BRAT summer. Moo Deng. Pookie. Gypsy Rose Blanchard. JoJo Siwa inventing gay pop. Not to be dramatic, but 2024 felt like a decade. We’ve endured a lot this year, so we’re acknowledging it the only way we know how: with an unsolicited awards show. Welcome to our 2nd annual Betch of the Year Awards, presented by Dunkin’.
Our Betch of the Year Awards honors the most viral, shocking, and WTF moments of 2024. This year, we brought together the most talked about stars of 2024 for a roundtable conversation and photo shoot: Reesa Teesa, who broke TikTok with her 52-part series Who TF Did I Marry?; Ann Maddox, the VPR breakout star as Tom (and Ariana’s) assistant; MJ Javid, meme queen of The Traitors; Megan Boni, creator of the summer anthem “Man in Finance”; Henrik Henrik Christiansen, lover of the Olympic Village chocolate muffins; Kirsty Paterson, the sad Oompa Loompa from the Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience; and Kate Wise (plus her shirtless dad, Will), whose excitement for the Four Seasons Orlando went viral.
In a year that’s been kind of demure and kind of mindful, we’re here to celebrate the chaos and the moments that really mattered. Keep scrolling to see the official nominees for 2024 Betch of the Year
Betch of the Year
As the most coveted win in our awards ceremony, the Betch of the Year is given to the individual who most embodies the true essence of being a Betch. It’s essentially the “Best Picture” award if you replace cinematography, plot, and cast with iconic behavior, notable virality, and the art of not giving a f.
Reesa Teesa
Who TF did she marry?!?! Reesa Teesa went mega-viral this year for her 50-part TikTok series about her alleged relationship with a “pathological liar.” Relatable. This woman gave us over eight hours of content and was way more captivating than Dune: Part Two.
Moo Deng
We’re all obsessed with this pygmy hippo who made Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut skin look drier than Mitch McConnell’s lips. Dewy little Moo Deng, whose name roughly translates “bouncy pig” in Thai, lives in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo. She’s more “babygirl” than Timotheé Chalamet and is famous for just being absurdly cute.
Charli XCX
We have a lot to thank Charli XCX for this year. For one, lime green hasn’t been this popular since Repatar. BRAT made us all feel like the hottest versions of ourselves this summer and, for that, we are indebted to her.
Ilona Maher
Team USA Rugby Player Ilona Maher first went viral for her TikTok comparing the Olympic Village to Love Island, saying she was trying to “couple early on.” Obsessed with this diva. She went on to drop jaws on the cover of Sports Illustrated and DWTS.
Jools Lebron
Q3 of 2024 was defined by three words: demure, mindful, and cutesy. This was thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron’s viral video turned sound. You see how we nominate for the Betch of the Year Awards? Very demure. Very mindful. Very cutesy.
Viral Sound
This category is dedicated to the sounds that take over your TikTok FYP page every 3-6 weeks — and then your IG reels roughly 8 weeks after that. If you find yourself talking in brain rot and making a 13 second sound bite your entire personality, make sure to vote.
“I feel like you’re just here for the zipline”
You may not know that this sound is from Tim Robinson’s Netflix series I Think You Should Leave in a Bachelorette-inspired sketch. This sound is best used on TikTok when you’re “not here for the right reasons.” Like, when you only agreed to go to that baseball game for the hot dogs.
“Orange drink, if you know you know”
Unfortunately, now we all know. This clip from Jennifer Lopez’s “Vogue’s 76 Questions” went viral mainly because it was just really hard to watch. In it, J.Lo tries her best to be relatable-Jenny while explaining her “go-to bodega order,” which included “a ham and cheese on a roll, a small bag of chips and an orange drink… if you know you know.”
“Spectacular gimme 14 of ’em right now”
It’s refreshing when we get a TikTok sound that’s not from Gen Z. This one went viral from couple Big Al and Vicky. Poor Vicky is desperately trying to get her husband to eat healthier. Luckily, he likes most of her cooking. In the case of this sound, he reacted to sweet potato and egg pancakes and gave the world the perfect response for when something is just that good.
“In the clerb, we all fam”
Maybe if Carrie Bradshaw wasn’t so insufferable, it would be a SATC sound that went mega-viral. But no, Broad City proves to be the superior NYC gal pal show. Everyone from politicians to celebrities have used this sound with a caption explaining a situation where “we all fam.” For example, Sabrina Carpenter wrote, “My 30-year-old fans trying to talk to my 12-year-old fans.” Harsh, but true.
“Do you know you have 30 minutes?”
You know it’s a good year when a Tiffany Pollard Flavor of Love sound makes its rounds. The best way to use this one is to express the utter urgency of a situation, when you’re ready to go out and your friend says she “just woke up.”
Meme of the Year
Memes have been one of the most constant things in our lives since 2010. Today, we see less of Kermit the Frog sipping tea with a large, Impact font caption and more of specific people whose images are burned into our brains. As we know, a meme is worth a thousand words, but which one really summarized 2024?
Raygun
Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, became a main character at the Paris Olympics. Despite losing literally all of her matches by scoring zero points against her rivals, the internet became obsessed with her thanks to her signature moves like “the kangaroo.”
Four Seasons Orlando Baby
Baby Kate knew what she wanted from a very young age… and that’s to go to the Four Seasons Orlando. In a viral video, Kate’s mom asks, “Who wants to go to the Four Seasons Orlando?” to which 1-year-old Kate responds ““MEEE!” while holding up a single finger. Yes, bb girl.
MJ Javid on Traitors
The 2024 season of Traitors had us questioning a lot. Like, is Pilot Pete actually kind of… hot? And where did Mercedes “MJ” Javid find those gorgeous denim cargo pants and that Ed Hardy-style mesh tattoo long sleeve shirt? The image of her looking completely dumbfounded is perfect for any situation.
Glasgow Willy Wonka
The discourse around the disastrous Willy Wonka “chocolate experience” in Glasgow was by far one of this year’s best. What was advertised as a fantastical, candy-coated immersive event was really just an empty warehouse with a series of sad-looking props and a now-viral image of an even sadder looking Oompa Loopa by the name of Kirsty Paterson.
Heather Gay on RHOSLC
Say it with me now, “RECEIPTS! PROOF! TIMELINE! SCREENSHOTS!” This was our battle cry in 2024. Heather Gay had the season of her life on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City when she called out Monica Garcia for secretly being Reality Von Tease, making us forget all about the Black Eye Fiasco.
Song of the Year
Listen, we’re not pretending to be the Grammys here. That’s not what this is. We’re focused on the certified bops that infiltrated our dreams for longer than we’d like to admit.
“Looking For a Man in Finance” – Girl on Couch
Megan Boni (aka Girl on Couch) had everyone and their mothers looking for a man in finance, 6”5, blue eyes. If you pretend “Espresso” never existed, this was the song of the summer. And if it taught us anything, it’s that we should all start saying random phrases in a fake British accent and post it on TikTok.
“Apple” – Charli XCX
If you didn’t spend at least an hour in front of your bedroom mirror practicing the “Apple” Dance, this category may not be for you. Not only does the song feel like an injection of straight serotonin, the viral TikTok dance claimed world domination.
“Coconut Tree (Brat Remix)” – @mxwlch03
This remix absolutely slapped and gave Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” a run for its money. While we will not hear this song at the 2025 induction ceremony, there’s a very high percent chance we randomly start humming it one day when we’re in an old age home and smile to ourselves.
“The Spark” – Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew
These Irish hip hop crews can take all my money. “The Spark” is by two groups made up of 15 kids, ages nine to 12, and they make Kidz Bop look like absolute garbage. While no Americans are 100% sure what they’re saying, it doesn’t really matter. It hits hard.
“Nasty” – Tinashe
Listening to this song while getting ready in the morning really sets the tone for the day. Of course, the chorus “is somebody gonna match my freak” took over TikTok with people using it to describe what they want in a relationship. Nasty Girls 4ever.
Reality Star Icon
At the end of the day, this category is the reason we do what we do. We are proud to honor the reality tv women who put their whole chest into one-liners, clapbacks, and general DGAF attitudes.
Whitney from Mormon Wives
Sure, Whitney’s villain status was kind of a shock, but she played that role as well as anyone could. We love her for her lack of hair extensions, her pot-stirring capabilities, and her origin story of posting a dancing TikTok while her baby was in the hospital with RSV.
Reality Von Tease
The season 4 finale of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was 43 minutes of pure reality TV euphoria, all thanks to Monica Garcia aka Reality Von Tease. A double agent housewife with a secret burner account? More of this.
Ann on VPR
While the Sandoval Fatigue on this season of Vanderpump Rules was very real, Tom’s assistant turned Ariana’s employee Ann was a beacon of hope. Any woman who has picked up Tom Sandoval’s dirty socks and underwear deserves a nomination — it’s the least we can do.
Chelsea Blackwell/Megan Fox
We stan Chelsea in this house. During the pod portion of Love Is Blind season 4, contestant Chelsea said she’s been told she looks like Megan Fox… and the internet erupted. When all was said and done, Megan herself defended Chelsea saying she believes there’s a resemblance. Take that!
PPG (Love Island)
The absolute icons that are the PPG (PowerPuff Girls) of Love Island USA season 6. Leah Kateb, Serena Page, and JaNa Craig really are what reality tv dreams are made of. Hot, badass, no BS women who seemingly have zero fear, what more could we want?
Niche Hyperfixation
Gone are the days of fixating on Emily Mariko’s salmon bowls, or making cottage cheese your entire personality. This year, our obsessions spanned a range of categories and topics… and no, we can’t say we’re proud of all of them.
Henrik Christiansen
Do you know the Muffin Man? It’s Olympic Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen. This young man went viral for posting TikToks of himself sneaking chocolate muffins into his Olympic Village room. Once other contestants caught wind, those muffins became harder to get than Eras Tour tickets.
Trad Wives
Being a trad wife is simultaneously the most and least 2024 thing ever. We’re breaking gender roles while fantasizing about leaving it all to get eggs from our chicken coops to make homemade cereal. We’ve had no choice but to obsess (positive and negative connotation) over the idea as a whole.
Holding Space for Defying Gravity
The amount of tears on the Wicked press tour could flood Oz. During one interview, a reporter told Cynthia Erivo that people have been “really holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.” What does that mean? Not important! But Cynthia is instantly overcome with emotion, while Ariana Grande holds onto her fingernail for emotional support.
Hawk Tuah
Hawk Tuah girl Hailey Welch went viral when a street reporter asked her what’s “one move that makes a man go crazy in bed?” Without missing a beat, Hailey said, “You gotta give him that *hawk tuah* and spit on that thang.” And then, much like Hannah Horvath, she became *a* voice of *a* generation.
Costco guys + the Rizzler
They bring the BOOM! That’s what they do!!! I STG these men better stay wholesome forever. We are collectively addicted to AJ Befumo, his son Big Justice, and The Rizzler. Father and son AJ and Big Justice became known for their explosive Costco reviews, while The Rizzler, who has his own social media presence, joined forces after becoming friends with Big J.
Quote of the Year
Once upon a time, quotes of the year used to be phrases like, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” or “you must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Today, we’re working with “spit on that thang” and “BBL Drizzy.” Sigh. If you can’t fight it, honor it.
“Is it Ruth Bader Ginsberg?” – Joey G
When shown a photo of Gypsy Rose Blanchard during Betches’ How Online Are You? video series and asked, “Do you know who this person is?” former Bachelor Joey Graziadei said with every ounce of confidence, “I do know who this person is! Ruth? Jinsberg? Ginsberg? Something like that?” So close, Joey, so close.
“oh lord sweet bb jesus, not Ekin-Su” – Phaedra Parks
Traitors season 2 really was the gift that kept on giving. When the rest of the players learned that Ekin-Su had been “killed” off, traitor Phaedra Parks put on the absolute show of her life while delivering this epic quote.
“I wanna start a new genre of music called gay pop” -JoJo Siwa
If Jojo Siwa has no fans, I am no longer with us. JoJo and her BowBow evolved this year into… something totally different. In one interview, she credited herself for inventing gay pop; if nothing else, you have to give the girl credit for her devotion to herself.
“D is fire” – Gypsy Rose Blanchard
After being released from prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard kept us up to date on *every* detail of her life via social media, despite no one really asking for it! When her then-husband Ryan got hate in the comment section, Gypsy wrote back saying “they jealous because you are rocking my world every night…yeah I said it, the D is fire.”
“What tour?” – cop who pulled over JT
Over the summer, Justin Timberlake was arrested by a cop who was too young to ever have the N*SYNC Hit Clip. Upon his arrest, JT muttered it was going to “ruin the tour.” The officer asked, “What tour?” Justin replied, “the world tour.” This became a meme that made millennials feel insanely old.
Feud of the Year
Since biblical times, there’s nothing that really gets the crowd going like a good old-fashion fight. David vs. Goliath has nothing on Blake Lively vs. Literally Everyone. For when your own life feels horribly dull and drama-free, we’re proud to present Feud of the Year.
Drake and Kendrick
The boys were fighting this spring. Drake and Kendrick Lamar went back to back to back to back… to back with diss tracks that made some pretty wild allegations against each other. The drama had us all on the edge of our seats and was an endless stream of entertainment. I mean, unless you’re a Drake fan.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
For over a month, there was nothing that consumed us more than what went down the set of It Ends With Us. Though we never got an official answer, we did witness a public takedown of Blake Lively that has forever changed the course of history. Sorry, Serena.
Chappell Roan vs Paps
This year, Chappell Roan made it a habit to call out obnoxious paparazzi on red carpets. She cursed, pointed fingers, rolled her eyes, and gave us the ultimate blueprint for how to handle awful family members during the holidays.
Us Gymnastics Team vs MyKayla Skinner
Well, they don’t call it gym-nice-tics! In a YouTube video posted during the Paris Olympics, former Olympian MyKayla Skinner essentially said this year’s team doesn’t have the “work ethic” she had. Simone clapped back with her IG caption when Team USA took home the gold, writing: “lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions.”
Nicki Minaj vs Megan Thee Stallion
You hate to see two women pitted against each other, but Megan’s Nicki diss track “Hiss” and Nicki’s response “Big Foot” honestly hit. Beyond the songs, both Megan and Nicki went after each other in interviews. Overall, this drama was better than anything we saw in And Just Like That…
Babygirl of the Year
The men in this category have a melancholy to them that makes you want to hold them tight — think Jacob Elordi curled up in a ball sipping a cup of tea with fuzzy socks and a cardigan. I hope that paints a picture for you.
Jack Schlossberg
JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, became the People’s Princess during this year’s election cycle. This Silly Goose has it all: Kennedy genes, luscious brown locks, a face chiseled by the gods, and a passion for politics.
Jonathan Bailey
Oh, Fiyero. If hearing even the tiniest clip of this man’s rendition of “Dancing Through Life” in the Wicked trailer did not make you kick your feet and resist the intense urge to find him and bury your face in his chest, this category may not land for you.
Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield’s “Chicken Shop Date” with Amelia Dimoldenberg was hands-down the best RomCom of the year (sorry to Glen Powell). The world collectively just wants to fall asleep on the couch, get tucked in by Andrew, and receive an ever-so-gentle forehead kiss.
Marcello Hernandez
If you haven’t seen the “Domingo” SNL sketch yet, I’m going to need you to minimize this screen real quick and go watch it. You back? Ok, so now you have a full understanding of why Marcello is in this category. Thank you and goodnight!
Stephen Nedoroscik
How can you not smile when looking at this man? Stephen became a viral sensation as the Team USA “pommel horse guy” at this year’s Olympics. His Clark Kent glasses and other-wordly upper body strength feel like an AI creation in the best way.
Wait, That Happened This Year?
And lastly, this category is dedicated to the idea that time is a construct. Come January, we tend to look back on the past year and think to ourselves, “no effing way that didn’t happen four years ago.” We’re here to tell you that even though it might take a quick trip in your mental time machine, these things did, in fact, happen in 2024.
Pookie
Southern couple Pookie and Jet took over TikTok this year with their outfit videos. Pookie’s husband Jet coined the phrase “Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight” and set a new standard for how all men should greet their partners, no matter the time of day or whether or not their hair has been brushed yet.
Mob Wives Aesthetic
Clean girls are out, Carmela Soprano is in. This year we swapped our blueberry milk nails for long-ass French tips and added at least three fur jackets to our wardrobes. Animal prints, flashy jewelry, and chic updos were this year’s hottest trend.
Tweens at Sephora
In seventh grade, we thought “Drunk Elephant” was just a hilarious name for our Webkinz. Armed with pink Stanley cups, the tweens of 2024 took over the aisles of Sephora and have better skin care routines than most millennials. Also, they couldn’t be more intimidating.
Selena, Kylie Lip Reader Drama
During a commercial break at this year’s Golden Globes, we got a visual of Selena Gomez gossiping with Taylor Swift. By the looks of it, Selena was telling Tay that she tried to take a picture with Timotheé Chalamet, but his GF Kylie Jenner said NO! We spent hours analyzing the interaction, because what else do we have to do?
Elmo Checking In
Poor, sweet, Elmo. His only crime was posting a video on X checking in to see how all his friends were doing. Harmless! Elmo’s video was met with thousands of responses of people being, like, super honest about their current state. Guess how everyone’s doing, Elmo? Not well, bitch!
Make sure to vote for your favorites and come back on December 9 to see the winner.
