Kai Cenat’s rise as one of the biggest streamers on the internet has come with monumental pressure, and during this year’s Streamer Awards, the 23-year-old finally peeled back the curtain on what that pressure has cost him. Fresh off his break following “Mafiathon 3,” his marathon streaming event that dominated platforms in September, Cenat used his acceptance speech for Best Streamed Collab to speak directly to creators and fans. He didn’t focus on wins, milestones, or virality, instead, he talked about something many influencers avoid: burnout and mental well-being. With millions watching his every move, Cenat reminded the streaming world that success means nothing if the person behind the camera isn’t okay.
Kai Cenat encourages collaboration, mental balance, and turning to simple joys
During his speech, Cenat addressed a part of his life most viewers never see. “One thing I wanted to say to you guys tonight is I hope a lot of creators in here and everybody at home and the viewers and the streamers really take care of your mental health,” he said. He explained that during his time away, he found solace in anime, sharing, “I just noticed that recently I just been going through things in my head and I was able to, you know, turn to anime; Death Note, Naruto recently since I’ve been gone and I just been able to find happiness within that.”Cenat then reminded fellow creators why streaming culture needs unity instead of rivalry. “Us collabing is everything … as long as we don’t tear each other apart and let that get in between us, we going to be just fine. So, I appreciate y’all.”His message arrived on a night filled with tense, awkward humor, especially when fellow streamer FanFan delivered jokes about Cenat’s haircut and content with noticeably flat audience reactions. Streamer Tylil fired back on his behalf, saying, “If you’re going to be on the mic making jokes, at least let it be funny. Have a good night.”Cenat’s honesty, combined with the support from his peers, made the moment stand out far beyond awards. For a digital generation watching creators burn out in real time, his message was simple: treat your mind like the most valuable part of your career.Also Read: Streamer Awards 2025: Why Kai Cenat didn’t win the Streamer of the Year award? What went wrong and more explained
