Despite a strong push for more recognition from Hollywood, several popular digital creators were left out of the race for this year’s Emmys.
Popular YouTube shows “Hot Ones,” “Chicken Shop Date” and “Good Mythical Morning” did not receive any Emmy nominations, which were announced on Wednesday.
“Hot Ones,” a celebrity interview show with hot wings, was on the ballot for the outstanding talk series category, according to Variety.
“Chicken Shop Date,” a celebrity interview show hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, and “Good Mythical Morning,” a morning talk and variety show, were also vying for nominations in the outstanding short form comedy, drama or variety series category.
Representatives for the YouTube shows did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Digital creators have won Emmys before. Some who started on YouTube, like “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” showrunner and star Rachel Bloom, have also gone on to successful careers in traditional entertainment.
But in recent years, many content creators have ramped up their efforts to garner mainstream recognition.
In June, Sean Evans, the host of “Hot Ones,” and Rhett and Link, hosts of “Good Mythical Morning,” spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about their Emmy aspirations.
“I’m a traditionalist,” Evans said. “I grew up on Letterman and Conan and Jimmy and those kinds of shows. To compete against those institutions, I think would be the most important distinction we’ve ever had.”
Some, like Dimoldenberg, have been tapped to take part in awards shows as a red carpet host. In 2023, her red carpet interviews from the Golden Globes became instant hits on social media. Her popularity caught the Motion Picture Academy’s attention. The organization behind the Oscars tapped Dimoldenberg to be a “social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent” at the 2024 Academy Awards.
YouTube didn’t made any formal submissions for the Emmys on behalf of its creators.
But in a blog post published in February, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan advocated for creators to be treated like their own production studios. He wrote that digital creators should be acknowledged for “redefining the future of the entertainment industry with top-notch storytelling.”
A spokesperson for YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Mohan also addressed the Emmys directly in a column published in The Hollywood Reporter in May.
“Some might argue that broadening the Primetime Emmys to include consideration of creators would detract from its storied history or lessen its cultural significance,” Mohan wrote. “But recognizing the work of creators is the best way for the Television Academy to continue its legacy of honoring modern culture, while also building a bridge to the next generation of viewers.”
Some YouTube creators chafed at Mohan’s assertion that “it’s time a creator won an Emmy.” Longtime YouTubers pointed out that creators have been nominated for Emmys — and some have even won some.
After the column was published, YouTuber Hank Green, who co-created “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” the first web series to win an Emmy in 2013, linked it on X and wrote: ““Should I tell him?”
