Collins Key
{{Short description|American YouTuber and magician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Collins Key
| image = Collins Key (2014).jpg
| caption = Key in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|5|9}}
| birth_place = Arizona, U.S.
| occupation = {{Hlist|YouTuber|entertainer|comedian|magician}}
| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|embed=yes
| channel_handle = CollinsKey
| channel_display_name = Collins Key
| years_active = 2011–2021
| genres = {{flatlist|
- Magic tricks
- Entertainment}}
| subscribers = 23.9 million
| subscriber_date = March 2024
| views = 6.71 billion
| view_date = March 2024
}}
}}
Collins Key (born May 9, 1996){{cn|date=June 2022}} is an American retired YouTuber, entertainer, comedian, and magician. As of March 2024, his channel has amassed nearly 24 million subscribers,{{cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/collinskey|title=Collinskey YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com|website=Socialblade.com|accessdate=February 9, 2019}} generating more than 75 million views per month with over 6.7 billion total lifetime views. As a magician, he was a finalist on the eighth season of America's Got Talent,{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/460499/america-s-got-talent-season-8-finale-did-kenichi-ebina-taylor-williamson-or-jimmy-rose-win|title=America's Got Talent Finale: Find Out Who Won!|date=September 19, 2013|website=E! Online|accessdate=February 9, 2019}} and later toured as part of Demi Lovato's Neon Lights tour.
Key created and starred in a campaign for AT&T called The Disappearing Girl,{{cite web|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2016/11/04/collins-key-hello-lab-the-disappearing-girl/|title=Collins Key Debuts Interactive Series For Hello Lab Dubbed 'The Disappearing Girl'|date=November 4, 2016|website=Tubefilter.com|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2016/11/03/collins-key-disappearing-girl-att-fullscreen-hello-lab-series/|title=Magician Collins Key searches for mystery girl in new digital series|first=Saba|last=Hamedy|website=Mashable.com|date=November 3, 2016 |accessdate=February 9, 2019}} for which he received a number of awards.{{cite web|url=http://shortyawards.com/9th/disappearing-girl|title="The Disappearing Girl" - A YA Interactive Drama Played Out Over Social Media - The Shorty Awards|website=Shortyawards.com|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/adweeks-arc-awards-recognizing-the-best-brand-storytelling-of-2017/|title=Adweek's Arc Awards: Recognizing the Best Brand Storytelling of 2017|website=Adweek.com|date=January 15, 2018 |accessdate=February 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://insights.la/2017/06/20/cannes-lions-2017-design-media-product-design-shortlists/|title=Cannes Lions 2017: Design, Media y Product Design|date=June 20, 2017|website=Insights.la|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/7th-annual-nominees/|title=7th Annual Nominees|website=Streamys.org|accessdate=February 9, 2019}} Key has also been nominated for multiple Teen Choice Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/956235/teen-choice-awards-2018-winners-the-complete-list|title=Teen Choice Awards 2018 Winners: The Complete List|date=August 13, 2018|website=E! Online|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wetheunicorns.com/news/teen-choice-award-youtuber-winners/|title=Here are the YouTubers who won big at the Teen Choice Awards|website=We The Unicorns|accessdate=February 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327101334/https://www.wetheunicorns.com/news/teen-choice-award-youtuber-winners/|archive-date=March 27, 2019|url-status=dead}}
Early life
Key was born on May 9, 1996, in Los Angeles, California. His parents are Steven and Anne Key, and he has a younger brother, Devan Key, who he regularly collaborates with on his YouTube channel. At age 13, after doing magic for nine months, he was accepted into the elite Junior Program at the Hollywood Famous Magic Castle.{{cn|date=February 2021}}
Career
At 16 years of age, Key was discovered on YouTube by the producers of America's Got Talent, and invited to appear on their eighth season. Key became the first magician to make the finals of the show. He is often referred to as "Magic’s First Pop Star".{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} In 2013, he toured across the country with America’s Got Talent, visiting 36 cities in six weeks.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130919006556/en/America%E2%80%99s-Talent-Live%E2%84%A2-Announces-Full-Tour-Line-up|title=America's Got Talent Live™ Announces Full Tour Line-up Including Season 8 Winner, Kenichi Ebina|date=September 19, 2013|website=Businesswire.com|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}
In 2014, Key joined Demi Lovato on her Neon Lights tour,{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1232089/collins-key-brings-magic-touch-to-demi-lovato-tour/|title=Collins Key brings magic touch to Demi Lovato tour - Globalnews.ca|date=March 26, 2014|website=Globalnews.ca|accessdate=February 9, 2019}} opening for the singer with other acts such as Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, and Cher Lloyd. Each night, Key hosted and performed magic. In addition, he was asked to present at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards alongside other presenters including Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner.{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/565374/sarah-hyland-picked-to-cohost-teen-choice-awards-2014-with-teen-wolf-hunk-tyler-posey|title=Sarah Hyland Is Teaming Up With a Teen Wolf Hunk|date=August 1, 2014|website=E! Online|accessdate=February 9, 2019}}
File:Collins Key, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.jpg (September 2020) ]]
After his appearance on America's Got Talent, he focused on his YouTube channel, growing from 2 million to 18 million subscribers in two years. He and his brother, Devan, primarily upload comedy videos. He also created, produced and starred in web series The Disappearing Girl in partnership with AT&T. The series won a Shorty Award, an AdWeek Arc Award, a Cannes Lions Award, and a Streamy Award.
In 2017, Key was the first digital creator given the opportunity to create and produce six weeks of interstitial content for Disney Channel leading into the Fall Season Friday Night Lineup.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} The same year, he gave a TEDx talk at the University of Santa Barbara about his experiences as a magician.{{cite web|url=https://tedxsantabarbara.com/tedxsb-2017/|title=Welcome to TEDxSantaBarbara 2017 - Outside IN|website=TEDxSantaBarbara 2019|accessdate=February 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210014435/https://tedxsantabarbara.com/tedxsb-2017/|archive-date=February 10, 2019|url-status=dead}}
In 2018, Key headlined the YouTube FanFest concert in Mumbai, India,{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/let-the-magic-begin-collins-key-5113669/|title=YouTube sensation and illusionist Collins Key on headlining the YouTube India FanFest|date=March 28, 2018|website=Indianexpress.com|accessdate=February 9, 2019}} and was nominated for Choice Male Web Star and Choice Comedy Web Star at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards. In 2020 he surpassed 22.5 million subscribers on YouTube.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{YouTube|handle=CollinsKey}}
{{America's Got Talent}}
{{Academy of Magical Arts Junior Achievement Award}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Collins}}
Category:Academy of Magical Arts Junior Achievement Award winners