Storytelling Award: Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York

Storytelling is a part of the human fabric. And there are stories all around us – ones that entertain, delight, sadden, and anger. But perhaps the best kind of stories are those that inspire, and ultimately are powerful enough to change the world. This piece is a celebration of the masterful storytelling that Brandon Stanton brought to us through Humans of New York, one of his most viral stories being that of Ms. Stephanie aka Tanqueray, a 76-year-old former stripper. Suddenly unable to approach subjects on the street due to the 2020 pandemic, Brandon had to readjust the way that he connected with people. In a time when we only had our screens, Brandon created intimacy for his audience over the internet. The result was a unifying tapestry of uplifting stories in a time we needed them the most.