THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Industry

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Auto See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Beauty See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Business to Business See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Consumer Brand See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Education See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Entertainment See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Financial Services See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Fitness, Health, & Wellness
<br>See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Food & Beverage
See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Gaming See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Government & Politics See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Hospitality See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Insurance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Live Events See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> News & Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Non-Profit See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pets & Animals See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pharma & Healthcare See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Estate See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Restaurants See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Retail & E-Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Activism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Sports See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Television See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Travel & Tourism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Wine, Beer & Spirits

Strategy & Engagement

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Brand Partnership See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Call to Action See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Community Management See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Creative Use of Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> CTV/OTT See previous winners and honorees for Insights and Trends here.</a> <a href=https://shortyawards.com/17th/"https://shortyawards.com/category/16th/data-visualization">See previous winners and honorees for Data Visualization here.</a>"> Data & Insights See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Earned Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Event & Experiential See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Gamification See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Humor See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Innovative Media Buying Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Integration with Traditional Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Internal Communications See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> LGBTQ Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Micro-Influencer Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Multicultural Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Music & Dance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> On a Shoestring See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Organic Promotion See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Paid & Amplification See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Physical and Digital Convergence See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Public Service Announcement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Time Response See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> SEO & SEM See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Storytelling

NYC Pride Diaries

Entered in Branded Content

Objective

The spirit of Pride comes in many forms and expressions. Beginning in 2019, when for the first time New York City hosted WorldPride—a biennial global commemoration of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights—we at NYC Tourism commissioned local photographers from the community to portray what Pride meant to them. The series was intentionally inclusive, engaging with a diverse group of local LGBTQ+ practitioners who represent a broad spectrum of gender identities to ensure a cross-section of representation was reflected in the project. In the years since, we have continued this project on an ongoing basis—supporting our mission to promote the voices and authentic perspectives of New Yorkers to speak to our goal of making the five boroughs the world’s most welcoming destination. 

This work aims to highlight and celebrate LGBTQ+ experiences in New York City, showcasing the City’s vibrant queer culture, history and community. The objective of this series is to serve as a guide for LGBTQ+ travelers and allies, offering insights into how members of the community choose to celebrate Pride—a deeply personal expression of individual values. In creating this platform for photographers to share their stories, we seek to promote NYC as a premier LGBTQ+ destination by featuring firsthand experiences, highlighting safe and affirming spaces, and encouraging exploration of the City’s rich queer heritage. 

Strategy

NYC Pride Diaries was brought to life through a collaborative effort between NYC Tourism and local LGBTQ+ voices, businesses and organizations. This initiative involved extensive research, community engagement and partnerships with queer photographers and writers to authentically capture and represent the diversity of LGBTQ+ life in New York City. 

Content creation played a key role, with firsthand narratives from LGBTQ+ individuals sharing their experiences, favorite spots and cultural insights. These stories were curated to highlight various aspects of queer life, including historic landmarks, nightlife, inclusive events and safe spaces. Additionally, the initiative relied on professional photography and web design to create an engaging and visually appealing platform. 

The development of this series included outreach to local LGBTQ+ organizations, advocacy groups and Pride event organizers to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. By incorporating community input, the project ensures representation across different identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. 

Marketing and promotion were also critical, with social media campaigns, email newsletters and out-of-home promotions helping to drive engagement and visibility. This series was designed to be user-friendly, making it easy and welcoming for visitors to explore different aspects of LGBTQ+ NYC by giving insight into the intimate moments, activist gatherings, exuberant performances and impromptu connections.  

Ultimately, NYC Pride Diaries was brought to life as a dynamic and evolving resource, providing both locals and visitors with an inclusive, authentic and celebratory experience of LGBTQ+ culture in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. 

Results

The NYC Pride Diaries was successful in driving strong engagement, particularly among international audiences, with 3,231 total page views and 2,756 visits. The high percentage of international traffic (1,211 visits), especially from Germany, Switzerland, and Canada, indicates global interest in NYC’s LGBTQ+ culture and events. 

The standout performer was Robert Andy Coombs’ diary, accounting for 84% of total page views (2,723) and 90% of visits (2,481), proving that authentic, personal storytelling resonated deeply with readers. The average time on site (2m51s) suggests sustained engagement, with visitors actively reading and exploring content. 

The series successfully expanded global reach and positioned NYC as an LGBTQ+ travel destination, aligning with NYC Tourism’s goal of making the five boroughs the world’s most welcoming destination. 

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

New York City Tourism + Conventions, New York City Tourism + Conventions

Links