There’s a certain kind of artist who doesn’t just participate in culture, they shape it. Akilah Hughes (pronounced UH-KEE-LUH) is one of those artists.

She’s a cultural satirist whose work uses comedy to interrogate power, media, and modern American life.

As the creator of Crooked Media’s chart-topping, award-winning What a Day, Akilah made daily news feel like something you actually wanted to hear: equal parts clarity and charisma. Her writing earned her a WGA Award nomination and a collaboration with Steven Soderbergh (casual) on a climate-conscious series that proved activism and artistry can go hand-in-hand. Her memoir, Obviously: Stories from My Timeline (Penguin Random House), reads like a millennial’s coming-of-age mixtape: honest, hilarious, and sharply observed.

She’s a Sundance Episodic Story Lab Fellow and a USC x MacArthur Foundation Civic Media Fellow, accolades that speak to both her storytelling prowess and her commitment to public good. Since 2013, she’s created and collaborated on videos for HBO, ABC, Comedy Central, and her own YouTube channel, racking up over 100 million views with work that feels both timeless and of-the-moment.

Her 2024 podcast Rebel Spirit (Webby and Signal Award-winning, naturally) is quintessential Akilah: a return to her Kentucky roots, a challenge to outdated systems, and a case for choosing joy…or biscuits…over bigotry. It’s activism with style, nostalgia with bite.

There’s a polish to her work, as the small and personal becomes big and universal. A Southern-born, self-described coastal elite, her work offers a broader perspective about how to envision a better future.

To watch Akilah Hughes work is to watch someone build a world where jokes are smart, justice is joyful, and the story is always worth hearing.