Top 10 YouTubers That Could Win an Oscar
#10: Jimmy Tatro
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It all started with a little channel called “LifeAccordingtoJimmy”. Before long, this young California native had accumulated over 3 million subscribers and more than 500 million views. His impressive library of diverse sketches includes such hits as the hilarious Save the Phone! video and his oddly-relatable Sleepover series. His YouTube channel earned Tatro a fair amount of attention, and he quickly began appearing in feature films and TV shows, but nowhere as prominently as Dylan Maxwell in Netflix’s “American Vandal”. The performance got him nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award, so we see think there are big things on the horizon for this talented comedian.
#9: Liza Koshy
This popular YouTube personality actually got her start in 2013 on another platform: Vine. Thankfully, by the time of Vine’s demise she had already established her presence on YouTube. In 2017 she actually set a record by hitting 10 million subscribers faster than any other YouTube personality. She quickly amassed about 45 million followers across various platforms. So it’s no surprise that she’s been recruited for several television and film projects— most notably as the host of Nickelodeon's “Double Dare”, the TV series “Freakish”, and even 2016’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween”. Due to her current work, internet stardom, and her inclusion on Forbes 2019 “30 under 30” list, we think anything is possible for this award-winning star.
#8: Hannah Hart
Who knew that getting famous could be as simple as getting drunk? While intoxicated in 2001, Hart filmed herself attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich without cheese. After uploading the video to Youtube, she was shocked to find that the video had accumulated 100,000 hits in a matter of days, and the rest is history! Now, My Drunk Kitchen has millions of subscribers and has featured multiple celebrities, including chef Jamie Oliver. The channel also spawned a world tour, a comedy show, a cookbook, and so much more. After watching Hart win several Streamy Awards and host the prestigious ceremony, we’re convinced she has what it takes to rise to the next level.
#7: Grace Helbig
While house sitting for a family in New Jersey, Helbig decided to keep a video blog documenting her thoughts and experiences, and the resulting positive feedback got her extra invested in video making. Since then, she’s become a host of several popular podcasts and web series, such as the hilarious Not Too Deep. She’s even acted in several films and TV shows, including 2014’s “Camp Takota”. She has won Streamy, Shorty, and Webby awards, all for her work on the Internet, and we can only imagine that this is a foregleam of bigger awards yet to come.
#6: Lilly Singh
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Born in Canada, Lilly Singh is among the highest paid YouTube stars. In 2019, Forbes magazine named her one of the most powerful people in comedy. And to think, she first started making videos under the name Superwoman as a way to battle depression! Singh often talks about her Punjabi heritage and has broken down many barriers with her success. Over the years, she’s performed alongside stars like Dwayne Johnson and Selena Gomez. In 2019, she even became the host of her very own NBC talk show, “A Little Late with Lilly Singh”. Since there doesn’t seem to be anything this award-winning actress, writer, and comedian can’t do, we have high hopes for her future endeavors.
#5: Shane Dawson
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One of the original YouTube stars, having started on the platform in 2008, Shane Dawson’s channel ranks among the 100 most popular on YouTube, with some 23 million subscribers. Although he got his start making sketch comedies, doing impersonations, and starring in hilarious spoof music videos, he later turned to darker themes with a web series on conspiracy theories. His feature film “Not Cool” was considered a critical and commercial failure, but he’s written two books that have made the New York Times Best Sellers list, and we’re convinced that this highly talented man’s best work is yet to come.
#4: Freddie Wong
You know you’ve hit the YouTube big times when you have several channels that are all doing well (and we mean millions of subscribers well). Since making a name for himself on YouTube (his RocketJump channel being particularly successful), Wong has collaborated with many major celebrities—from Jimmy Kimmel in a tie fight to Key & Peele in a Mexican standoff and even Jon Favreau in a Cowboys and Aliens parody. Given that Wong is an executive producer and director of the series “Dimension 404”, an Oscar in the producing or directing category isn’t too far-fetched a possibility for this immensely-talented personality.
#3: Casey Neistat
Trying to put a label on what made Neistat so successful is tricky. Some say that it all started as early as 2003 with his short film Ipod’s Dirty Secret, which garnered international attention as a critique of Apple. Others might claim that it was his series of short films featuring science experiments. However, most of his over 11 million subscribers on YouTube will most certainly tell you that it's his series of vlogs that got them hooked. Whether he’s vlogging, public speaking, or cameoing in films like 2016’s “Nerve”, Neistat’s influence is electric, and we can’t help but wonder if an Oscar is next on his to-do list.
#2: Issa Rae
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With her viral web series, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl”, this talented actress, writer, and director forced the world to pay attention. After its first season, it was picked up and distributed by Pharrell on his I Am Other YouTube Channel. The series also paved the way for her HBO series, “Insecure” which she co-created with Larry Wilmore. As if that’s not enough, Rae has also starred in some pretty major films, like 2018’s “The Hate U Give” and 2019’s “Little”, with many more projects in the works. Is an Academy Award on the way? We think it’s only a matter of time.
#1: Bo Burnham
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In 2006, Burnham recorded himself singing several songs and uploaded them to YouTube. The intention was to share them with family, but the views and likes quickly built up, and soon enough he found himself making a career with his music and comedy. He has since headlined a series of critically-acclaimed comedy tours and made hilarious appearances on TV shows and in films, such as “Parks and Recreation”. What none of us saw coming from the funnyman was his directorial debut, 2018’s “Eighth Grade”, a funny and painfully honest coming-of-age story that earned Burnham numerous accolades. Burnham is, without a doubt, the YouTuber who is closest to the coveted Academy Award.
