Snapchat Launches Inaugural Snappys Awards Show, Celebrating Top Creators Including Kylie Jenner and David Dobrik
Snapchat has officially launched its inaugural awards show, known as The Snappys, at its Santa Monica headquarters. This event, held on Tuesday, transformed the venue into a theater and party space to honor the platform’s leading creators across various fields, including entertainment, comedy, music, sports, and beauty.
Event Highlights and Notable Attendees
The evening was streamed live on Snapchat, featuring comedian Matt Friend as the host. Among the notable attendees was DJ Khaled, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The event aimed to celebrate the platform’s top influencers, although it faced some challenges, including the absence of scheduled performer Kehlani, who did not appear as planned.
Guests arrived on a bright yellow carpet before enjoying a cocktail hour and settling into the intimate venue, which accommodated only a few hundred attendees. As Friend took the stage, he humorously remarked, “This is an awards show honoring Snapchat where you’ll watch all the highlights on TikTok and share the links on Instagram.”
A Night of Humor and Reflection
Throughout his monologue, Friend continued to poke fun at the proliferation of awards shows, questioning, “Why does it seem like everyone has an awards show now? Of course, there’s the O.G.s — the Grammys, the Emmys, the Oscars, but the Snappys? What’s next, me hosting the Venmo awards?” His commentary resonated with the audience, especially in the context of the growing number of social media awards events.
Snapchat is the latest platform to join this trend, following TikTok’s inaugural U.S. awards show in December, which recognized top creators in a live event at the Hollywood Palladium. Instagram also announced its own awards program, Rings, to honor 25 of its top creators.
The Snappys’ Unique Challenges
Friend humorously noted that the Snappys “sounds like an STD from the 1890s” and quipped about the choice of venue, stating that Snap “couldn’t think of a more beautiful location for an awards show than their own office, which cost $0 to use.” He also addressed broader social media issues, saying, “It’s an amazing time to be alive. TikTok is a national security threat, Meta is putting facial recognition in your sunglasses, and Snapchat is just over here like, ‘Look, you’re a puppy now!’”
Despite the light-hearted atmosphere, the event faced challenges with attendance. Friend joked that major stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Kim Kardashian “don’t know what the Snappys are,” and many winners were absent from the ceremony. DJ Khaled accepted his award via a virtual message, and the anticipated performance by Kehlani was canceled due to personal reasons.
Recognizing Top Creators
Despite the attendance issues, the Snappys still acknowledged significant figures in the social media landscape. Winners included Kylie Jenner, Ashley Graham, Leon Thomas, and Dwight Howard. The top honor of Creator of the Year went to David Dobrik, who dedicated his award to Jim Shepherd, Snapchat’s head of content partnerships.
The complete list of winners is as follows:
- Creator of the Year: David Dobrik
- Best Use of Creative Tools: Zaina Sesay
- Community Builder: Cheyenne Davis
- Spotlight MVP: Adam W
- Top Lens Creator: Mohamad El Asmar
- Best Storyteller: Rachel Levin
- One to Watch: Ella Moncrief
- Off-Platform Buzz: Nick Vans
- Comeback Star: Kylie Jenner
- Breakout Creator: Ashton Hall
- Top Comedy Creator: Lala Milan
- Top Lifestyle Creator: Ari Fletcher
- Top Beauty Creator: Leilani Green
- Top Athlete Creator: Dwight Howard
- Top Music Creator: Leon Thomas
- Top Food Creator: Jack Mancuso
- Top Fashion Creator: Ashley Graham
- Top On-Camera Correspondent: Lauren Ashley Beck
- Top Gamer Creator: Dimucc
- Top Family Creator: Justus and Kayla Tucker
- Top Fitness Creator: Katie Austin
As reported by www.hollywoodreporter.com.
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Published on 2026-04-01 09:41:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk