RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen Nominated for Coveted Webby Award

    BOULDER, CO, April 26, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen announced today that it has been nominated for Best Social: Animals in the 25th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts including Mitchell Baker; MOMA Senior Curator Paola Antonelli; Host of NPR's Code Switch Shereen Marisol Meraji; R/GA Global Chief Creative Officer Tiffany Rolfe; Co-Inventor of the Internet Vint Cerf; DJ and Founder, Club Quarantine D-Nice; Co-host Desus & Mero on Showtime Desus Nice; SVP of Content at Twitch Michael Aragon; Twitter Senior Director, Product Design Richard Ting; and Founders of VERZUZ Swizz Beatz and Timbaland.

RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen is considered the "World's First Doggie Drag Queen" (Gaily Grind, 2017). Their Instagram and Twitter presence (handle: @RuPawl_Official) celebrates drag culture and also serves as a platform for addressing and discussing important socio-political issues affecting LGBTQ communities, as well as animal rights issues. Since the Spring of 2017, RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen has continued to gain an international following that includes well-known drag artists, scholars, activists, and celebrities.

"Nominees like RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet," said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. "It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 13,500 entries we received this year."

"It is an honor to be nominated amongst the best content creators on the Internet today! But, most importantly, we are thrilled to see how much love and joy our little drag queen chihuahua brings to the world," said Dr. José Ramón Lizárraga, Creator and Parent of RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen. "We hope to continue using RuPawl's platform to highlight the beauty and creativity of our LGBTQ communities and how the art of drag can help us all imagine a hopeful, just, and fabulous future."

As a nominee, RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen is also eligible to win a Webby People's Voice Award, which is voted online by fans across the globe. From now until May 8th, RUPAWL DOGGIE DRAG QUEEN fans can cast their votes at vote.webbyawards.com.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, and honored in a star-studded, virtual show that will be available on demand. The celebration will be hosted by multi-talented actress, writer, podcaster, host and advocate Jameela Jamil. Winners will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards' famous 5-Word Speeches. Past 5-Word Speeches include: Steve Wilhite's "It's Pronounced "Jif" not 'Gif'; NASA's "Houston We Have A Webby"; and Solange's "I Got Five On It."

About RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen:
RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen is the creation of University of Colorado, Boulder, professor José Ramón Lizárraga, PhD. He and his partner Arturo Cortez, PhD (also a professor at CU Boulder), adopted RuPawl (also known as Xóchitl) from the San Francisco SPCA while graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley. As a researcher of new media and learning, Dr. Lizárraga decided to create an online presence on Instagram and Twitter (handle: @RuPawl_Official) for their canine companion to not only celebrate his love for drag culture but that would also serve as a platform for addressing and discussing important socio-political issues affecting LGBTQ communities. Since the Spring of 2017, RuPawl Doggie Drag Queen has continued to gain an international following that includes well-known drag artists and LGBTQ scholars, activists, and celebrities. Learn more at www.rupawl.com.

About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, includingWebsites and Mobile Sites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps and Software, Social, Podcasts, Games, and Virtual & Remotes. Established in 1996, this year's Webby Awards received nearly 13,500 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: WP Engine, Marketerhire, Slack, YouGov, BASIC, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, AIGA, Podcast Movement, Fast Company, and Social Media Week.

# # #