VidCon, the annual event that sits at the intersection of all aspects of the creator economy – creators, fans, brands, and industry – today revealed the inductees for the second annual VidCon “Hall of Fame”.
Introduced in 2025 to honor the creators who paved the way for digital storytelling, fandom, and the creator economy as we know it, this year’s ceremony will celebrate four iconic trailblazers who defined a generation of online content and shaped digital culture: Creator and independent filmmaker Markiplier, media personality, news commentator, and entrepreneur, Philip DeFranco, entrepreneur and beauty innovator Michelle Phan, CEO and Head Designer behind POPFLEX Cassey Ho (Blogilates).
This year’s inductees represent a wide range of creators who have made a significant impact on both the digital ecosystem and beyond:
- Markiplier – Proving to be a box office force, his feature filmmaking debut, ‘Iron Lung,’ opened in cinemas on January 30th and grossed over $50 million worldwide. The self-funded horror hit will make its highly anticipated digital debut exclusively on YouTube on May 31st.
- Philip DeFranco – Armed with little more than a camera and a point of view, he launched his YouTube channel in 2006 and quickly built a loyal audience around his candid, fast-paced commentary style. Today, he hosts three shows: The Philip DeFranco Show, his flagship daily news program that has accumulated billions of views over nearly two decades.
- Michelle Phan – Born to Vietnamese refugee parents, she rose to global prominence after launching her YouTube channel in 2007, amassing over 1 billion views and 14 million followers across platforms. As the co-founder of Ipsy — one of the largest beauty communities and subscription companies in the world — Michelle helped redefine how consumers discover beauty online.
- Cassey Ho (Blogilates) – As an entrepreneur, designer, and inventor, her mission is to inspire joy and solve real problems through innovative product design. By listening closely to her community, Cassey creates functional, beautiful products that help women feel more comfortable, confident, and understood. Her authentic, community-led approach has grown her audience to over 19 million followers, with her videos garnering over 6 billion views.
The awards presentation will kick off VidCon’s flagship Anaheim event during the Opening Night Celebration on Thursday, June 25. As part of the ceremony, each honoree will receive a customized “VidCon Hall of Fame” jersey and an award. Their jerseys will also be displayed on the Expo Hall floor Thursday – Saturday, so fans can snap a photo. The ceremony will be open to all VidCon badge holders.
To determine this year’s class, VidCon introduced the 2026 Hall of Fame Selection Committee, comprised of a diverse group of industry insiders and experts in digital media and the creator economy who applied to help shape this exclusive list of inductees, past Hall of Fame inductees, and the VidCon Advisory Board. The VidCon Hall of Fame Selection Committee was responsible for nominating and then voting on the inductees.
VidCon’s “Hall of Fame” induction coincides with the milestone 15th anniversary of VidCon, which is taking place this year from June 25-27 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Tickets are on sale now and available here. Ticket prices will increase, and Single-Day and Family Bundle tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, May 26. For more information and to stay up to date on VidCon, visit https://www.vidcon.com/anaheim/.