TikTok Awards 2025: Stars hit the red carpet
The 2025 Tik Tok Awards hosted the biggest influencers and personalities from around Australia and New Zealand jostling to make their mark. See all the looks.
It is days away from being part of the under-16 ban about to shut out children from its platform, but TikTok still found time to celebrate in Sydney on Wednesday night as online stars gathered for the TikTok awards.
Live from the newly named TikTok Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour was crawling with influencers from early afternoon, with many hoping to take out top prizes in various categories for content creation.
TV personality Sophie Monk hosted the event, but doesn’t think she has what it takes to make it big in the online world - yet.
“I’m not very good at it,” Monk said. “I try so hard, I’d love to be an influencer. I gotta try harder.”
She joked the platform may be pushing her out of the limelight.
“It’s taking money off people like me,” she joked.
“They don’t want me to endorse (products) anymore because there is someone else that has a niche direct market of that.”
Meanwhile, authenticity is key to social media success, according to some of the biggest content creators.
Sharing their insights into the competitive, but potentially super-lucrative industry, a who’s who of the industry walked the red carpet at the awards at the ICC Sydney.
“Success is happiness in my eyes,” muso Keli Holiday, stage name of Adam Hyde – told Confidential.
“In order to be happy when you are creating something or doing anything, you have got to do what you like instead of chasing trends.”
That said, Hyde, also a member of Peking Duk duo, added: “The TikTok Awards to me, I don’t understand any of it, so I am wildly excited and aroused.”
Awards were handed out across some 14 categories, the top honour of Creator of the Year going to Ilai Matangi.
“I make my own videos for my own pure entertainment,” he said. “If I love it, it is going out on my platform, and I am just grateful millions of other people love it.”
Standouts on the red carpet included Sopha Dopha, Jiny Maeng, Elle Ray, Lisa Perese Cullen and Sadia Yousofi.
“TikTok has changed my life, it is literally my whole job,” Sopha Dopha, real name Sophia Begg, said.
Latisha Clark was also nominated in the Creator of the Year category.
“It just takes creativity and being able to be yourself,” Clark said of her success. “If you post videos where you are not really being yourself, I don’t think they are going do that well. Be yourself and you will find your community.
Former winners of the event, which is in it’s fifth year, Kat Clark and Indy Clinton also their way down the red carpet for the 2025 edition.
While some of Australia’s biggest personalities Lime Cordiale, Harry Garside, Anna Paul and Osher Günsberg among a stacked list of other influencers will also attend.
And the 2025 TikTok Award winners are ...
Creator of the Year: Ilai Matangi
Video of the Year: Leah Halton’s iconic inverted behind-the-scenes video, 150M views
TikTok Business of the Year: All For Mimi, Sopha Dopha and Bailey White
Music Artist of the Year: Lance Savali
Sport & Fitness Creator of the Year: Hannah Pearson
Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year: Ellen Malone
Food Creator of the Year: Andy Hearnden
Entertainment Creator of the Year: Theo Shakes
Learn on TikTok award: Heidi Barlow
TikTok for Good Award: Josh Neille
Comedy Creator of the Year: Liam Dowling and Ben Christopher, @nansfavourites
LIVE Creator of the Year: Ula, @ulaulaula
High Quality Content Creator: Anthony Randello-Jahn
New Zealand Creator of the Year: Louis Davis
SEE ALL THE PICTURES
Originally published as TikTok Awards 2025: Stars hit the red carpet
‘Treasured’: Firefighter killed on duty identified
