Since launching their podcast Las Culturistas in 2016, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang have fostered a devoted audience with their quick-witted comedy and sharp pop-culture commentary. This Wednesday, their influence takes center stage with The 5th Annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards, airing on Bravo and Peacock.Â
GLAAD's Anthony Allen Ramos caught up with the hosts to talk about the ceremony, celebrating the podcast's 10th anniversary and their journey from beloved fixtures of New York's comedy scene to nationally recognized cultural voices.
Reflecting on what they are most proud of when it comes to the podcast, Las Culturistas, Yang noted “We came from a comedy community in New York, a very queer one, a very silly one. That was the sensibility, and I think that reflects in the audience and the people on stage.â€Â
Over the last decade, the show has grown significantly while continuing to honor its origins. What began as what Rogers describes as a “classic variety showâ€, inspired by vintage variety programs like ‘The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour' and ‘The Carol Burnett Show', has evolved into a large-scale celebration of entertainment fandom and the uniquely specific moments that shape today's cultural conversation.Â
The annual event honors both mainstream icons and delightfully niche obsessions, creating a one-of-a-kind awards experience that reflects the spirit of its creators and audience alike.
Viewers can expect to see legends like Will Ferrell, Mandy Moore, and Lisa Rinna rubbing shoulders with comedy powerhouses like Ziwe, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, and Megan Stalter. In a landscape where most awards focus on “Best Actress and Actor,†Las Culturistas keeps things unorthodox. Where else can you find a heated race for the “Real Housewives Award for Best Way to Start a Confrontation,†or the prestigious “Award for Excellence and Bangs?†Whether viewers are invested in the debate for “Best Movie of All Time†or terrified by the nominees for “Scariest Moment in History,†the award show offers a high-octane celebration of everything that makes pop culture worth obsessing over.
Beyond the celebration of pop culture, their work has become a platform for visibility and community, a commitment further validated when Yang and Rogers received the prestigious Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. This honor recognizes LGBTQ media professionals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to promoting acceptance and authentic representation.
Rogers spoke about the impact of representation, emphasizing the importance of creating spaces where audiences can see themselves “We didn't have those examples, we didn't see ourselves in the media. It really is important to keep saying and keep putting meaning behind the phrase ‘representation matters'… there's people out there that really need to see the community in a way that they can aspire to, in a way that they feel could maybe save them… showing people what it feels like to have fun in their future, that's a huge win for us… It's very meaningful.â€
That commitment continues to define the show's mission. As conversations surrounding the consideration by the FCC to implement parental warning labels or altering ratings for television shows that feature transgender, nonbinary, or gender identity themes, Rogers and Yang see their platform as a necessary counter-narrative.Â
Their perspective on this push by the FCC is clear, calling the proposal “so lame,†Rogers expressed frustration at the attempt to police creative expression, noting, “I genuinely thought that the people in power now were like, you should be able to say anything you want, I guess not.†Yang took the critique a step further, framing the move as a constitutional overreach. “It's like an asterisk on something we thought was protected as free speech,†Yang said. “It's a federal institution doing something unconstitutional. This show laughs in the face of that. The warning doesn't actually reflect anything about the content, it's just a discretionary label that misses the point entirely.â€
The 2026 Las Culturistas Culture Awards will air on Wednesday, June 17 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock and on linear TV on Bravo, simultaneously. The two-hour event will run until 11 p.m. ET, and will be available to stream on Peacock the following day.
