YouTube is back with Upfront TV week, with Trevor Noah hosting the 2026 Brandcast presentation for advertisers, and a large group of YouTube creators, including Dude Perfect and Alex Cooper, offering testimonials about the power of the platform. To conclude the evening, singer Chapel Lawn will take to the stage for a musical performance.
YouTube’s Brandcast Upfront returns to New York City’s Lincoln Center. The invite-only event begins on Wednesday, May 13th at 5:30pm ET.
Key executives on stage will once again be YouTube CEO Neil Mohan and Google President Sean Downey to “demonstrate how YouTube is not only America’s No. 1 streamer, but the future of media,” according to a statement from YouTube’s Brandcast. “At Brandcast, we will explore how brands can partner with creators and cultural moments to reach audiences while they stream, scroll, search, and shop.”
A former host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Noah’s YouTube channel has 4.5 million subscribers and features the podcast “What Now? With Trevor Noah” and the Verizon-sponsored YouTube-only long-form stand-up special “The LOST South African Show.” Noah hosted his sixth and final Grammy Awards ceremony earlier this year.
Grammy Award winner Chapel Lawn, who has 2.4 million YouTube followers, will also take the stage as Brandcast’s headline performer. According to YouTube, the platform “provided an early launching pad and discovery engine for her music,” including her NPR “Tiny Desk” for her Coachella performance.
The YouTube creators scheduled to appear on Brandcast are:
Adam W. (21 million subscribers): This comedy creator has “turned a viral short into a global brand” with over 19 billion views and has led to partnerships with brands like Jimmy John’s. Alex Cooper (2 million subscribers): Founder of Unwell Network and host of “Call Her Daddy,” which ranks as the most listened to podcast among women on YouTube (and other platforms) Ashley Alexander (1.9 million subscribers): Founder and CEO of Nami Matcha, a lifestyle creator known to her fans as “Mama Ashley” Dude Perfect (6,180 subscribers) 1,000,000): The legendary sports and trick-shot group behind the popular YouTube contest series “Squad Game.” Jesser (38.5 million subscribers): “Sports innovator known for his passionate collaborations” with athletes like Eli Manning. Kareem Rahma (922,000 total subscribers): Creator of the hit YouTube series “Subway Takes.” Morgan Jay (2.8 million subscribers) who is “reinventing the talk show format for a new generation,” according to YouTube, a creator specializing in interactive comedy who “turns viewers’ stories into hysterical, one-of-a-kind musical hits” Quenlyn Blackwell (3.3 million subscribers): Host of YouTube’s celebrity interview series “Feeding the Hungry Celebrities” Savannah Bananas (2.5 million subscribers): Reborn baseball team America’s pastime turned into a must-see entertainment spectacle version of the game Banana Ball
