Keith Lee has been crowned Creator of the Year at the inaugural TikTok Awards in the United States, an event hosted by TV personality La La Anthony at the iconic Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The fan-voted ceremony, broadcast live on TikTok and Tubi, showered logo-shaped trophies upon content creators across 14 categories, including Storyteller of the Year and Live Creator of the Year.
The evening was graced by a star-studded lineup of presenters, including heiress and noughties icon Paris Hilton, US gymnast Jordan Chiles, and former reality TV star Bethenny Frankel. Comedian Adam Waheed and lifestyle influencers Kristy Sarah, Alix Earle, and Brooke Monk were also nominated in the Creator of the Year category.
Love Island USA star Jeremiah Brown (@findjeremiah) was honored with the Rising Star of the Year award, while Tini Younger (@tinekeyounger) took home the prestigious Storyteller of the Year Award. The TikTok for Good award was presented to Zach and Pat Valentine (@valentinebrothers).
The Video of the Year gong went to Bretman Sacayanan (@bretmanrock) for a clip featuring him and a flock of chickens, with Doechii's "Anxiety" serving as its haunting soundtrack.
The ceremony was livened up by performances from R&B star Ciara and Mr Fantasy, an online persona that has sparked speculation about its true identity, with many speculating that it could be the alter ego of Riverdale actor KJ Apa.
The awards ceremony took place on the same day that TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with US and global investors for the majority of its business in America. According to a memo sent by CEO Shou Zi Chew, half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and the Emirati investment firm MGX. ByteDance will retain 19.9% of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will each hold 15%. Another 30.1% will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors.
The deal, set to close on 22 January, marks the end of years of efforts by Washington to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns. In the memo, TikTok stated that the deal would enable "over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community."
