VidCon 2025 commenced its opening ceremony in Anaheim, CA, with a tribute to YouTube icons on Thursday. Hosted by Kalen Allen alongside Ali Booth, VidCon’s social media manager, the Hall of Fame Ceremony recognized Hank Green, co-founder of VidCon and a member of the Vlogbrothers channel; Rhett & Link, the hosts of Good Mythical Morning and founders of Mythical Entertainment; Grace Helbig; Tyler Oakley; Joey Graceffa; Rosanna Pansino; and Smosh co-founders Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox.

Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, the co-founders of Smosh, jointly accepted their Hall of Fame honors on the VidCon stage. Each content creator arrived to receive their accolades. The evening’s first award was presented to Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, who expressed gratitude to Hank Green for his foundational contribution to VidCon.

The second recipient, Tyler Oakley, stepped onto the stage with a warm message of thanks: “Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to converse with strangers on the internet. Thank you for being those strangers.”

Grace Helbig received her award on the VidCon stage, marking her 18 years as a creator on YouTube. She graced the stage with her signature humor, expressing gratitude to “Everyone who has ever noticed her.”

Next up was Joey Graceffa, who struggled to be heard over the cheers. “Y’all are loud,” Joey chuckled. He reminisced about his most memorable VidCon moments—meeting Smosh as a fan, experiencing his first kiss, and unveiling his YouTube series Escape the Night.

After Joey Graceffa, Rosanna Pansino was honored next. She conveyed her appreciation to the community, reflecting on her 15 years on YouTube and how the platform transformed her life.

Creators Rhett & Link from Good Mythical Morning then took the stage, beginning by addressing the frequent inquiries regarding their secret to sustained success on YouTube. As the audience shouted out suggestions, Rhett humorously clarified, “This is not an interactive exercise.”

The evening’s final inductee was Hank Green, co-founder of VidCon. During his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude towards his brother, John Green, his long-time collaborator, highlighting that their mission has always been to improve things for the better.