A few weeks ago, Fox announced the final wave of nominees for its annual Teen Choice Awards, including the category for Choice Music Web Star. Among the six nominees was Christina Grimmie, the 22-year-old pop star who was shot and killed this past June while signing autographs after a concert
Christina Grimmie won a Teen Choice Award but wasn't mentioned on the show - fans aren't happy
By Emily Yahr
Washington Post·
4 mins to read
Subscribe to listen
Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The most high-profile complaint came from YouTube star Shane Dawson, who last month criticized the TCA account for a tweet that read "Retweet to vote in memory of @TheRealGrimmie for #ChoiceMusicWebStar."
Retweet to vote in memory of @TheRealGrimmie for #ChoiceMusicWebStar. #TeenChoice pic.twitter.com/CvOd6Ql6vk
— Teen Choice Awards (@TeenChoiceFOX) July 12, 2016
Dawson, who also bashed the show as "rigged" to his 3 million followers, called the tweet "disgusting": "Please don't use Christina to promote your fake a** award show," he wrote.
Dawson also didn't hold back: "I'm glad the tcas didn't do a memorial for Christina Grimmie. I don't want her beautiful face anywhere near that trash show."
and btw, I'm glad the tcas didn't do a memorial for Christina Grimmie. I don't want her beautiful face anywhere near that trash show.
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) August 1, 2016
Other angry tweets poured in. "@TeenChoiceFOX y'all do realise the amount of viewers you have just forever lost because of the Christina grimmie stunt you pulled right?" "i think it is absolutely absurd that the #TeenChoiceAwards did not mention christina grimmie. that is so heartless." "Using Christina Grimmie's death to get more viewers & then not even giving her any sort of tribute? Or acknowledgment? Beyond disgusted." Deplorable how #TeenChoice used Christina Grimmie to gain attention for the show, and didn't even have the decency of mentioning her ONCE."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
There were many, many more. One person started a Change.org petition asking that the "Teen Choice Awards & Fox formally apologise for disrespecting Christina Grimmie."
"Millions of hearts collectively shattered at the realisation that Teen Choice and Fox went out of their way to ignore and completely avoid addressing the terribly tragic passing of one of their own nominees," the petition said.
Before the TCAs aired, the nomination was well-received by Grimmie's manager, Brian Teefey, who posted on Grimmie's Facebook and Twitter accounts with messages asking fans to vote. "Let's please do all we can to ensure she takes home this win," he wrote. Rock band Boyce Avenue, up against Grimmie in the category, also urged fans to vote for Grimmie and honor her legacy.
Post by Brian: Plz tweet: My #TeenChoice vote for #ChoiceMusicWebStar is @TheRealGrimmie! pic.twitter.com/XDpW2WQPcc
— Christina Grimmie (@TheRealGrimmie) July 8, 2016
Fox did not respond to a query about why producers did not address Grimmie on the show. The two-hour broadcast did have somber moments: An emotional segment featured teens whose family members were killed by guns, from Cameron Sterling, the son of Alton Sterling, who was shot by Baton Rouge police, to JT Lewis, whose little brother, Jesse, was shot at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Actress Jessica Alba and singer Ne-Yo, who led the tribute, told the audience to take pictures of the victims' family members on stage and post photos with the hashtag #StoptheViolence.
