We Have Won the Webby People’s Voice Award

In a testament to their continued excellence in digital journalism, FactCheck.org has clinched the 2026 Webby People’s Voice Award in the Websites and Mobile Sites: News & Politics category. The organization expressed gratitude to its dedicated readership and social media followers whose votes secured this prestigious recognition.

This latest accolade represents FactCheck.org’s twelfth People’s Voice Award, highlighting nearly two decades of recognition that began in 2007. The win underscores the organization’s consistent commitment to delivering factual, unbiased information in an increasingly complex media landscape.

The Webby Awards, established in 1996 by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, remain one of the internet’s most respected honors for excellence in digital content. Winners of this year’s awards will be celebrated at a ceremony scheduled for May 11 in New York City.

While FactCheck.org claimed the People’s Voice Award, which is determined by public voting, the organization did not secure the judge-selected Webby Award in the News & Politics category this year. That honor went to The Trace, a publication dedicated to reporting on gun violence issues across the United States. Despite missing out on the judges’ award—which FactCheck.org has previously won ten times—the organization remains among elite company in digital journalism.

Other nominees in the competitive News & Politics category included the Council on Foreign Relations, Reuters for its coverage of post-Assad Syria, and the SLAPP Back Initiative, a New York University project that monitors Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) that target First Amendment expressions.

The recognition comes at a critical time for fact-checking organizations. As misinformation continues to proliferate across digital platforms, particularly during election cycles and global crises, the role of independent fact-checkers has become increasingly vital to public discourse. FactCheck.org’s continued recognition suggests that readers still value rigorous verification and analysis in an era of information overload.

Part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, FactCheck.org has distinguished itself through nonpartisan analysis of political statements and claims, providing readers with evidence-based assessments of assertions made by political figures and organizations. This approach has helped the site maintain credibility across the political spectrum.

As winners, FactCheck.org representatives will now prepare their “5-Word Speech,” a signature tradition of the Webby Awards where recipients must limit their acceptance remarks to just five words. These concise speeches often become memorable moments during the ceremony, challenging winners to distill their messages into remarkably brief statements.

The organization maintains a nonprofit model, eschewing advertising revenue in favor of grants and individual donations. This funding structure allows FactCheck.org to operate independently without commercial influences that could potentially compromise its objectivity.

This recognition from the Webby Awards reinforces the continuing importance of fact-checking in today’s media environment. As digital platforms evolve and information sources multiply, organizations like FactCheck.org play an essential role in helping citizens navigate complex issues with accurate, verified information.

The 2026 award adds to FactCheck.org’s impressive collection of honors, reflecting both public trust and professional respect for their contributions to digital journalism. As preparations begin for the May ceremony in New York, the organization continues its daily work of monitoring public statements and providing voters with the factual information necessary for informed civic participation.