December 18th, 2025, marked the first-ever TikTok Awards. Over 170 million Americans got together for this event to celebrate the creators who have shaped the platform through entertainment, food, fashion, sports, education, and more.
If you missed the live event, it’s available to watch on Tubi. Taking a look at the highlights of the TikTok Awards can help brands find new ways to stand out and appeal to the right audiences.
Biggest TikTok Awards Winners
The most notable award was the Creator of the Year award, which was given to @keith_lee125. He shares family content while also supporting small businesses, addressing food insecurity, and making positive impacts. To celebrate him and his passions, TikTok donated $50K to Feeding America to support families across the country. This win shows that creating supportive, impactful videos is a great approach.
Then, the best video of the year came from @bretmanrock, which features the creator dancing to the song “Anxiety” with his chickens. The video earned 8.6M likes. While it’s a simple video, it’s a reminder that funny and trendy content often set brands and creators up for success.
@bretmanrock Me and the girlies
♬ original sound – Franklin Saint
Other Award Winners
TikTok gave out many other awards during this event, including:
- Rising Star of the Year: @findjeremiah
- Breakthrough Artist of the Year: @alexwarren
- Storyteller of the Year: @tinekeyounger
- Muse of the Year: @parishilton
- TikTok for Good Award: @valentinebrothers
- My Show is On Award: @dayanechrissel
- MVP of the Year: @mariahcrose
- Okay Slay Award: @katiefanggg
- I Was Today Years Old Award: @lawbymike
- Immediately Added to Cart Award: @klothesminded
- CapCut Creator of the Year: @recider
- TikTok LIVE Creator of the Year: @eliesparzaa
While all these creators have very different personalities and content, most of them share similarities to make them successful. The winning creators are known for being authentic and consistently posting quality content, which are things brands should keep in mind when creating content of their own.
Highlights of the 2025 TikTok Awards US
In addition to giving out awards, the event was filled with other unforgettable moments. Actress, producer, entrepreneur, and author La La Anthony hosted the TikTok Awards at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Before the show, creators entered on a razz-colored carpet to get their photos taken. Then, the show opened with a sequence of iconic TikTok clips from 2025 and an opening number led by Mikey Angelo.
Throughout the night, there were several other unforgettable performances, including GRAMMY-winning icon Ciara and Dancing with the Stars finalist pairing Ezra Sosa and Jordan Chiles. Many people were surprised when Mr. Fantasy emerged from the audience at one point for a surprise performance.
A Labubu cannon, unexpected creator duo selfies, and a food trend spotlight added to the experience, confirming that this was no ordinary awards show.
Experiences and Sponsor Activations
Several brands took advantage of this special event. By sponsoring the event, the following businesses got to play a unique role at the TikTok Awards:
- E.l.f. Cosmetics: The makeup brand created a “Glam Hub” where guests could test their products and take glamorous photos.
- TikTok Shop: TikTok set up a “scroll-to-IRL” discovery zone, which spotlighted trending products.
- H&R Block: As a nod to the “I Was Today Years Old” category, this activation offered fun finance-made-easy content prompts.
- CapCut: CapCut set up an interactive editing booth, allowing guests to recreate popular edits.
- TikTok One: Guests could hang out at TikTok One’s social bar, which featured charging stations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The restaurant chain opened its Club Carl’s Late Night station at the Hollywood Palladium after the TikTok Awards.
These special events remind brands that sometimes you need to think outside of the box to reach a wider audience. While posting on TikTok is a great way to reach users, sponsored activations can appeal to consumers in a new way. People love interactive experiences, so brands can use that to their advantage.
Take Advantage of TikTok
TikTok is still unfamiliar to many brands, but it’s constantly growing. Many brands find the most success on the platform, whether it’s through everyday videos, the TikTok Shop, or events like this one. Instead of missing out on a large part of your target audience, explore TikTok’s features to see how it can expand your brand’s reach.
Avenue Z has lots of experience with social media marketing and brand activations. Contact us today to see how we can elevate your brand in new ways.
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