American content creator IShowSpeed won Streamer of the Year at The Streamer Awards 2026, delivering his acceptance speech entirely in Indonesian while wearing a red and white jacket.
The victory on Thursday, November 13, 2026, at the ceremony in Los Angeles capped off a massive year for the digital star, who beat out prominent digital creators such as Caseoh, Joe Bartolozzi, Jynxzi, and Stableronaldo, as reported.
IShowSpeed, whose legal name is Darren Watkins Jr., took to the stage to address his global audience in a language that cemented his viral connection to Southeast Asian digital communities. Viewers watching the official YouTube broadcast witnessed the creator embrace his international fanbase directly.
“Terima kasih banyak semuanya. Aku mulai dari nol, cuma anak kecil dengan mimpi besar. Kalian sudah bersamaku dari awal, kalian bukan cuma penggemar, keluargaku. Aku nggak akan berhenti, aku akan terus berjuang untuk kalian, aku cinta kalian semuanya,” ucap IShowSpeed, according to detikInet.
- IShowSpeed secured the top honor of Streamer of the Year 2026 at the annual ceremony celebrating live streaming achievements.
- He also claimed the title of Best IRL Streamer, defeating competitors like Cooksux, Evelyn Ortiz, Extraemily, and Qoosik, as detailed by detikInet.
- His subscriber count on YouTube climbed to 62.3 million following widespread international broadcasts, including his viral travels through Asia.
The creator’s fluency during his award acceptance speech stemmed from an extensive real-life broadcast tour undertaken in September 2024. During that visit, Watkins explored Kota Tua in West Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali, pulling concurrent viewership numbers exceeding one million live spectators, as noted by Kompas.
/data/photo/2026/11/13/6af6d194896af.jpg "Photo: Kompas")
During his Indonesian broadcasts, the streamer wore traditional batik shirts, tried local dishes like nasi Padang and gorengan, played the angklung, and even learned local slang phrases to manage crowds.
| Award Category | Winner | Notable Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Streamer of the Year | IShowSpeed | Caseoh, Joe Bartolozzi, Jynxzi, Stableronaldo |
| Best IRL Streamer | IShowSpeed | Cooksux, Evelyn Ortiz, Extraemily, Qoosik |
The Streamer Awards organization highlighted that the annual event was designed to recognize top talent as digital media consumption habits continuously evolve worldwide.
