Educators, popstars, and a terminally ill cancer patient were among the winners of the inaugural TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2024
The ceremony, hosted by the social media platform, took place in a star-studded ceremony at Exhibition London with awards presented by Michelle Visage, with performances from Leigh-Anne, LeoStayTrill, and Bimini.
Winners were some of the most popular accounts of the past year, with a shortlist curated by TikTok and then voted on by nearly 3 million people.
Creator of the Year went to Kyra-Mae Turner, who has amassed over 1.2 million followers for her travel and lifestyle blog content. “Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me. It’s been a crazy year and I’m so grateful for it – here’s to many more!” she said.
Jay Foreman, who has over 500,000 followers for his informative educational videos, won Video of the Year for his six minute comedy piece on tricky to pronounce place names in Britain.
Breakthrough Artist of the Year was Myles Smith, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter known for his 2024 single ‘Stargazing’.
“Thank you for this award, I appreciate it! This goes to show that TikTok has given us the ability to share our music with the world, and put British music back on a pedestal,” Smith said.
For his unique content demystifying life with terminal brain cancer, Iain Ward won the Voice of Change award. His channel, @thekingofchemo has over 5.4 million followers and raises awareness for those living with cancer.
“In a room of serious influence and impact, I’m defying the stereotype of terminal brain cancer. I’m determined to make a difference and break that fundraising record. The amount of power you have in your hands right now is significant; all it takes is the click of a button to change lives,” Ward said.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Creator of the Year
Kyra-Mae Turner
@kyramaeturner6
Video of the Year
Jay Foreman
@jayforeman
Rising Star Creator of the Year
George Harper
@georgethedop
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Myles Smith
@mylessmithuk
Voice for Change
Iain Ward
@thekingofchemo
Education Creator of the Year
Emmanuel Wallace
@big.manny1
Fashion & Beauty Creator of the Year
Uche Natori
@uchjn
Entertainment Creator of the Year
Nicholas Flannery
@nicholas_flannery
Sport Creator of the Year
John Nellis
@johnnellis_
Food Creator of the Year
Maddi Neye-Swift
@cripandip
Travel Creator of the Year
Ryan Losasso & Jade Beaty
@live_thedash
High Quality Content Creator of the Year
Miles Laflin
@thep00lguy