TikTok has announced the full list of nominees for its 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa Awards. The event, scheduled for December 6th in Johannesburg, is the company’s annual bid to crown the region’s most influential creators, artists, and trendsetters—essentially, the people who algorithmically defined your “For You” page this year.
The company is positioning 2025 as a year of “unpredictability” from its African creator base. It’s pointing to platform-defining trends like the ubiquitous ‘Wasiu Ayinde’ sound from BhadBoi OML, the ‘Ngishutheni’ dance challenge, the unexpected rise of #CorporateTok, and hits from Shallipopi.
In short, TikTok’s narrative is that niche content has successfully broken into the mainstream, turning its biggest creators into significant tastemakers.
Beyond the trophies, TikTok frames the awards as part of its broader strategy to professionalize its creator ecosystem on the continent. The goal is to demonstrate a clear path from viral videos to “sustainable careers”—a crucial talking point for the platform as it competes to retain top talent. This year’s categories cover the platform’s main content verticals: food, entertainment, sports, education, music, and storytelling.
In an official statement, Boniswa Sidwaba, TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, reiterated this goal. “At its core the TikTok awards celebrate the vibrant community who continue to inspire creativity, build community and spread joy on the platform while turning their passions into prosperous careers,” Sidwaba said. She also noted the awards are a “moment for reflection and celebration” aimed at building “deeper relationships” with users.
Voting is now open to the public and will close at midnight (CAT) on November 14, 2025. Users can vote once per category, per day, via TikTok’s official voting page. Predictably, the company is also pushing for social engagement, asking users to follow its official pages and post using the #TikTokAwardsSSA hashtag.
Here is the complete list of 2025 nominees:
2025’s nominated creators and their categories include:
Creator of the year
- @diaryofanortherncook (Sokoto, Nigeria)
- @chefabbys (Accra, Ghana)
- @fanstribehq (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @shandorlarenty (Broederstroom, South Africa)
- @englishwithclem (Nairobi, Kenya)
Storyteller of the year
- @beloveolocha (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @briannwana (Abuja, Nigeria)
- @mikemortontalksfootball (Cape Town, South Africa)
- @joygiverkitchen (Lagos, Nigeria)
Video of the year
- @iamdavidmubiru (Kampala, Uganda)
- @zerobrainer0 (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
- @isaac.samz (Lagos, Nigeria)
Rising star of the year
- @estherfrancisbackup (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @_bafanamthembu (Johannesburg, South Africa)
- @tunero_animations (Nairobi, Kenya)
Entertainment creator of the year
- @beloveolocha (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @ednafrancis_ (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @finding.chance (Johannesburg, South Africa)
- @ikegod.chielo (Abuja, Nigeria)
- @jabu_macdonald (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Food creator of the year
- @mpruedie1 (Midrand, South Africa)
- @malumfoodie (Pretoria, South Africa)
- @chefabbys (Accra, Ghana)
- @georges_kitchen (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
- @boyz_makekii (Nairobi, Kenya)
Education creator of the year
- @michelle_expert (Randburg, South Africa)
- @izziboye (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @roy.kanyi (Nairobi, Kenya)
- @englishwithclem (Nairobi, Kenya)
Social impact creator of the year
- @olawalesmd (Lagos, Nigeria)
- @valerie_keter (Nairobi, Kenya)
- @anitasoina (Nairobi, Kenya)
- @noositiwantiwa_ (Ibadan, Nigeria)
- @ufarm_julia (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Artist of the year
- @theycallmeshallipopipp (Nigeria)
- @itsjoshuabaraka (Uganda)
- @moliymusic (Ghana)
- @realjazzwrld (South Africa)
Sports Creator of the year
- @boxtoboxregista (Nairobi, Kenya)
- @zozasportscast (Nairobi, Kenya)
- @mikemortontalksfootball (Cape Town South Africa)
- @steph_talks_football (Cape Town South Africa)
- @ademolavictortv (Lagos, Nigeria)
