YouTubers come together to honor the legacy of Christina Grimmie at Streamys
The Streamy Awards had a somber tribute for the late Christina Grimmie on Tuesday.
Grimmie, a beloved musician, was gunned down at a fan event in Florida in June. That same weekend, 49 more people lost their lives in a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The back-to-back tragedies shook up YouTube, known to be an inclusive platform for the LGBTQ community.
"Christina Grimie was one of my favorite people not only because she was caring, she was humble, and she always felt like people mattered ... but because the first thing she said when she met me was 'oh em gee your videos are really gross but for some reason I love you,'" YouTuber Shane Dawson said during the tribute.
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"And that really stuck with me because it showed she was unfiltered and funny, but most importantly that she wasn't judgmental. No matter who you were, or what you believed in, or how gross your humor was, Christina made you feel accepted."
Though the awards show -- held at the Beverly Hilton -- is generally upbeat, the audience was silent in remembering their fellow YouTube community member.
After an emotional Dawson spoke, YouTube musicians Kurt Hugo Schneider and Sam Tsui honored the late artist by performing a medley of her songs and covers during the show, as images and video of Grimmie were on a display in the background.
"She might be physically gone now but her music will make people feel accepted and not judged and not alone," Dawson said.
"Thank you Christina -- for every beautiful moment and for every beautiful song."
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Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
