Reflections from the 30th Annual Webby Awards
By Robert Newman, Managing Director at Carveco
Last night, I had the privilege of attending the 30th Annual Webby Awards in New York City, held at the incredible Cipriani on Wall Street.
It’s difficult to fully explain the scale and energy of the evening unless you’ve experienced it firsthand. From the moment the night began with the red carpet, it already felt surreal. Walking between photographers, stopping at different points for photos, and looking around at people whose work shapes so much of the internet and modern culture, it was one of those moments where everything suddenly feels very real.
Robert Newman, Managing Director at Carveco on the red carpet at The Webby Awards 2026
The Scale of the Evening
After the red carpet came the cocktail reception, which turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the night for me personally.
The room was filled with people from every corner of the digital world – podcasters, educators, creators, comedians, innovators and people using technology in genuinely fascinating ways. Every conversation seemed to uncover another story.
One conversation that stayed with me was with two other attendees from the AI category. One of them works alongside the United Nations, advising on AI governance in African regions. Hearing about the scale and seriousness of the work happening globally around artificial intelligence was incredibly interesting, but what stood out most to me throughout the evening was the reaction people had when I explained what we had created with Touch: Beyond Vision.
Eleanor Stollery, a blind actress & activist, at Carveco's Touch: Beyond Vision exhibition
A Different Conversation Around AI
When I spoke about our AI project for the blind and visually impaired, people genuinely connected with it emotionally.
Some became visibly moved, and more than once I heard people say how refreshing it was to see AI being used in a way that felt genuinely positive and human. In a space where so much conversation around AI can feel dominated by fear, disruption, or competition, it was powerful to see how deeply people responded to technology designed to help people experience the world differently.
For me, that was the biggest takeaway from the evening.
Of course, winning three awards was an incredible achievement in itself. The AI category at the Webbys is still relatively new, but it was filled with some of the biggest names in technology, including organisations like Google, Anthropic and Waymo.
To see Carveco recognised alongside companies operating at that scale was something I felt enormously proud of. But more importantly, the response to our work felt different. People weren’t just impressed by the technology, they connected with the purpose behind it.
Ellie Wallwork, a blind actress & writer, at Carveco's Touch: Beyond Vision exhibition
Representing Carveco
What also became very clear to me throughout the night is that awards like these are never really about one person standing in the room accepting them.
While I was incredibly proud to represent Carveco at the ceremony, what truly won those awards was the team behind the entire project. From the original idea, to the creative direction, development, collaboration, problem solving and belief in what the project could become, every person involved played a part in bringing Touch: Beyond Vision to life.
I may have been the one attending the Webbys, but the recognition belongs to everyone who helped make the project what it is.
More Than an Award
As the ceremony itself began, the atmosphere shifted into something that genuinely felt like a celebration of the internet, creativity and innovation at the highest level.
Throughout the evening, major names from entertainment, media and technology took to the stage, while the entire room remained surprisingly relaxed, welcoming and supportive.
Even attending solo on behalf of Carveco, I never felt out of place. In many ways, it reminded me that behind all the awards, audiences and online platforms are simply people who care deeply about creating meaningful work.
The night finished with the afterparty at The Marquee, where creators, innovators, performers and teams from all over the world came together simply to celebrate the work that had connected with people.
The 30th Annual Webby Awards, Cipriani Wall Street, NY
Looking Back
Looking back on the evening now, I think what stays with me most is not necessarily the awards themselves, but what the recognition represents.
Touch: Beyond Vision started as an idea, a belief that technology could help make art and visual experiences more accessible for blind and visually impaired audiences.
Seeing that idea evolve into an exhibition, then into a globally recognised, award-winning project, has been an incredibly proud journey to be part of.
Most importantly, it reinforced something that feels increasingly important right now: technology means the most when it helps people feel included, connected and understood.
That’s the future we want to help build.
