The automotive world is full of a whole host of influencers and content creators, that has perhaps blown up over the last couple of years or so. There are some really big names out there such as the Hoonigan team, Adam LZ, Shmee150 and many more as well. One of the biggest is that of Larry Chen, the content creator best known for his amazing video content on epic car builds, and he is also of course famous for his amazing photographs of those builds and of racing events.
Chen is an incredible likeable human being and one who has an almost unrivalled passion for all things automobile. His content is incredible, and it is something that should get honored. And on that end, it was recently announced that Chen had won the first ever SEMA Automotive Influencer of the Year award. He fought off competition from the likes of Adam LZ and TJ Hunt, to take home a prestigious award and to earn a lot of recognition for some of the incredible things he does. And it is an award he thoroughly deserves too.
Chen Accepts A Huge Honor At SEMA 2022
Chen got presented with the award at the 2022 SEMA show by SEMA Chairman James Lawrence, in what is the first time the influencer award has been a feature at the show. As you might expect, Chen was hugely honored to get such an award and said “It is a huge honor to be nominated for this award, especially being alongside my peers. I am a content creator through and through, and I love telling the stories of backyard and garage builds along with the grandest collections.” Chen has certainly amassed a huge following.
Chen has amassed over 400,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and his content is wide and varied. He covers virtually anything, such as the recent videos on his 2022 SEMA build, which was his Toyota GR86 racer. Some of his other recent videos include the FJ Toyota Land Cruiser, a Pagani V12 swapped Mazda RX-7 and some rather special drifting cars as well. Chen’s channel is so diverse and rich in content and if you haven’t viewed any of his videos at all then you are absolutely missing out. Remember too, this is content we can all view for free on YouTube.
Why Chen Deserves The Recognition From SEMA
Chen shines the spotlight on cars and the people behind them that we might never see otherwise. It is all about telling the tale of the people behind the car, and why they created the car as well. Car’s such as Rod Millen’s Pennzoil Toyota Tacoma that went up Pikes Peak’s 100th running. Or the simply gorgeous Honda S800 from Daniel Wu, a video that amassed 1.2 million views on Chen’s YouTube channel. The videos are all interlaced with some of the amazing photographs that Chen takes too, helping to further tell the story.
It is also the sheer breadth and variety of cars that Chen showcases too. A lot of the focus is on Japanese and JDM cars, as they are perhaps his biggest love. He does also own a Nissan R32 GT-R that was recently on the Hagerty Appraiser series. But it is literally anything from modern cars like the GR Corolla, to American classics such as the Chevrolet Nova. Even drift cars, such as Federico Sceiffo’s Ferrari 599 Pro Drift machine, one of the most incredible cars that Chen has ever focused on. Chen has showcased it all.
Chen’s Work Has Reached Far And Wide
As SEMA themselves have said, Chen’s work reaches far and wide. His photos have graced the cover of various automotive magazines, and he has also of course worked with the Hoonigan team to create incredible content. His channel used to go by the name Hoonigan Autofocus. Chen is also a Canon Explorer of Light, and teaches photography classes and passes on his knowledge in the hope that he can inspire others who are themselves aspiring content creators. He has worked with some of the world's major OEMs and race teams too, and is highly regarded across the industry.
There Is No More Deserving A Winner Than Chen
Simply put, there is no one out there who is more deserving of this title at SEMA than Chen. He is always able to produce some truly incredible pieces of work and show off the very best of what the automotive world has to offer. His passion is clear in every photo and every video, and he is certainly one talented individual. But he doesn’t brag either, and is incredibly modest about the success that he has had. Chen is one very worthy winner of the 2022 SEMA Automotive Influencer of the Year award.
Source: SEMA Auto Show