Innocence Project Wins First-Ever Webby for Public Service & Activism

(New York, NY — April 28, 2022) The Innocence Project won its first-ever Webby Award in the Public Service & Activism category this week for its recent “Happiest Moments” campaign. Dubbed the “OSCARS of the Internet” by the New York Times, the Webby Awards are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and considered the most prestigious in the digital space. “Happiest Moments” was a People’s Voice Winner, meaning it won the most votes in its category. Innocence Project was previously nominated for a Webby in 2008 and 2020, and just won two Webby Anthem Awards in March for the same piece. The win comes during a momentous week for the Innocence Project and its digital advocacy team, which supported the efforts of the litigation and policy teams in getting the execution of Melissa Lucio, an innocent mother in Texas, stayed. Led by Innocence Project Digital Engagement Director Alicia Maule and Content Strategist Daniele Selby, the 100-day digital advocacy campaign garnered over 11 million views on TikTok, 1.5 million page views on the Innocence Project’s English and Spanish websites and more than 300,000 supporters from around the world. 

“Happiest Moments,” produced in both English and Spanish and narrated by actress Dascha Polanco, tells three remarkable stories of wrongful conviction — Rosa Jimenez, freed in 2021 after 17 years in prison; Termaine Hicks, exonerated in 2020 after 16 years in prison; and Huwe Burton, exonerated in 2019 after 20 years in prison. They are three of the 237 people exonerated and freed with the help of the Innocence Project. Together, these Innocence Project clients  have collectively spent more than 3,600 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. The video highlights the intergenerational and familial impact of wrongful incarceration, and the irreplaceable memories that were stolen from them while incarcerated. It also celebrates the joy they felt when reunited with their loved ones.