TikTok Announces Winners of Middle East and North Africa Awards 2025 Following 5.7 Million Votes
TikTok hosted its annual Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Awards ceremony last night at Dubai International Financial Centre – The Gate, celebrating the region’s most influential content creators whose impact defined 2025 on and beyond the platform.
The awards recognized 33 content creators across 11 categories, selected through public voting that drew more than 5.7 million votes from users across the region, highlighting the strong connection between creators and their communities throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
The ceremony was held for the first time in partnership with the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest global gathering dedicated to advancing the creator economy. The collaboration marked a milestone moment in honoring creators whose stories, creativity, and influence shaped cultural trends throughout the year.
The event was hosted by two of the region’s most prominent TikTok creators, Yara Bou Monsef and Sherif Fayed, both known for their distinctive style and strong engagement with TikTok communities. The evening also featured live performances by leading regional artists, including Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram, singer-songwriter Wiz The MC, whose track “Show Me Love” gained widespread popularity on TikTok, and actress, singer, and writer Yara Mustafa, who achieved notable success with her song “Aeesh Balak”.
Celebrating the diversity of creativity across the region, TikTok MENA Awards honored creators for their role in building communities, launching new trends, and expanding creative expression. Among the standout winners, Khaled Al Olyan was named Creator of the Year, while Hana and Omar received the Changemaker of the Year award for their measurable social impact. Amr El Hady won the Innovative Content Award, recognizing originality and creative storytelling.
Additional category winners included Mona Khalid, who secured Entertainment Creator of the Year, and Banen Naem, who won Fashion Creator of the Year, among other distinguished honorees.
The ceremony also spotlighted brand partners supporting the creator ecosystem. L’Oréal Paris Middle East served as the main sponsor, hosting an interactive activation with immersive creative moments on the red carpet and presenting the Beauty Creator of the Year award. Book Arabia presented the Food Creator of the Year award, while Bath & Body Works Arabia presented the Lifestyle Creator of the Year award.
TikTok audiences were also able to experience the event digitally via @TikTokMENA, which featured behind-the-scenes content and red carpet interviews hosted by Talia Fawaz, alongside full coverage of the evening’s highlights.
Commenting on the occasion, Kinda Ibrahim, Regional General Manager of Operations for TikTok across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia, said that the TikTok MENA Awards represent a celebration of the creativity that enriches daily life across the platform. She noted that the exceptional public engagement, reflected in more than 5.7 million votes, underscores the strong bond between creators and their audiences across the region.
As customary, the ceremony was livestreamed via @TikTokMENA and @TikTokMENA_Live, while highlights remain available under #TikTokAwardsMENA, capturing the collaborative spirit and shared celebration among creators and their communities.
TikTok is a leading global destination for short-form mobile video, with a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy. The platform operates offices across major global cities, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.