Nominees unveiled for 2026 RACER Creator Awards

RACER is excited to reveal the nominees for the second annual RACER Creator Awards, recognizing outstanding creativity, storytelling and community engagement across the automotive and motorsports world.

Selected from 214 submissions, this year's nominees represent an exceptional range of talent, from established automotive personalities and professional filmmakers to independent storytellers, technical experts and emerging creators building passionate audiences around the world.

Winners will be revealed Thursday, November 19, at the Los Angeles Convention Center at an invitation-only ceremony hosted by BigTime co-founder Jeremiah Burton. The event brings together leading creators, industry personalities and brand executives for an evening celebrating the people shaping automotive culture.

Highlights include the presentation of the RACER Creator of the Year, as well as the Ken Block Legacy Award, co-presented by Brian Scotto alongside rally driver Lucy Block, Ken's wife. Scotto co-founded Hoonigan along with Block, and today is the Chief Creative Officer of 321 Action Action, one of the companies that sits within the F-ma Group alongside RACER, GRIDLIFE and The ID Agency which are all involved with the automotive creator community.

Join the celebration. Click HERE to request an invitation to the 2026 RACER Creator Awards.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with the RACER Creator Summit Industry Briefing hosted by Jarod DeAnda, exploring the relationship between automotive creators, brands and their audiences. 

The RACER Creator Awards ceremony follows at 6 p.m. and is set to include a host of special guests and presenters including professional racing driver Robb Holland and a look at Joy of Racing, his new RACER Network series with car culture documentarian Larry Chen.

Presented in partnership with the LA Auto Show, the RACER Creator Awards are supported by Toyota, presenting sponsor of the Content Awards; Auto Legends, presenting sponsor of the Platform Awards; and XPEL, presenting sponsor of the Community & Culture Awards.

RACER extends its congratulations to every nominee, and its appreciation to all who submitted their work for consideration.

Event details

Thursday, November 19, 2026
Los Angeles Convention Center
West Hall Theater, 4th Floor
1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA

• 5 p.m. | RACER Creator Summit Industry Briefing and panel discussion
• 6–8 p.m. | RACER Creator Awards ceremony

2026 RACER Creator Awards nominees

Content Awards presented by Toyota

Best Car Review Content

• Alanis King – Lotus Emira (Manual): There’s Nothing Else Like It
• Gabriel Silveirado – Lexus UX 300h: O Compacto Premium Que Aposta Contra o Próprio Segmento
• Guillermo Moeller Aguirre – La F-150 Más Barata Que Se Convierte en un Monstruo de 800HP
• George J. Notaras – A Singer for Ferrari? Or Sacrilege?

Best Motorsports Content

• Sam Collins – Nissan GT-R LM: How It Ended Up in a Dumpster
• Matt Ryce – Salt Fever: A Speed Week Documentary
• Ryan Kelly – The Man Who Dreamed Of Being A Rally Driver
• Alex Martinez – I Don't Understand this Racing Culture: Petit Le Mans 2026
• Kate Shelor – The NASCAR Champion Who Drove Backwards
• Sam Collins – Honda RA270: The Mystery of Honda's First F1 Car

Best DIY / How-To Content

• Paul Elertson – EVO 8 Wing Fix
• Micah Weber – Ranger is getting Lonngerr (Part 2)
• ChrisFix – How to Convert Drum to Disc Brakes
• Hailey Magoon – RingBrothers Hood Hinge Install
• Frances Farnam – Porsche 914 EV Project

Best Tuning & Custom Builds

• Terry Tumulty Jr. – Exotruck
• Guillermo Moeller Aguirre – I Kept My Promise: A Mexican Building a Monster in Texas! Ep. 4 F-150 Single Cab
• Isabel Tuman – Bleu-Long Travelled 2025 Ford Bronco Heritage
• Hailey Magoon – Building a Movie Car Replica from Scratch

Best Cinematic Videos

• Mick Hinchy – One Burnout at a Time
• Matt Ryce – Salt Fever: A Speed Week Documentary
• Locksley Lennox – Tall Order: Matt Field vs. The Season That Won't Quit (FD Seattle)
• Michael M. Crenshaw – Ascendance
• Adam C. Hughes – Ford Racing: Driver Development Team, Class of 2026

Best Vlog

• Steve Ellis – Behind the Wheel
• Hailey Magoon – Driving the 2 Fast 2 Furious RX-7 in LA

Best Short Form Content

• Wes Duenkel – Automotive Wellness Session
• Angeles Death Highway – FÜKT Automotive | Angeles Death Highway
• Michele Spiezia – Road Atlanta Cinema
• George J. Notaras – The Perfect Two-Car Garage?
• Ryan Martino – New Shoes

Best Educational / Explainer Content

• Michel Callaghan – Porsche 991.1 Carrera Buyer's Guide
• Rick DeBruhl – Who Invented the Turn Signal?
• ChrisFix – How Dash Cameras Are Made
• Tam Walker – From Myth To Meme: How Hollywood Shaped NASCAR’s Identity
• George J. Notaras – Sports Cars Aren't Dying. It's Worse.

Platform Awards presented by Auto Legends

Best YouTube Channel

• Sam Collins – Sam’s The Pits
• Rick DeBruhl – RickDeBruhlCars on YouTube
• James Crocker and Ben Kay – Rolling Start: The American F1 Podcast
• Dustin Williams – Dustin Williams

Best TikTok or Instagram Creator

• Michel Callaghan – FCP Euro
• Cristian Laureano – Stxcks
• Joel Galindo – Joel Galindo
• Michele Spiezia – Ellysium Racing
• Sean Lopez – Cars in the Wild

Best Podcast or Audio Content

• James Crocker and Ben Kay – Rolling Start: The American F1 Podcast
• George J. Notaras – MotoManTV

Best Newsletter or Written Creator

• Elizabeth Blackstock – Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys
• Tam Walker – Racers & Riders

Community & Culture Awards presented by XPEL

Best Female Automotive Creator

• Alanis King – Alanis King
• Joanna Reid – That1320chick
• Hailey Magoon – Hailey Magoon

Best Emerging Creator

• Ryan Kelly – Gravel Co.
• Evan Sawyer – Canyon Carver: Building a Better Car Community
• Juha Mikkola – BOXBOX Car Club: Daily F1, Rally & Automotive Takes
• Angeles Death Highway – Angeles Death Highway
• Sean Lopez – Cars in the Wild

Best International Creator

• Sam Lucas – Sammit
• Sam Collins – Sam’s the Pits
• Ernesto Araiza – The Baja Authentic
• Rita Simões-Muir – Arranque em Segunda
• Guillermo Moeller Aguirre – Performance Customs MX

Best Fan Engagement or Community Builder

• Savant Young – Vintage Motor Union
• Alanis King – Alanis King
• Mercury Lien – Mercurial Mouse
• Juha Mikkola – BOXBOX Car Club
• Sean Lopez – Cars in the Wild

Best Automotive Lifestyle Creator

• Andrew Link – Andrew Link
• Elle Victoria – HEELS N CLUTCH
• Alex Martinez – AlexMartini
• Dustin Williams – Dustin Williams
• Hailey Magoon – Hailey Magoon