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‘American Sikh’ wins 2025 Webby Award for best video & film animation
The short film tells a deeply personal story of identity, belonging, and the challenges of being Sikh in America in the aftermath of 9/11.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 15, May 2025
- 02:32 EDT
- 152
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Poster of the film. / American Sikh website.
American Sikh, a 10-minute animated short film chronicling the life of South Asian American artist Vishavjit Singh, has won the 2025 Webby Award for Best Video & Film Animation.
The win comes after a successful festival run and a September 2024 YouTube release that marked the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The film, produced in collaboration with Studio Showoff and Singh himself, tells a deeply personal story of identity, belonging, and the challenges of being Sikh in America in the aftermath of 9/11.
Vishavjit Singh, based in New York City, is widely known for his public persona “Sikh Captain America”—a turbaned, bearded, shield-wielding figure he created to challenge stereotypes and fight bigotry. “This project matters,” says Singh on the film’s official site. “What little knowledge people may have about Sikhs most often boils down to two things: a turban and a beard. It’s no secret that this surface-level depiction in American media is often the villain or the clown. This is the image that needs to be transformed—and that’s exactly what Sikh Captain America, Vishavjit Singh, is set out to do.”
Singh, the only member of his family born in the U.S., didn’t always feel at ease embracing his Sikh identity. The film follows his journey from the U.S. to India and back, navigating the trauma of the 1984 Sikh genocide, post-9/11 hate crimes, and the personal reckoning that led to his current activism.
The film made its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival and went on to win Best Short Animation at Sidewalk Film Festival, Best Animation at San Diego International Film Festival, and both Best Documentary and Audience Choice Award at the Tasveer Film Festival. It was featured on Good Morning America, Forbes, CNN, Variety, and received praise from public figures like Gurinder Chadha, A.R. Rahman, and Deepak Chopra.
“Following the incredible success of American Sikh thus far, the animated short was released worldwide on YouTube on September 9th,” Singh noted. “As we mark the 23rd anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11, the film shares a new perspective on what it means to come together as a nation – capturing the struggle and hope on how we might overcome the persistent hate and violence towards fellow Americans who are judged as outsiders.”
The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy organization in US, celebrated the win on social media, posting on X: “The Oscar-qualified short film @americansikhflm has just been named ‘Best Animation Video & Film’ in the 29th Annual Webby Awards — a top tier award for digital content. Congratulations to you, Vishavjit!”
The Oscar-qualified short film @americansikhflm has just been named ‘Best Animation Video & Film’ in the 29th Annual Webby Awards —a top tier award for digital content.
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) May 13, 2025
Congratulations to you, Vishavjit! pic.twitter.com/nStklA0Fp6
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