Nov. 9, 2026 (New York) – Vital Strategies’ F*Nicotine campaign won in two categories of the 2026 Anthem Awards — silver in Health: Creator Collaboration in Content and Media and bronze in Health: Public Health in Industry Specific Program.
“We’re honored that the Anthem Awards has recognized the innovations and fresh thinking that went into F*Nicotine,” said Steve Hamill, Vice President and Global Lead of Policy Advocacy and Communication at Vital Strategies. “The campaign’s simple premise—a by-youth, for-youth campaign that empowers young people—resulted in an explosion of creativity, optimism, frustration and energy that eventually ranged from viral Tik Toks to protests on the streets of São Paolo. Connecting all are the calls for policies to protect young people from the world’s most predatory industry. With 67 million people engaged, and counting, it has been gratifying to see this call to action continuing to gain traction.”
The tobacco industry increasingly targets young people worldwide with new nicotine products, using flavors, sleek designs and aggressive digital marketing to appeal to them. The result? Today approximately 15 million people ages 13-15 use e-cigarettes worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Over the past year, F*Nicotine has united content creators and youth advocates from Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines and the U.S. in rising up against nicotine addiction and the industry targeting them. The campaign has reached more than 67 million people across 70 countries via creator videos, and mobilized more than 1,000 youth advocates in calling for policy change.
Through one-of-a-kind, engaging videos on TikTok and Instagram, young people have been raising alarm bells among their peers about the health harms of nicotine and exposing the industry’s insidious marketing tactics aimed at getting young people to start the habit. And they do so using language that resonates with peers who trust them as messengers.
“The work of social impact doesn’t pause when conditions get harder, and this year’s Anthem Winners proved it,” said Anthem Awards General Manager, Patricia McLoughlin. “Facing new challenges, they kept building, kept organizing, and kept delivering for the people and causes they serve. They set a new standard for good, one defined as much by persistence as by results.”
The 6th Annual Anthem Awards received more than 2,500 submissions from 43 countries worldwide, the organization’s largest competition to date.
Learn more about the F*Nicotine campaign here.
About Vital Strategies:
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes all people should be protected by strong and equitable health policies and systems. We partner with governments, communities and organizations around the world to reimagine public health so that health is supported in all the places we live, work and play. The result is millions of people living longer, healthier lives around the world.
Learn more at vitalstrategies.org or follow us on LinkedIn.
About The Anthem Awards:
Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards recognizes impactful brands, nonprofits, and individuals that are setting the standard for good worldwide. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Belonging & Inclusion; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Sustainability, Environment & Climate; and Technology. This season’s partners and sponsors include NationBuilder, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, The Bloom, the Social Innovation Summit and The Nonprofit Alliance. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
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, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video & Film; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps, Software & Immersive; Social; Podcasts; Games; Creators and AI. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Adobe, WP Engine, Patreon, ElevenLabs, Framer, Meta, NAACP, KPMG, The Wall Street Journal, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, SXSW, The Podcast Show, and Authentic.