# Shane Dawson

> Shane Dawson (born Shane Lee Yaw) is one of YouTube's original superstar creators, a Long Beach kid who turned a camera and a knack for characters into 4.8 billion combined channel views. Over nearly two decades he pivoted from sketch comedy to celebrity documentary deep-dives, co-authored two New York Times bestselling memoirs, won multiple Streamy Awards, and launched a record-setting makeup collaboration with Jeffree Star. After a high-profile controversy and YouTube demonetization in 2020, he returned in 2021, relocated to a Colorado farm with his husband Ryland Adams, and in 2023 welcomed twin sons. By 2025 he was back with another Jeffree Star docuseries, rebuilding quietly but unmistakably.

- **Role:** Content Creator & Podcaster
- **Organizations:** YouTube, ShaneDawsonTV
- **From:** Long Beach, California, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Lakewood High School
- **Known for:** 2010 Streamy Award - Best Vlogger, 2010 Teen Choice Award - Choice Web Star, 2018 Streamy Award - Creator of the Year

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Launched YouTube channel 'ShaneDawsonTV' on March 10; fired from Jenny Craig after uploading workplace videos
- **2009-2010** — Rose to YouTube prominence with sketch comedy and celebrity impersonations; Forbes named him 25th most famous web celebrity (2010)
- **2010** — Won Streamy Award for Best Vlogger and Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star
- **2012** — Released debut single 'Superluv!' (charted UK Indie #16); acted in horror film 'Smiley'
- **2013** — Launched 'Shane and Friends' podcast (ran 140 episodes over four years)
- **2014** — Directed, produced, and starred in film 'Not Cool' ($800K budget); won 'The Chair' competition and $250,000 prize
- **2015** — Published first memoir 'I Hate Myselfie' (New York Times bestseller); came out as bisexual
- **2016** — Published second memoir 'It Gets Worse' (New York Times bestseller); appeared in 'Internet Famous' comedy film
- **2018** — Produced acclaimed docu-series: 'The Truth About TanaCon', 'The Secret World of Jeffree Star', 'The Mind of Jake Paul'; won Streamy Creator of the Year
- **2019** — Released 'Conspiracy Series with Shane Dawson' and 'The Return of Eugenia Cooney'; launched 'The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star' (130M+ views); won Shorty Award for YouTuber of the Year
- **2019** — Co-launched Jeffree Star x Shane Dawson makeup collaboration - reportedly one of the best-selling beauty collaborations in YouTube history
- **2020** — YouTube indefinitely suspended monetization across all channels amid controversy; Target removed his books from shelves
- **2021** — Returned to YouTube on October 7 after hiatus; moved to Colorado with Ryland Adams, purchased $2.2M farm
- **2022** — Launched 'The Shane Dawson Podcast'; co-created 'The New World of Jeffree Star' docu-series
- **2023** — Married Ryland Adams on January 3; welcomed twin sons via surrogacy on December 10
- **2025** — Released new docuseries 'The Cancelled World of Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson'; continued podcast

## Achievements

- 2010 Streamy Award - Best Vlogger
- 2010 Teen Choice Award - Choice Web Star
- 2018 Streamy Award - Creator of the Year
- 2018 Streamy Award - Documentary ('The Truth About TanaCon')
- 2018 Streamy Award - Editing ('The Truth About TanaCon')
- 2018 People's Choice Award - Social Star of 2018
- 2019 Shorty Award - YouTuber of the Year
- 2019 Streamy Award - Documentary
- Two New York Times bestselling memoirs ('I Hate Myselfie', 'It Gets Worse')
- 4.8+ billion combined views across YouTube channels
- 28+ million combined YouTube subscribers
- 'The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star' surpassed 130 million views
- Forbes named him 25th most famous web celebrity in 2010
- Jeffree Star x Shane Dawson makeup collaboration was one of YouTube's most commercially successful beauty launches
- Shot and directed 'Not Cool' on an $800,000 budget and won 'The Chair' competition

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Released new docuseries 'The Cancelled World of Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson' on YouTube
- **2025-01** — Continued 'The Shane Dawson Podcast' with new episodes
- **2023-12** — Twin sons born via surrogacy on December 10, 2023
- **2023-01** — Married Ryland Adams on January 3, 2023

## Links

- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/shanedawson
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shanedawson
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanedawson/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/shane-dawson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-19