Anok Yai "Snubbed" For "Model Of The Year" Again, And The Internet Is Over It

Anok Yai: luminous, fairy-like, history-making, and – if we have to be honest – snubbed. For the fourth year running, the Sudanese-American supermodel has been passed over for the British Fashion Council’s “Model of the Year” award.

Instead, the 2024 honor went to Alex Consani, who made history as the first transgender model to win the accolade. Shortly after, Yai faced backlash when she posted an image of Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift’s win at the 2009 VMAs to her Story, seemingly alluding to the snub. Despite the rumors of her being unhappy with the results, Yai took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Consani.

“Alex, I love you and I’m so proud of you,” she wrote, adding, “British Fashion Council, thank you but I don’t want it anymore.”

In another tweet, she said, “But Alex can be proud and I can be exhausted at the same time. It doesn’t take away how much love we have for each other.”

A Tale of Four Snubs

To truly grasp the frustration behind Yai’s response, you have to look at her record.

Born in Egypt to Sudanese parents, Yai moved to the U.S. at just two years old. Her family settled in New Hampshire, where she excelled academically, eventually pursuing a degree in biochemistry at Plymouth State University. The modeling world wasn’t even on her radar until Howard University’s 2017 homecoming, where a photographer’s viral Instagram shot turned her life upside down. Thanks to the candid snapshot, Yai caught the attention of modeling agencies, including IMG, but ultimately chose Next Models.

She quickly ascended to fashion royalty. By February 2018, Yai became the first Black model to open a Prada show in over two decades – a feat last achieved by Naomi Campbell in 1997. Since then, she’s fronted campaigns for Nike and Prada, graced countless magazine covers, and walked for nearly every major designer worth naming.

Yet, for four consecutive years, the British Fashion Council has overlooked her. Last year, the award went to Paloma Elsesser, a plus-size model making waves for body inclusivity. This year, it was Consani, who is also talented, but I can’t help but wonder: When will Anok Yai get her flowers?

The reactions to Yai’s loss were scathing, and I get it. “Anok Yai was robbed of MOTY twice in a row and I just want y’all to remember that when black women say they have to work 10x harder to get half as much as their white counterparts it’s not a joke. Especially in the fashion industry,” user @CindyGabriellek posted.

“anok yai being snubbed of the model of the year title yet again.. so disappointing,” said @xlovegalore.

"The utterly incomparable Anok Yai has just lost out on her rightfully deserved award of Model of the Year at the #FashionAwards2024 , because it was given to Alex Consani, a man pretending to be a woman, after a long year of stealing women’s jobs and opportunities in modelling," says @sugabelly.

@Woman4W tweeted, "He'll never have menstrual cramps, never get pregnant, his hips will never spread, his breasts will never grow, he's a designer's dream; we all know they hate women anyway, hence the insistence on designs for 'women' that only work if she has the physique of an anorexic teen boy."

Another person said that Yai had the “right to be upset,” especially after years of consistently going viral and rocking fashion shows. 

Yai’s supporters aren’t diminishing the significance of previous wins. They’re simply asking why Yai, with her unmatched work ethic, amazing walk, and insane beauty, keeps getting passed over. Yai herself has spoken about the importance of her visibility. In an interview with Vogue, she once said, “Me opening for one of the top fashion houses is a statement to the world – especially for Black women – that their beauty is something that deserves to be celebrated.”

Yet here we are, watching that same industry fail to celebrate her. Nevertheless, Yai’s recent tweet suggest she’s done chasing this particular award. She’s beyond it anyway.