LOS ANGELES:
Content material creators spanning dance, music, sports activities, style, leisure and schooling gathered in Hollywood for the inaugural US TikTok Awards, a high-energy celebration of the platform’s most influential digital stars that blended viral web tradition with the spectacle of a conventional awards present.
The occasion featured an array of playful, social-media-inspired moments, together with Labubu dolls launched from a T-shirt cannon, a large group selfie problem, dwell skits, and reenactments of viral TikTok traits which have dominated feeds over the previous yr. Designed to mirror the creativity and spontaneity that outline the platform, the ceremony leaned closely into the visible language and humor which have made TikTok a worldwide phenomenon.
Livestreamed on TikTok and Tubi, the ceremony was hosted by life-style influencer and tv character La La Anthony, who guided viewers by means of a fast-paced programme aimed squarely on the app’s digitally native viewers.
The present marked TikTok’s first main US-based awards ceremony, underscoring its rising ambition to place itself alongside established leisure platforms.
Meals critic and content material creator Keith Lee was named “creator of the yr,” whereas web character Bretman Rock obtained the award for “video of the yr.” Accepting his prize on stage, Lee mirrored on the function the platform has performed in shaping his profession and amplifying voices that may in any other case go unheard.
“TikTok supplied me a platform to have the ability to present small companies across the nation,” stated Lee, whose content material focuses on household life and spotlighting native eateries. “It is arduous to do one thing for myself, as a result of I all the time put different individuals in entrance of me, however that is for me,” he added, drawing applause from the viewers.
Different winners highlighted the range of TikTok’s creator ecosystem. DJ and media character Paris Hilton was awarded “muse of the yr” for uplifting traits and inventive expression throughout the platform, whereas Jeremiah Brown, a former Love Island USA contestant, was named “rising star of the yr.”
Brown has constructed a big following by means of life-style and leisure content material since transitioning from actuality tv to social media.
“A muse does not comply with traits – we assist create them,” Hilton stated throughout her acceptance speech, reinforcing TikTok’s emphasis on originality and affect moderately than conventional superstar hierarchies.
The ceremony additionally positioned a robust highlight on social impression and advocacy.
The “For Good” award, which recognises creators utilizing the platform to drive optimistic change, was offered to Zach, a creator with Down syndrome who shares his every day life to advertise inclusion and illustration.
The award was shared together with his brother Pat Valentine, who makes use of TikTok to coach audiences about Down syndrome and problem stereotypes.
Their recognition drew explicit consideration to TikTok’s function as an area for underrepresented voices, aligning with the corporate’s efforts to stress the platform’s cultural and academic worth amid ongoing political scrutiny.
Close to the top of the night, Grammy-winning pop singer Ciara delivered a dwell efficiency that includes a medley of her hottest songs, together with Goodies, 1,2 Step and Degree Up.
The efficiency bridged the hole between conventional music stardom and TikTok-driven virality, reflecting how the app has turn out to be a key promotional and discovery instrument for artists.
Past the glitz and leisure, the ceremony got here at a pivotal second for TikTok as an organization. Earlier on Thursday, TikTok’s Chinese language dad or mum agency ByteDance, led by CEO Shou Zi Chew, introduced it had reached a binding settlement with three main buyers to promote simply over 80% of TikTok’s US belongings to American and world buyers. The transfer is geared toward averting a possible U.S. authorities ban of the app.
The deal represents a big step towards resolving years of uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the US. Since August 2020, when then-President Donald Trump first tried to ban the app, TikTok has confronted persistent scrutiny over nationwide safety considerations, together with fears that China’s authorities may exploit the platform to spy on Individuals or conduct covert affect operations.
TikTok has repeatedly denied such allegations, arguing that it shops US consumer information domestically and operates independently of the Chinese language authorities. The corporate has additionally pointed to its cultural and financial impression, noting that greater than 170 million Individuals now use the app often.
For a lot of creators attending the awards, the timing of the occasion carried explicit significance. “I have been actually concerned with the alternatives to avoid wasting TikTok from the very starting,” stated.
Alexandra Doten, an academic content material creator, chatting with Reuters on the purple carpet earlier than the ceremony. “I used to be in DC speaking about it, so I am simply so excited.”
“This platform does a lot to spark creativity and to make individuals smarter and extra impressed,” she added, echoing sentiments expressed by a number of attendees who credit score TikTok with remodeling their careers and communities.
