The Bronx rapper’s viral Harlem street sale stunt and the broader Am I The Drama? campaign earned nominations at the 30th annual Webby Awards, recognized across more than 13,000 entries from 70 countr
Cardi B has always done things her own way, and the industry is taking notice. The Bronx-born rapper landed two nominations at the 30th annual Webby Awards on Tuesday, recognized for the imaginative and deeply personal campaign she built around her album Am I The Drama?, a rollout that captivated the internet and ultimately pushed the album to the top of the Billboard 200.
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced the full slate of nominees Tuesday morning from a pool of more than 13,000 entries submitted across 70 countries. Cardi‘s campaign earned nods in two separate categories within the Creator Excellence division.
The 2 nominations and what they recognize
The Am I The Drama? rollout was recognized in the following 2 Webby categories: 1. Most Viral, Creator Excellence, which honored the overall digital footprint of the album campaign, and 2. Best Prank, Stunt or Activation, Creator Excellence, which specifically recognized the now-legendary Harlem street sale moment.
That street sale is what launched the campaign into a different orbit. Cardi personally set up shop on a Harlem sidewalk, laying out vinyl records, CDs, and special Courtroom Edition copies on a black sheet, burning incense, wearing a Rastacap, and calling out bargain prices to anyone passing by. It was unpredictable, scrappy, and utterly impossible to scroll past.
A rollout that built on itself
The Harlem stunt was one piece of a larger campaign that unfolded like a multi-episode reality show rather than a conventional album rollout. It began on September 3, when Cardi marked her courtroom victory in a civil battery case against a former bodyguard with a comedic video encouraging fans to buy the album for $9.99. She followed that with a pop-up event called Bodega Baddie held at a bodega in Washington Heights, New York City.
The Courtroom Edition of the album, featuring cover art drawn directly from her viral trial appearances and showcasing her different hairstyles throughout the proceedings, became a cultural conversation starter in its own right. Each element of the campaign fed into the next, building cumulative momentum that felt earned rather than manufactured.
The result was a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, making Cardi the only female rapper in history to have her first two studio albums both open atop the chart.
A star-studded nomination list
Cardi is in notable company on this year’s nominees list. The 30th Webby Awards field includes Steph Curry, Dwayne Johnson, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar and SZA, who earned a nod for their Luther music video. Blackpink’s Lisa was recognized for her NikeSKIMS campaign, while Kendall Jenner earned three nominations for her Fanatics Sportsbook Super Bowl ad. Jenner is set to compete directly against Sydney Sweeney in the best viral PR campaigns category, with Sweeney’s entry being a limited-edition soap made with her bathwater.
What makes Cardi’s nominations stand out
What separates Cardi’s recognition from the rest of the field is how genuinely personal the campaign felt. While most celebrity marketing is handled by large creative agencies with significant budgets and polish, the Harlem stunt carried the energy of someone who understood exactly who she was and where she came from, and decided to lead with that rather than hide it. It generated millions of impressions not because it was perfectly executed but because it was real.
Winners will be announced on April 21, with a live ceremony to follow on May 11 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, hosted by Josh Johnson of The Daily Show. Fan voting for the Webby People’s Voice Awards is open through April 16 at vote.webbyawards.com.