Over the years, digital content across the region has grown into unfathomable numbers, rivalling traditional media. As the world shifts online, so does the content creation space, developing a new form of digital culture. On January 8, the social media platform TikTok celebrated that digital culture, hosting the TikTok MENA Creators Awards. Held in partnership with the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the ceremony was livestreamed @TikTokMENA, allowing those from the MENA region and beyond to tune in and watch their favourite creators get their well-deserved flowers.
Some of our favourite red carpet looks came from Esraa Nabil in a red corset gown by M.A. Couture, Noor Stars in a burgundy gown with a matching scarf, Banen Naem in a black silk satin dress styled with a tweed jacket, and Raghad in a black embroidered dress by haute couture label Nivin Bashiti. Asymmetrical pieces also stood out, with some of our best-dressed—Yassmin Ibrahim, Farah Roushdy, Ola Ahmed, and Nissrin Hammoud, among others—sporting either asymmetrical sleeves or necklines. And we can forget Yasmeen Alshafai, who wore a purple velvet abaya that transitioned to lime green embroidery that brought all the sparkle the evening needed.
The ceremony was hosted by TikTok creators Yara Bou Monsef and Sherif Fayed, of whom the former took home The Entertainment Star Award (TikTok). The winners of the night were decided by public votes, of which we saw a whopping 5.7 million public votes across 11 categories. 33 winners were decided among these categories, namely:
The Lifestyle Creator Award (Instagram)
Gold Winner – Ramy Hamdan
Silver Winner – Hussein bin Mahfouz
The Lifestyle Creator Award (TikTok)
Gold Winner – Sultan Bin Naif
Silver Winner – Mosab Almalki
The Power Duo Award
Gold Winner – Miled & Melissa Rahal
Silver Winner – Lana & Leen
The Foodie Award (Instagram)
Gold Winner – Abdullah BoKhaled
Silver Winner Amr Elhady
The Foodie Award (TikTok)
Nada Alhaj
The Glow Getter Award (Instagram)
Gold Winner – Sarah Hammoud
Silver Winner – Diana Samman
The Glow Getter Award (TikTok)
Gold Winner – Narin Amara
Silver Winner – Waad Shaat
The Entertainment Star Award (Instagram)
Gold Winner – Mai’s Vault
Silver Winner – Raghda Kouyoumdjian
The Entertainment Star Award (TikTok)
Gold Winner – Yara Bou Monsef
Silver Winner – IslamAfro
The Entertainment Star Award (YouTube)
Gold Winner – Osama Marwah
Silver Winner – Ghaith Marwan
The Super Parent Award
Gold Winner – Afrobysara
Silver Winner – Remie Salloum
The Runway Star Award
Faisal Alghazzawi
The Nomad Award
Gold Winner – Omar Farooq
Silver Winner – Dolly Dib
The Wellness Enthusiast Award
Baraa El Sabbagh
The Podcaster Award
Gold Winner – Noor Stars
Silver Winner – Men Only
The Alter Ego Persona Award
Gold Winner – Toufic Braidi (Toufiluk)
Silver Winner – Dima Mousseli
The Snapchat Legend Award
Sara Alwari
The Style Of The Night Award
Nora Achmaoui
The Rising Star Award
Mohamed Attal
The Honorary Award
Ahmed Al Nasheet
Beyond the awards, the ceremony featured high-energy performances by beloved MENA stars. Lebanese icon Nancy Ajram took to the stage in a silver mini dress, performing a medley of her top hits that continue to cement her defining presence in Arab pop culture.
Jordanian actress and singer Yara Mustafa also took to the stage to perform her latest single Ya Saree Albe. Whereas, South African-German signer WizTheMc brought his signature soul to the stage. With songs like Show Me the Love going viral on TikTok, it was a full-circle moment for the artist as he performed the track on stage.
Between the performances, red carpet moments, and real-world collaboration between digital stars, the night underscored virtual culture’s influence on real-world moments.
