See Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Years-Long Friendship in Photos

Emma UrdangenWed, June 17, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

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Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers on May 11, 2026 in New York City.Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCUniversal via Getty -

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang launched their hit podcast Las Culturistas in 2016

The podcast has featured celebrity guests like Tina Fey, Mandy Moore and former first lady Michelle Obama in its decade-long run

The fifth annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards air on Bravo and Peacock on June 17

Calling all "Readers," "Kateighs," "Publicists" and "Finalists," the fifth annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards (LCCAs) have arrived.

The awards ceremony, created by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang on their podcast Las Culturistas, took place at Radio City Music Hall on May 30 and will air on June 17 on Bravo and Peacock.

What started in 2016 as a weekly culture debrief they "knew" no one would listen to has grown into a community of devoted listeners and memorable conversations with their best friends and legends like Cole Escola, Tina Fey and former first lady Michelle Obama.

"I think what we're building with the podcast is inside jokes for everybody to be in on," Rogers told PEOPLE in 2025 about the show's appeal. "We have a deep well of bits, of friends, of random people we met—and it's all wonderful strolls down memory lane."

With weekly segments like "What was the culture that made you say culture was for you?" and "I Don't Think So Honey," the pals are still having fun a decade later.

"This is just a playdate with my best friend," Yang told the Wall Street Journal in 2026.

As the duo celebrates a decade of podcasting, look back at Rogers and Yang's most memorable moments in photos.

01 of 11

Friendship at Second Sight

Matt Rogers and Bowen YangCredit: Matt Rogers/Instagram

The pair were introduced by mutual friends as 19-year-old students at New York University, and it wasn't exactly an instant connection.

"We were like, 'You think we're going to be friends just because we're gay? No way!' " Rogers recalled to NPR in 2019.

Then, later on at a Halloween party, they realized they were the only two guests who knew the lyrics to Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge." From that moment, they were inseparable.

02 of 11

Starting Las Culturistas

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang in June 2015.Credit: Matt Rogers/Instagram

Rogers and Yang kicked off their now-notable show by recapping the 2016 Grammys and declaring, "We're gonna attack culture, we're gonna improve culture and we're going to irrigate culture."

The then-26-year-old Rogers and 25-year-old Yang couldn't have guessed their show would explode in the way it did.

"We had no hopes and dreams," Yang told the Wall Street Journal, "and then somehow the numbers kept growing."

03 of 11

The Tribe Grows

Bowen Yang, Parvati Shallow and Matt Rogers in April 2024.Credit: Matt Rogers/Instagram

Their listenership grew during 2020 as Rogers and Yang documented their real-time experiences with the world shutting down, and, in true pandemic fashion, recruited fans to join them in their Survivorbinge watch.

"That's what [listeners] wanted, to connect and hear a friendship in action," Rogers told PEOPLE about the show's surge in popularity during that time.

04 of 11

Hitting the Big Screen

Matt Rogers, Bowen Yang and Tomás Matos in 'Fire Island.'Credit: Jeong Park/Searchlight

The pair took their hilarious dynamic past the headphones and onto the big screen in 2022 when they starred in Joel Kim Booster's film Fire Island.

Since then, they've appeared as a couple in season 1 of Benito Skinner's Overcompensating. According to Variety, they will be writing and starring in an upcoming Searchlight comedy inspired by a Search Engine podcast episode about the exclusive Berlin nightclub Berghain.

05 of 11

Advertisement

Pop Princes

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang at a Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert in May 2023.Credit: Matt Rogers/Instagram

Rogers and Yang are nothing if not stans. From the Beyhive to the Swiftieverse, the duo's reviews of the latest pop albums and iconic concerts remain staples of their show.

Taylor Swift herself even phoned in to accept her "Cultch Award" for "Best Taylor Swift" and "Best Tayla Swiff" at the 2023 LCCAs.

"I feel really seen because finally somebody spelled my name right," she joked in a video.

06 of 11

Pod Royalty

Matt Rogers, Bowen Yang and Kelly Clarkson on the Kelly Clarkson Show.Credit: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty

Even the pop culture authorities have their favorites. For Rogers, that's Kelly Clarkson, and for Yang, it's Lady Gaga. In 2023 and 2025, respectively, each singer was a guest on the podcast, and the duo naturally freaked out.

"Letting my 12 year old self know he met the girl who kept him going for years and she was beyond his expectations," Rogers captioned an Instagram about Clarkson's episode. While Yang wrote on Instagram, "@ladygaga thank you we love you i still can't believe this."

07 of 11

And the "Cultch" Goes To ...

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang attend the Las Culturistas Culture Awards on June 15, 2024 in New York City.Credit: John Nacion/Getty

The LCCAs began in 2021 as a running joke between the pals and their listeners, but have since evolved into a full-fledged, red-carpet affair that raises the bar each year.

Highlights of past shows include Ben Platt performing a rendition of Addison Rae's "Diet Pepsi," Lisa Rinna parading the stage dressed as each of the "Outfit of the Year" nominees and Mandy Moore winning the "Lifetime of Culture Award."

"This is something that started as a bit," Yang told PEOPLE in 2025, "but what is also true is that we put a lot of hard work into it."

08 of 11

Side Quests

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'Credit: Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty

Whether they're attending the Universal Epic Universe opening in Orlando, cheffing up Yang's mother's mapo tofu for The New York Times or hosting NBC's official Olympics podcast Two Guys Five Rings, the duo is always up to some delightful adventure.

09 of 11

Changed For the Better

Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers attend the 97th Annual Oscars on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California.Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty

Yang played Pfannee in Wickedand Wicked: For Good, and the Saturday Night Live star brought Rogers as his plus-one to the 2025 Oscars, where the first filmreceived 10 nominations.

While recapping Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's performance of "For Good," in the second film,Rogers told Yang on their podcast, "I am powerless to that song and that moment because I just think of you, my best friend."

10 of 11

Late-Night Legends

Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, and host Seth Meyers during "Day Drinking" on September 23, 2025.Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC

The besties are a talk show host's dream with their playful banter and prepared bits. From facing off on Hot Ones to presenting Stephen Colbert the award for "Best Future Podcaster" and day drinking with Seth Meyers, they know how to wow a crowd.

Meyers himself took home the "Cultch Award" for "Best Vibe Hands Down," in 2024 and 2025.

11 of 11

The Culture Awards

Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers during the Las Culturistas Culture Awards.Credit: Monty Brinton/Bravo via Getty

The fifth annual LCCAs will air on June 17 on Peacock and Bravo, and fans are in for a treat. With cameos from Saturday Night Live stars, Real Housewives icons and even Pikachu himself, Bowen told the Wall Street Journal this is the "peak."

"If I could go back to those 19-year-olds that met and became such close friends, and told them what would happen," Yang told PEOPLE, "It'd be kind of crazy."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”