‘Today’ Hosts Crack Up Over Fans Campaigning for Craig Melvin to Win Award

Craig Melvin is up for a fun award, and some Today fans are campaigning to help him win.

“There is a hotly contested race taking place right now. And in fact, if you live in Washington, D.C., you might have even seen this endorsement,” guest host Savannah Sellers, who was filling in for Al Roker, said on the third hour of Today‘s Friday, October 9, episode.

The screen then showed a photo of a large skeleton yard decoration holding a sign about Melvin’s nomination. “This is Skelly, a neighborhood favorite in D.C., urging everyone to vote for Craig for People’s Sexiest Man Alive,” Dylan Dreyer explained. “In case you haven’t heard, Craig is featured in People’s ‘Hotter Than Your Morning Cup of Coffee’ [category]. You can vote now on Today.com, and the results will be revealed on October [12].”

Melvin is among the nominees for People’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Poll 2026. He is nominated alongside CBS Mornings‘ Vladimir Duthiers and Good Morning America‘s Michael Strahan and Gio Benitez in the “Which one of these hosts is hotter than your first cup of coffee?” category.

In the photo, Skelly, the giant yard skeleton, holds a sign that reads, “It’s so important you vote … for Craig Melvin as People’s Sexiest Man Alive.”

Dreyer said of the decoration, “I hope it stays up until voting stops.” Melvin, for his part, joked, “Let’s hope it doesn’t. And just to be clear, I am not actively campaigning for it. … I don’t know who they are, but thank you, I guess. Thanks for helping, but this contest can’t be over fast enough.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by TODAY (@todayshow)

As his co-hosts laughed, Melvin added, “If you could see some of the text messages that I’ve gotten from ‘friends’ of mine.'” Dreyer noted, “I’ve met your college. I’m sure they’re ribbing you every day.”

Related

Craig Melvin Shares Exciting Reason for Recent 'Today' Absence

Sellers encouraged Melvin to view the nomination more positively. “How many times in this job have you talked about People’s Sexiest Man Alive, and now you’re a part of it? I mean, that’s legendary.”

Melvin retorted, “Until you lose! Oh, my god! I won’t be able to show my face in this place!”

Today fans took to social media to share their hopes that Melvin would win the award. “NO CONTEST!!! Craig is clearly winner!” one person wrote underneath a show clip on Instagram. Another added, “I love this, I vote for Craig Melvin.”

Someone else shared, “I’ve already voted!! @craigmelvin is the best!!” A different person posted, “Uncle Al is having funnn with this one behind cameras!” A separate commenter stated, “Listen he should win because he is the best option! But also, hilarious!”

Today, Weekdays, 7 am/6c, NBC

Third hour of Today, Weekdays, 9 am/8c, NBC