WINS AND RECOGNITION

2026 Official Selection: Allentown Film Festival (A Quart of Salt)
2025 2x Webby Honoree for Video & Film in Science & Education
2025 Best Comedy Short: Hollywood Just4Shorts (A Quart of Salt)
2025 Best Short Film: Black Lion Indie Film Festival (A Quart of Salt)
2025 Official Selection: Newark Independent Film Festival; Wilmington International Film Festival; Golden Door International Film Festival; Playhouse West - Philadelphia Film Festival; Black Lion Indie Film Festival (A Quart of Salt)
2020 Telly Award Silver: Social Video General-Social Impact (project: Kazi Mannan an Upworthy collaboration with Truvia)
2019 PromaxBDA North America Silver: I'm Not Crying, You Are! (project: Sophina, an Upworthy collaboration with Red Robin)
2019 Cynopsis Social Good Award Winner: Best Use of Social Media (project: Upworthy's Mainstreet Financial Series collaboration with Capital One)
2019 AVA Digital Awards Gold: Long Form Sports Video Production (project: Coach Kim, Coach for Life, a CW sponsorship of an Upworthy Original)
2018 Social Media Day Keynote Speaker: Don't Go Chasing Algorithms, Please Stick to the Quality and the Content Audiences Are Used To (watch)
2018 PromaxBDA North America Gold: Long Form Branded Content (project: re:imagineATL, an Upworthy collaboration with State Farm)
2018 PromaxBDA Global Winner Bronze: Long Form Branded Content (project: re:imagineATL, an Upworthy collaboration with State Farm)
2018 Cynopsis Social Good Award Winner: Branded Social Media Campaign (project: Dermablend Reflections, an Upworthy collaboration with L'Oreal)
2018 Telly Award Gold: Branded Content Social Campaign (project: Dermablend Reflections, an Upworthy collaboration with L'Oreal)
2018 Telly Award Bronze: Social Video Series, Food & Beverage (project: #Doingood, an Upworthy collaboration with Minute Maid)
2018 Telly Award Bronze: Branded Content Campaign, Social Responsibility (project: Upworthy's collaboration with State Farm)
2018 Shorty Award Best Branded Series Winner: Audience Honor and Bronze (project: Upstanders, an Upworthy collaboration with Starbucks)
2018 Cynopsis Film Festival: 3rd Place, Single Entry Branded Content/Content Marketing (project: Fill My Basket, an Upworthy collaboration with Cricket Wireless)
2017 Webby Award (project: Robin Hood Heroes: Moawia, an Upworthy collaboration with The Robin Hood Foundation)
2017 Digiday Award: Upworthy named best video publisher partner for brands
2017 Tubular Labs: Upworthy named #VideoAce for Brand Partner Facebook Video (146.9MM views and in top .01% of all publishers)
2017 Brandtale Best of the Week: Starbucks Upstanders
2016 Produced most-watched Facebook branded video for November
2014 Webby Award (project: Whale Wars Blood and Water)
2014 Webby People's Voice (project: Whale Wars Blood and Water)
2014 National Gold ADDY Award (project: Whale Wars Blood and Water)
2014 PromaxBDA North America Silver: Program Promotion Website (project: Whale Wars Blood and Water)
2014 Official Selection: New Filmmakers New York Spring Series (Surviving Death; A Paranormal Debate)
2013 Official Selection: The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival (Surviving Death; A Paranormal Debate)
IADAS Member

NOMINATIONS

2020 Cynopsis Best of the Best Award Finalist: Best Branded Campaign for Digital, Broadcast or Cable TV (project: The Art of Clean, an Upworthy collaboration with Clorox)
2020 Cynopsis Best of the Best Award Finalist: Best Social Good Awareness Campaign (project: Feel More Like Yourself, an Upworthy collaboration with Walgreens)
2019 Shorty Social Good Awards Finalist: Arts & Culture (project: The Art of Clean, an Upworthy collaboration with Clorox)
2019 Shorty Social Good Awards Finalist: Best Use of Facebook (project: Kazzi Mannan, an Upworthy collaboration with Truvia)
2019 Shorty Award Storytelling Nominee (project: Kristyn's Story, an Upworthy collaboration with SNAP)
2019 Shorty Award Financial Services Nominee (project: Upworthy's Mainstreet Financial Series collaboration with Capital One)
2019 Cynopsis Social Good Award Finalist: Awareness Campaign/Initiative – Education (project: Upworthy's Mainstreet Financial Series collaboration with Capital One)
2x 2019 Cynopsis Social Good Award Finalist: Information Spot and Use of Social Media (project: Kristyn's Story, an Upworthy collaboration with SNAP)
2018 PromaxBDA North America Nominee: Social Media/ Mobile-Based Promotional Digital Video Video (project: Alison Stroming, an Upworthy collaboration with Minute Maid)
2x 2018 Cynopsis Social Good Award Finalist: Branded Campaign for a Digital, Broadcast or Cable TV Series and Branded Social Media Campaign (project: Dermablend Reflections, an Upworthy collaboration with L'Oreal)
2018 CINE Golden Eagle Finalist (project: One Time in New Orleans, an Upworthy Collaboration with New Orleans Tourism)
Fast Company 2018 World Changing Ideas Awards Finalist (project: Upstanders, an Upworthy collaboration with Starbucks)
2018 Digiday Award Nominee: Best Branded Content Program (project: Dermablend Reflections, an Upworthy collaboration with L'Oreal)
2017 Shorty Social Good Awards Finalist: Video (project: Fill My Basket, an Upworthy collaboration with Cricket Wireless)
2017 Shorty Social Good Awards Finalist: Social Justice (project: Street Change, an Upworthy collaboration with Verizon)
2014 Interactive Media Emmy Finalist: User Experience and Visual Design (project: Whale Wars Blood and Water)

BJ BARRETTA'S 24/7 STREAM

Below is a carefully curated stream featuring some of my favorite content created for publishers, media companies, and brands. It's uplifting content that ignites the heart, inspires the soul, and informs the mind.

*Overnight is '90s music