Akash Vukoti Explained

Akash Vukoti
Birth Date:29 May 2009
Birth Place:Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Years Active:2012–present

Akash Vukoti (born May 29, 2009) is an Indian-American child prodigy, TV personality, and motivational speaker from San Angelo, Texas. He competed for a record 6 times at the Scripps National Spelling Bee and was the first-ever first grader to compete in the bee. His first television appearance was in the NBC TV show Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey in March 2016.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Academic achievements

Vukoti competed in his first spelling bee when he was 2 years old.[5] He was inducted into American Mensa at the age of 3 and became a Davidson Young Scholar[6] at the age of 5.[7] He became the first-ever first grader to compete in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 6 years, in 2016.[8] [9] [10] [11] He later competed in the 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bees. This made Vukoti the only person to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee for a record 6 times.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Television shows & media coverage

Vukoti was featured on several TV shows, such as Little Big Shots in Season 1 (2016), Season 2 (2017) and Little Big Shots UK (Episode 4) in 2017.[22] [23] [24] He was also featured on the Steve Harvey talk show,[25] [26] Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[27] [28] and The Preachers[29] in 2016. He appeared as a guest on the Harry show in 2017. Akash was also featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show on November 10, 2020.

On September 25, 2018, Vukoti was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on ,[30] [31] a spin-off of Dancing with the Stars. He is the youngest celebrity competitor in Dancing with the Stars history.[32] [33] His professional partner was Kamri Peterson and the couple were mentored by Witney Carson. The trio were eliminated 7th from the competition on November 18, 2018.

Vukoti was interviewed live on CNN International from Hong Kong and CTV from Canada in 2016.[34] He was interviewed on Australia’s The Morning Show of Seven Network in 2019[35] and again in 2021, and by TV9 Telugu in Hyderabad, India on January 14, 2020.[36] Vukoti runs his YouTube channel,[37] which has garnered over 800,000 subscribers and over 125 million views as of May 2023.[38] Vukoti has also done commercials for IBM,[39] Amazon Kindle[40] and the Scripps National Spelling Bee.[41]

Documentaries and films

Vukoti has been featured in HBO and BBC documentaries. Episode 231 of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel titled “Brain Games and Mental Athletes” featured Vukoti and aired on June 21, 2016, on HBO. The BBC documentary The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed showcased Vukoti's talent in the episode "Learn" and aired on October 9, 2017, on BBC Two.[42]

He has been featured in the award-winning documentary film Spelling the Dream,[43] [44] [45] [46] [47] which released on Netflix on June 3, 2020, in over 190 countries. The film has generated positive reviews from around the world.[48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53]

Public speaking

As of 2024, Vukoti has embarked on a second career in motivational speaking. He presents keynote speeches at various companies, schools, and school districts. Notably, he delivered a keynote address at the Charter Institute at Erskine School District Principals' Meeting in Columbia, South Carolina on February 28th, 2024.[54] Additionally, he gave the commencement speech at a high school graduation in Charleston, South Carolina on June 1st, 2024, while he was still a high school freshman.[55] Furthermore, he has delivered numerous motivational speeches at multiple colleges and schools throughout India.[56] [57] [58] [59]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDistributorCountryRelease DateRef.
2017The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life RevealedBBCUKOctober 9
2020Spelling the DreamNetflixWorldwideJune 3

Television

YearTitleChannelCountryNotesRef.
2016Little Big ShotsNBCUSASeason 1, Episode 1; Aired March 8Season 1, Episode 9; Top 10 Moments; Aired May 8[60]
2016Steve HarveySyndicationUSAAired March 11
2016Jimmy Kimmel Live!ABCUSAAired June 2
2016Real Sports with Bryant GumbelHBOUSABrain Games; Aired June 21
2016The PreachersSyndicationUSAAired July 11
2017Little Big Shots UKITVUKAired March 29
2017Little Big ShotsNBCUSASeason 2, Episode 7; Aired April 23
2017HarrySyndicationUSAAired April 27
2018ABCUSAEliminated 7th in the 6th week; Aired October 7 to November 18[61]
2020AkashamantaTV9 TeluguIndiaTelevision special; Aired January 13
2020The Kelly Clarkson ShowSyndicationUSASeason 2; Aired November 10

Awards

YearAssociationAwardCategoryPlaceRef.
2017Telugu Association of North AmericaSpecial Recognition AwardSpelling & LanguageSt. Louis[62]
2017North America Telugu Society[63] Honorary TitleDhaarana VaamanaSpecial HonorChicago[64]
2020Global Child Prodigy Awards[65] Global Child Prodigy Award 2020LanguageNew Delhi[66] [67]

Personal life

Akash Vukoti is the son of Chandrakala Jandyam and Dr. Krishna M Vukoti, who immigrated to the United States from Andhra Pradesh, India. Akash has an elder sister Amrita, who is also a Davidson Young Scholar and a member of Mensa.[68] Both Amrita and Akash Vukoti competed in the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.[69] [70]

Philanthropy

Vukoti has donated to various non-profit organizations like Children's Miracle Network in San Angelo, Wikipedia, Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, Telangana CM Relief Fund, Water.org and Kerala Floods Relief Fund. He has also donated to Bharat Ke Veer,[71] an Indian government initiative supporting the families of deceased Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles personnel. Vukoti has also donated to non-profit organizations the American Red Cross Society and the Government of India's PM CARES Fund to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.[72]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6-year-old Texan misspells word, ending his spelling bee competition. Sullivan. Bartholomew. May 25, 2016. USA TODAY.
  2. Web site: Scripps National Spelling Bee's Youngest Contestant Akash Vukoti Was Too C-U-T-E: See Him in Action. French. Megan. May 26, 2016. US Magazine.
  3. Web site: Meet the 6-year-old genius who will steal the show at this year's national spelling bee. Weller. Chris. March 30, 2016. Business Insider.
  4. Web site: This Six-Year-Old Was the First Star of the 2016 National Spelling Bee. Moore. Jack. May 26, 2016. GQ.
  5. Web site: MastiSpell. MastiSpell 2012.
  6. Web site: Gifted Program | Davidson Young Scholars. www.davidsongifted.org.
  7. Web site: G-E-N-I-U-S: Jackson Township siblings are among youngest Mensa members. Weir. Kelli. The Repository. en. 2020-03-23.
  8. Web site: "A 6-year-old charms the National Spelling Bee before getting eliminated".. Shapira. Ian. Washington Post..
  9. Farrington. Dana. "6-Year-Old May Be Out Of Spelling Bee, But This Kid Is A Winner". NPR.. NPR.
  10. Web site: Vukoti wins San Angelo Area Spelling Bee. San Angelo. en. 2020-03-23.
  11. Web site: Gaitan. Michelle. San Angelo Spelling Bee names new winner.
  12. Web site: The Kids Are A-L-R-I-G-H-T: Inside the Journey to Scripps' National Spelling Bee. Kirkl. Justin. 2018-05-31. Esquire. en-US. 2020-03-23.
  13. Web site: NUCKOLS. BEN. Speller balances bee with reality TV, social media stardom. .
  14. Web site: 2021-03-20 . Akash Vukoti takes champion title at spelling bee . 2021-03-20 . ConchoValleyHomepage.com . en-US.
  15. Web site: Liebergen . Stephanie . Scripps National Spelling Bee Returns After Pandemic Pause . Newsy.
  16. News: Astor . Maggie . 2023-06-01 . Akash Vukoti competed for a record sixth time. . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-06-05 . 0362-4331.
  17. News: Bahrampour . Tara . 2023-05-30 . Can you spell determination? He's back at the Bee for try No. 6. . . 2023-05-30.
  18. Web site: America . Good Morning . 14-year-old competes in Scripps National Spelling Bee for a 6th time . 2023-06-05 . Good Morning America . en.
  19. Web site: Miller . Mark . 2023-05-11 . Scripps National Spelling Bee To Host 231 Spellers At 2023 Bee Week . 2023-05-13 . TV News Check . en.
  20. Web site: Company . The E. W. Scripps . Scripps National Spelling Bee to host 231 spellers at 2023 Bee Week . 2023-05-13 . www.prnewswire.com . en.
  21. Web site: Miller . Chad . 2023-02-13 . Vukoti wins fifth San Angelo Area Spelling Bee . 2023-02-14 . ConchoValleyHomepage . en-US.
  22. Web site: Little Big Shots Steve Harvey and Akash Funny Spelling Bee Season 1 2016 - YouTube. 2021-02-02. www.youtube.com.
  23. Web site: Spelling Bee Whiz Akash Vukoti Returns to Little Big Shots. Barrett. Daija. April 21, 2017. ConchoValley Homepage.
  24. Web site: Steve Harvey Schools Spelling Bee Champ on 'Words From the Hood'. Paschal. Nick. April 24, 2017. Yahoo.
  25. Web site: Precocious local speller drawing national attention, studying hard. March 12, 2016. gosanangelo.com.
  26. Web site: W-o-n-d-e-r kid. Gowra. Nikhita. 2017-05-02. Deccan Chronicle. en. 2019-12-08.
  27. Web site: Jimmy Kimmel's Spelling Bee Competition Is Extra Challenging, Thanks to Guillermo. June 3, 2016. Hollywood Reporter.
  28. Web site: Jimmy Kimmel Hilariously Challenges Spelling Bee co-champions to an Epic Showdown. Seemayer. Zach. June 3, 2016. ETOnline.
  29. Web site: TV Show Spelling bee The Preachers FOX TV SHOW 2016. 2016-07-11. YouTube.
  30. Web site: Akash Vukoti - Dancing with the Stars. abc.com. 2019-12-05. 2019-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20191205035053/https://abc.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars-juniors/cast/akash-vukoti. dead.
  31. Web site: San Angelo whiz kid Akash Vukoti talks Dancing with the Stars and future plans. Sutton. Samuel. December 10, 2018. gosanangelo.com. en. 2019-12-08.
  32. Web site: Montgomery . Daniel . 2018-11-19 . Akash Vukoti was axed from 'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors' despite bringing his Bollywood best to the dance floor [WATCH] ]. 2023-04-16 . GoldDerby . en-US.
  33. Web site: Burtt . Kristyn . 2018-11-12 . 'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors': Akash Vukoti Jumps at a 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity' . 2023-04-16 . dancedishwithkb . en.
  34. Web site: CNN International LIVE interview from 2016 Akash Vukoti - YouTube. 2021-02-02. www.youtube.com.
  35. Web site: July 3, 2019. Akash Vukoti is the youngest competitor ever at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 7news.com.au.
  36. Web site: Vukoti. Akash. latest. 2020-04-18. AKASH VUKOTI. en-US.
  37. Web site: Akash Vukoti - YouTube. www.youtube.com.
  38. Web site: 2023-02-13 . Akash Vukoti - YouTube . . 2023-02-13 . 2023-02-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213195826/https://www.youtube.com/@AkashVukoti/about . bot: unknown .
  39. Web site: IBM Commercial. Vukoti. Akash. AKASH VUKOTI. en-US. 2020-04-15.
  40. Web site: Amazon Kindle. Vukoti. Akash. AKASH VUKOTI. en-US. 2020-04-15.
  41. Web site: Scripps Spelling Bee ESPN. Vukoti. Akash. AKASH VUKOTI. en-US. 2020-04-15.
  42. Web site: The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed - Gallery. BBC Documentary.
  43. Web site: Netflix to release documentary featuring San Angelo native, Akash Vukoti. 2020-03-27. ConchoValleyHomepage.com. 2020-03-28.
  44. Web site: What It Takes to W-I-N. Goodrich. Barry. April 3, 2018. clevelandmagazine.com/.
  45. Web site: Breaking The Bee. clevelandfilm.org. 2019-12-04. 2019-04-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20190405015853/https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/2018/breaking-the-bee. dead.
  46. Web site: Breaking the bee: Indian kids are spelling out a new sport in America. Raj. Yashwant. May 27, 2018. Hindustan Times.
  47. Web site: Spelling the Dream. Spelling the Dream. 2020-03-23.
  48. News: Qureshi. Bilal. 2020-06-03. 'Spelling the Dream' Review: Words of Inspiration. The New York Times. 2020-07-05. 0362-4331.
  49. News: Anderson. John. 2020-06-02. 'Spelling the Dream' Review: A Long Spell of Dominance. Wall Street Journal. 2020-07-05. 0099-9660.
  50. News: Lee. Benjamin. 2020-06-04. Spelling the Dream review – slight but charming Netflix documentary. The Guardian. 2020-07-05. 0261-3077.
  51. Web site: 2020-06-04. Spelling the Dream review: Decoding Indian magic. 2020-07-05. The Indian Express.
  52. News: Poorvaja. S.. 2020-06-02. 'Spelling the Dream' review: How do you spell 's-u-c-c-e-s-s'?. The Hindu. 2020-07-05. 0971-751X.
  53. Web site: Bradley. D. M.. 2020-06-18. Film Review: Spelling the Dream. 2020-07-05. The Adelaide Review.
  54. KEYNOTE SPEECH School Principals Meeting . 2024-03-22 . Akash Vukoti . 2024-07-30 . YouTube.
  55. Best High School Graduation Speech Ever 2024 Motivational & Inspirational Commencement Address . 2024-06-07 . Akash Vukoti . 2024-07-30 . YouTube.
  56. Web site: Spell Bee Champion 'Akash Vukoti' At Gurukul . 2024-07-30 . Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School . en.
  57. Web site: Spell Bee Champion ‘Akash Vukoti’ At Gurukul . 2024-07-30 . Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School . en.
  58. Web site: Spell Bee Champion ‘Akash Vukoti’ at Secunderabad Gurukul . 2024-07-30 . Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School . en.
  59. Web site: Bangalore Mirror Bureau . 2024-07-13 . Narayana's Success Odyssey: Inspiring Journey of Young Achievers . 2024-07-30 . Bangalore Mirror . en.
  60. News: Yahr . Emily . 2016-03-17 . How did NBC's 'Little Big Shots' shock the TV industry by scoring so many viewers? . 2022-05-08 . The Washington Post.
  61. Web site: France . Lisa Respers . 2018-09-26 . Meet the cast of 'Dancing With the Stars: Juniors' . 2022-05-08 . CNN . en.
  62. Web site: TANA Patrika - January 2018. drive.google.com. 2020-03-23.
  63. Web site: NATS WORLD - North America Telugu Society. NATS WORLD.
  64. Web site: NATS Akshara Deepika - June 2017. drive.google.com. 2020-03-23.
  65. Web site: Global Child Prodigy Awards - Official Website. March 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200302232135/https://www.gcpawards.com/. 2020-03-02.
  66. Rathore. Reena. Young Indian American Geniuses Honored with '2020 Global Child Prodigy Awards'. India West. 2020-03-23. 2020-02-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20200203051539/https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/young-indian-american-geniuses-honored-with-global-child-prodigy-awards/article_f6c42cd6-3958-11ea-b32c-fb448d53cad5.html. dead.
  67. Web site: KIIT Presents Global Child Prodigy Awards 2020 Honoring Top 100 Prodigies. Jha. Ankur Kumar. 2019-12-31. thelogicalindian.com. en. 2020-03-23.
  68. Web site: Weir. Kelli. G-E-N-I-U-S: Jackson Township siblings are among youngest Mensa members. The Repository.
  69. Web site: Scripps National Spelling Bee. spellingbee.com.
  70. Web site: Word Whiz Kids Tap Memory Tricks at Spelling Bee | Voice of America - English. www.voanews.com.
  71. Web site: India's Bravehearts | Bharat Ke Veer. bharatkeveer.gov.in.
  72. Web site: Vukoti. Akash. Giving Back to Society. 2020-09-16. AKASH VUKOTI. en-US.