The Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards | The Vertical Buzz Season 1 Finale: Ep 12

Welcome to the Season 1 finale of The Vertical Buzz. This is a special edition episode and a full preview of the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards happening this Thursday in Los Angeles. Vertical is moving fast, but the biggest story is even bigger: fans are not just watching anymore. Fans are shaping what wins, what gets made, and what becomes the next breakout. Buzz Leer is joined in studio by Sam Silliman and Amy Sullivan Riley, with Jen Cooper joining remotely from the UK. Jen is the founder of Vertical Drama Love and the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, and this episode is your inside look at how the awards work, what makes a winner, and why this community has grown into a sold out live Hollywood theatre event with a global live stream. Then the panel breaks down the top nominees in the Vertical of the Year category, reacts to nominee clips, talks genre trends, and debates what is actually pushing the medium forward right now. If you love vertical dramas, this is the episode to watch before the big night. Welcome to the Season 1 finale of The Vertical Buzz. This is a special edition episode and a full preview of the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards happening this Thursday in Los Angeles. Vertical is moving fast, but the biggest story is even bigger: fans are not just watching anymore. Fans are shaping what wins, what gets made, and what becomes the next breakout. Buzz Leer is joined in studio by Sam Silliman and Amy Sullivan Riley, with Jen Cooper joining remotely from the UK. Jen is the founder of Vertical Drama Love and the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, and this episode is your inside look at how the awards work, what makes a winner, and why this community has grown into a sold out live Hollywood theatre event with a global live stream. Then the panel breaks down the top nominees in the Vertical of the Year category, reacts to nominee clips, talks genre trends, and debates what is actually pushing the medium forward right now. If you love vertical dramas, this is the episode to watch before the big night. In this episode, you will learn: • How the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards works and how the winners are chosen • What separates a nominee from a winner and why global voting matters • What makes a vertical feel like a true Vertical of the Year contender in 2026 • Why vertical is evolving so fast and how audience behavior drives what gets made • Reactions and debate on the top Vertical of the Year nominees across multiple platforms • How the Fan Awards grew from an online fan project into a live event in Los Angeles • Where vertical entertainment is headed next and what fans are demanding more of Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fan Awards 01:32 Meet the Panel 02:11 Amy Sullivan Riley Spotlight 03:36 Sam Silliman Spotlight 05:01 Jen Cooper Spotlight 06:37 How the Awards Work 08:54 What Makes a Winner 20:07 Sponsor Break 21:13 Nominee Clips Begin 44:56 Halfway Front Runners 49:25 Rom-Com Nostalgia 50:42 Pizza Guys Meet Vampires 52:33 Camp Horror in Vertical 54:54 Queen of the Court 58:04 Sponsor Break Aero AC150 58:44 Queen Never Cry Again 01:02:50 Taming My Bullies 01:07:07 Water Boy BL Hit 01:12:50 Picking the Overall Winner 01:17:33 Fan Awards Origin Story Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers) AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces. Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration. Website: AEIRO.co Guest: Sam Silliman (@samanthaalex) Sam Silliman is an award-winning executive producer and showrunner known for crafting high quality digital and narrative content for major platforms including Vice, Hulu, Starz, Netflix, and HBO. Since entering the vertical space in 2023, her projects have generated hundreds of millions of views. She is known for thoughtful leadership, strong collaborations, and prioritizing an exceptional on-set experience. Guest: Amy Sullivan Riley (@amsullz) Amy Sullivan Riley began in traditional film and television before becoming an early adopter in the vertical drama space in the United States. She is currently the Head of US Content for Flare Flow and has served as head writer and executive producer on more than 15 micro dramas. Her recent hit Oops, I Married My Bestie’s Brother reached a record 220 million views in 10 days. Guest: Jen Cooper (@verticaldramalove) Jen Cooper is the founder of Vertical Drama Love and a globally recognized voice in vertical and micro dramas. Through reviews, commentary, and fan driven initiatives like the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, she has helped connect fans, creators, and industry professionals worldwide. The awards drew tens of thousands of votes across more than 100 countries and are bringing the community together in Los Angeles for a li