For me, a part of the attraction of TikTok is seeing smaller, much less polished movies from individuals who do not vogue themselves as influencers. However what do I do know? The corporate has introduced it’s holding its first U.S. awards present later this 12 months. It appears the Oscars-ification of brief type video is right here.

In a weblog over on the TikTok web site, the corporate stated the present, fittingly known as the TikTok Awards, will probably be held within the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Dec. 18, 2025, and can “honor the creators who’ve impressed, entertained, and related communities throughout the nation.”

To that finish, the location additionally says it’ll invite customers to “vote for his or her favourite creators” beginning on Nov. 18. So, how will all of this go down?

Who’s nominated for the TikTok Awards?

TikTok says it’ll have announce nominees in 14 classes, together with Creator of the 12 months, Video of the 12 months, Breakthrough Artist of the 12 months, and Muse of the 12 months, no matter meaning. However do not assume you may put ahead any previous channel for an award.

In direction of the top of its announcement submit, TikTok included a “Meet the Nominees” part that makes it clear the corporate has already chosen the rivals—and it won’t be anybody you acknowledge. As somebody who has spent a complete of 13 hours on TikTok over final week (the issues I admit for this job), I solely acknowledge one in all them.

To be truthful, the corporate says there are “extra to return,” so it is doable somebody I acknowledge will get added to the checklist of choices. Regardless, it looks like the nominees are being chosen by some inside board, so your mileage might fluctuate on whether or not you agree with the picks. Personally, I am going to admit that a number of my favourite channels are journalists, spicy comedians, and political commentators, so it is doable they don’t seem to be exhibiting up right here because of an effort to seem apolitical and household pleasant. (Justice for Dave the cat, although).

You possibly can vote

Voting for the TikTok Awards will begin on Nov. 18, and the corporate says you may forged your votes utilizing the in-app TikTok Awards hub. Whereas it is at present unclear how you may discover the hub, my guess is it’ll present up as a pop-up over your feed whenever you first open the app, because it did with prior TikTok giveaways. I am positive nominated creators may even be fast to hyperlink customers to the hub.

It is unclear in the intervening time what number of votes customers will get to forged. Some websites, like Crunchyroll, prefer to let customers vote on their awards as soon as per day, more likely to encourage engagement or discourage dummy accounts. Whether or not TikTok will implement the same system stays to be seen.

The best way to watch the TikTok Awards

If all you wish to know is who wins, then you can watch the TikTok Awards themselves stay on Dec. 18 beginning at 6 p.m. PT, with a “purple carpet livestream” beginning an hour earlier than. If you happen to’re comfy watching out of your cellphone, you can tune in by way of the TikTok app, however for higher TV integration, TikTok says Tubi may even host this system. If you happen to occur to point out up late, Tubi may even have an archive of the Awards out there to look at on demand “the subsequent day.”

Can I’m going to the TikTok Awards In Particular person?

Whereas TikTok is promising “an immersive IRL expertise with interactive moments,” it isn’t posting any hyperlinks to buy tickets, which implies the occasion is probably going invite-only. That is in all probability necessary for creator security, however a bummer for anybody seeking to assist deliver “the For You Feed to life,” as TikTok places it.

Are these actually the First TikTok Awards?

Whereas 2025 is the primary 12 months the U.S. has had TikTok Awards, prior years have seen them come to international locations together with Korea, Japan, Australia, and Brazil. Probably, the delay has been as a result of app’s unsure future within the U.S., however with a closing deal now reached transferring management of the corporate to U.S. entities, it is probably TikTok is seeking to make up for misplaced time by amping up its presence within the nation.

So, will you be watching the TikTok Awards? Personally, I am unsure they jibe with what I like most concerning the app—there’s an entire class celebrating individuals who promote by way of fee with the TikTok store, one thing I instantly scroll by each time I see it—but it surely could possibly be a humorous approach to spend a night, I suppose. So, mainly the identical strategy I take with the Oscars—and at the least it ought to make for some good sizzling takes on the accounts I do watch.