Anthony Edwards has created an awards race where a movie star, a pop singer, a football player, and a soccer phenomenon can all make a convincing case for the same trophy. Somehow, the hardest part of his White Boy of the Year category might involve taking the nominees seriously.

The Believe That Awards graphic lists Tom Holland, Erling Haaland, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, and Travis Kelce. That is a stacked field, with five very different answers to one question: Who had the year worth celebrating?

Honestly, any of them could win. Pattinson gets my slight edge if we judge the volume of compelling work. Haaland makes that choice difficult, though, after a World Cup summer that gave Norway a much bigger spotlight.

View this post on Instagram

Timothée Chalamet set the tone last year

Edwards introduced the Believe That Awards through a YouTube livestream with his friends, mixing celebrity appearances with categories that reflected his sense of humor.

Timothée Chalamet claimed the inaugural trophy over Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise, Mr. Beast, and Pat McAfee, SI reports. He even checked in from Budapest while working on Dune: Part Three.

The exchange captured the show's appeal. Edwards rattled off celebrities he admired, including Bieber, Sandler, Jason Statham, and Liam Neeson, without trying to sound like an awards presenter reading a teleprompter.

Elsewhere, he spread the Hater of the Year honor among all four finalists and told reporter Shams Charania to contact him before publishing any potential trade news.

Those moments explain why this category works. Edwards invites viewers into the kind of argument friends might have while watching television. The title supplies the joke. The nominees give everyone something to debate.

Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson bring serious movie credentials

Holland has the most straightforward commercial argument. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has collected approximately $955.2 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo. Its opening weekend alone generated about $360.1 million.

Those numbers give his nomination substance beyond name recognition. When the conversation turns to who delivered a massive movie moment, Holland arrives with a box office total that demands attention.

Pattinson counters with variety. His 2026 slate includes The Drama, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and Primetime, with Dune: Part Three scheduled for December 18. That last film still lies ahead, so his case right now should rest on the work audiences can already watch.

For me, that distinction strengthens the argument rather than weakening it. He already has three releases to discuss before the fourth arrives. His nomination invites a broader conversation about the year he has put together, instead of depending on one enormous opening.

Holland has the clearest numerical flex. Pattinson has the fuller film slate. Choosing between them means deciding whether one towering success outweighs a run of different projects.

Justin Bieber and Travis Kelce delivered very different spectacles

Bieber made his case onstage. He headlined Coachella on April 11 and April 18, with his second weekend featuring Billie Eilish during “One Less Lonely Girl” and SZA for “Snooze.”

Then he joined the World Cup final's inaugural halftime show on July 19. Alongside a lineup featuring Madonna, BTS, and Shakira, Bieber performed an acoustic version of “Everything Hallelujah,” adjusting the ending to acknowledge the tournament.

My take: Coachella and the World Cup gave Bieber two enormous platforms, and he belongs in this conversation. Whether you preferred one performance over the other, dismissing his nomination would require overlooking both.

Kelce's defining moment took a different form. He and Taylor Swift married July 3 at Madison Square Garden. Reuters reported that organizers built a garden inside the arena, the couple exchanged vows they wrote themselves, and Stevie Nicks sang.

An arena wedding gives Kelce a distinctly different argument from the other nominees. Nobody needs to pretend a marriage equals a film performance or a World Cup goal. The contrast makes the category entertaining.

Article Continues Below

If Edwards wants to celebrate the year's most memorable personal milestone, Kelce has his pitch. If the award centers on professional output, the other four have stronger cases.

Erling Haaland gives Pattinson his toughest competition

Haaland brings the argument back to competition. UEFA records seven goals for the Norway striker during the 2026 World Cup and lists the quarterfinals as Norway's best tournament finish.

FIFA also highlighted his two goals against Brazil in the round of 16 and announced that fans selected his strike as that round's best goal.

That is the heart of his candidacy. Haaland gave his country a summer worth remembering, turning his own scoring performances into a story bigger than himself.

Pattinson remains my narrow choice for the range of work he delivered. But Haaland offers the strongest challenge because his year combined individual brilliance with national significance.

Holland has the receipts, Bieber has the stages, and Kelce has the wedding. There is no easy dismissal here.

Edwards started with a funny premise. This year's nominees have supplied an actual argument.