Karl Vontz Named Shorty Awards Managing Director

‘Reimagined’ Awards Show Announced

The Shorty Awards names Karl Vontz as Managing Director, according to Shorty Awards Co-Founder, Gregory Galant. The veteran awards executive — who previously oversaw the Clio Awards and consulted for Cannes Lions — will oversee a reimagined global awards show for the 13 year-old brand.

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“This April, we will host our very first award show produced entirely in social media. We want our brand to live in that space as much as possible and it’s exciting to explore all the ways we can leverage social media to broaden the reach of the Shorty Awards,” said Vontz.

The popular award show will shift from a twice-yearly ceremony and will now consist of four awards programs. The Shorty Awards will be split into two separate and distinct programs: the Shorty Brand Awards, honoring brands & agencies; and the Shorty Creator Awards, honoring creators and influencers. The Shorty Social Good Awards will be rebranded as the Shorty Impact Awards, honoring social responsibility. A new show will be introduced later in the year: the Shorty Phenom Awards, honoring the people and teams of social media from brands, organizations and agencies. In addition, the entry and judging system will be updated to reflect the current and anticipated needs of brands, agencies and organizations.

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“Karl joins the Shorty Awards team at a pivotal time when social media is evolving faster than ever.” said Galant. “Karl will accelerate our mission to celebrate the best of social media, while continuing to connect brands with the diverse creator community in an inclusive manner.”

The Shorty Awards was the first to recognize a pioneering new media that is now embedded into our lives. Social media has become a necessary and integral part of brand marketing, which is critical to developing relationships with brand customers.

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