Despite intense pressure from Hollywood for more recognition, several popular digital creators were left out of this year’s Emmy Awards race.
Popular YouTube shows “Hot Ones,” “Chicken Shop Date” and “Good Mythical Morning” did not receive any Emmy nominations, which were announced on Wednesday.
According to Variety, “Hot Ones,” a celebrity interview show with hot wings, has been voted for in the best talk show category.
“Chicken Shop Date,” a celebrity interview show hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, and morning talk and variety show “Good Mythical Morning” were also up for nomination in the best short form comedy, drama or variety series categories.
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A representative for the YouTube show did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Digital creators have won Emmys before, and some who started their careers on YouTube have gone on to have success in traditional entertainment, such as Rachel Bloom, showrunner and star of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
But in recent years, many content creators have stepped up their efforts to gain mainstream recognition.
In June, “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans and “Good Mythical Morning” hosts Rhett and Link spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about their Emmy aspirations.
“I’m a traditionalist,” Evans said, “I grew up watching shows like Letterman and Conan and Jimmy and I think competing with those traditional shows is going to be the most important differentiation we’ll ever have.”
Some, like Dimoldenburg, have been tapped to attend awards ceremonies as red carpet hosts. In 2023, her interview on the Golden Globes red carpet became an instant hit on social media. Her popularity caught the attention of the Motion Picture Academy. The organization that runs the Oscars named Dimoldenburg a “social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent” for the 2024 Oscars.
YouTube has not officially submitted any content to the Emmys on behalf of its creators.
But in a blog post published in February, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan argued that the company should treat creators like their own production studios: digital creators, he said, should be recognized for “redefining the future of the entertainment industry with their top-notch storytelling.”
A YouTube spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Mohan also directly addressed the Emmys in a column published in The Hollywood Reporter in May.
“Some may argue that expanding the Primetime Emmy Awards to include creators would diminish their illustrious history or dilute their cultural relevance,” Mohan wrote, “but recognizing creators’ work is the best way for the Television Academy to continue its tradition of honoring contemporary culture while simultaneously building bridges with the next generation of viewers.”
Some YouTube creators were outraged by Mohan’s assertion that “it’s time for creators to win Emmys,” with longtime YouTubers pointing out that creators have been nominated for Emmys in the past and some have even won.
After the column was published, YouTuber Hank Green, co-creator of the first web series to win an Emmy in 2013, “The Lizzy Bennet Diaries,” posted a link to the column on X and wrote, “Should I tell him?”