This year’s Streamer Awards were supposed to celebrate the biggest creators of the year. But in the end, everyone was talking about embarrassing moments, a stage invasion, and other controversies.
The 2025 Streamer Awards at the Wiltern Theatre on December 6 were supposed to honor the best of the best. QTCinderella hosted the fifth edition of the gala to honor creators such as IShowSpeed (Streamer of the Year) and CaseOh (Gamer of the Year).
But in the end, the trophies seemed almost irrelevant: The show was overshadowed by a wave of cringe, political controversy, and strange ego dramas. What was planned as a professionally produced awards ceremony seemed at times like an accident that no one could look away from. We break down what happened over the weekend for you.
The Great Cringe Parade
The most uncomfortable part of the evening took place right on stage—and painfully highlighted how strange the dynamics among top streamers have become.
It started with a classic “Kanye West moment” at the “Breakout Streamer” award. As FaZe Adapt was about to accept his award, influencer India Love stormed onto the stage unannounced.
In a scene that was almost unbearable to watch, she grabbed the microphone and declared that DDG or Raki should have won. “We respect you, but Raki should have won!” she shouted to the audience. The action seemed less like a genuine statement and more like a desperate attempt to go viral – which was met with loud boos from the audience.
But the real low point came shortly afterwards during a segment hosted by FanFan. In a segment about Kai Cenat, she made a risky joke and sarcastically congratulated him on his “new documentary with 50 Cent” – an allusion to the scandal surrounding P. Diddy.
What happened next says a lot about the power dynamics on Twitch: There was dead silence. Not necessarily because the joke was bad, but because there seemed to be pure fear in the room about laughing at the most powerful streamer on Twitch.
Streamer Tylil immediately took advantage of this strange atmosphere. He grabbed the microphone and reprimanded her in the best Will Smith manner: “If you’re going to make jokes, at least make them funny. “
Things Got Awkward When Tylil Took the Mic to Tell Fanfan Her Jokes About Kai Weren’t Funny
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u/CloudyEchos in
LivestreamFail
Link to Reddit content
For many viewers, however, Tylil’s intervention did not seem heroic, but rather like pure sycophancy. The accusation: he deliberately killed the vibe of the show and played the “white knight” just to score sympathy points with Kai Cenat and secure his place in the inner circle.
- Exposedpouch:
It wasn’t such a bad joke, Kai has been constantly joking about Diddy during Mafiathon 3 lately. Tylil should stop sucking up so hard.
- Acceptable-Way-9672:
Not Tylil snatching the mic to protect Daddy’s honor, lol.
- isnoe:
I just don’t think this audience responds to anything that could even remotely be considered bad PR. […] I think the jokes just don’t land because they’re dealing with an audience that can’t really laugh without risking a possible collaboration.
Censorship, politics, and more controversy
Away from the big stage dramas, things were bubbling up in many other corners. Here are the other controversies that are currently dividing the community:
- HasanAbi’s “Mao outfit”: Political streamer and
champagne socialist
HasanAbi appeared in a suit that was strongly reminiscent of Mao Zedong’s typical attire. Since Hasan recently returned from a controversial trip to China that led to accusations of propaganda, the outfit seems like a deliberate provocation or a tasteless political statement.
Hasan’s Maoist Transformation Is Fully Complete
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u/Humble_Novice in
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- Censorship allegations: Even during the show, xQc complained that he and Asmongold were completely absent from the big “Year in Review” compilations. The suspicion: Hasan’s head editor, who was involved in the production, cut the two out of the highlights due to personal and political animosity. For many, this was proof that the show was not neutral.
- The “peanut” scandal: The award for Best VTuber went to TheBurntPeanut. The problem: he is not a VTuber at all, but merely uses a picture of a peanut as his avatar. In fact, he repeatedly distanced himself from the scene and even made fun of it. The real VTuber community feels offended and not taken seriously by this choice and the nomination of a “joke character.”
- Production chaos: In addition to the content issues, the stream struggled with audio glitches and directing errors, which quickly earned the event the reputation of a “dumpster fire” online.
At the end of the evening, IShowSpeed stood there with the most important trophy in his hand, but let’s be honest: the real highlight was the absolutely chaotic surroundings. Whether you enjoy it as entertainment or just shake your head, we can probably get the popcorn ready for 2026.
