City, PlayStation Theater

Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the Shorty Awards continue to honor the best influencers, celebrities, brands and agencies on social media, across Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and other platforms. The show returned to PlayStation Theater in the heart of Times Square in New York City for the ceremony on May 5.

Over 800 influencers, brands, agencies and guests packed the theater for the ceremony, which featured a hot pink carpet, cocktail reception, seated dinner and an after party at the W Times Square hotel. The staged event streamed live on YouTube and Twitter to over 211,000 (and counting!) viewers internationally, as fans all over the globe tuned in to watch their favorite social media stars.

Comedian and actress Kathy Griffin hosted the show and kept the audience entertained with her trademark comedy from both the stage and the audience during a crowd interaction bit.

Helping keep the show lively throughout, well-known presenters included Jay Shetty, Shangela, Mamrie Hart, Denzel Dion, Eva Gutowski, and Sean Evans.

This was the most competitive show to date, as over 7 million votes poured in from fans all over the world, a record for participation. Winners of the signature Whale-Tail Trophy included Shantell Martin, March for Our Lives, Ryland Adams, Shane Dawson, and Shorty’s very own host, Kathy Griffin.

Recognized this year for their contributions to the world, Phenom Award recipients included Kevin Love (Athlete), Marsai Martin (Entertainment), March for our Lives (Changemakers), and Terry Crews (Activism).

New Orleans-based band and 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winners Tank and the Bangas brought down the house performing four hits from their new album Green Balloon, including "Nice Things" and "Ants" to finish out the night.

Empire is proud to partner with The Shorty Awards for our fifth year and we congratulate all the 2019 winners, as well as an even larger congratulations to eleven successful years of the Shorty Awards!

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