TikTok's inaugural awards in Korea honor 16 creators and artists

TikTok's annual award ceremony celebrated the creativity and influence of top creators and artists here who shaped trends and inspired the TikTok community throughout the year.

The first-ever TikTok Awards held in Korea took place Friday at the Peace Hall of Kyunghee University in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Previously held in the UK, Malaysia, and Indonesia, this marks the event's inaugural year in Korea.

About 250 TikTok creators and artists attended the event, hosted by Eric Nam and Jin Hyeon-ju of UNIS. K-Pop acts who appeared at the event included aespa, Fifty Fifty, Kep1er, UNIS, 8TURN and We Are The Night.

Among the 16 award categories, former musical actress Jeon Unnie won the Creator of the Year award, which honors the most beloved creator on TikTok over the past year. She gained significant attention for introducing Korean viewers to Dubai Chocolate, one of the most popular foods trending online this year.

Aespa was honored as Artist of the Year, selected as the artist who made the biggest impact on TikTok trends.

The Trend of the Year award went to the band We Are The Night, known for their hit song "Tiramisu Cake," which topped TikTok’s Summer Song of the Year chart. Meanwhile, YCN received the Video of the Year award, and Needmorecash was honored with the Best Comedy award.

K-pop groups also shone in multiple categories. Illit received the Best Viral Song award, Fifty Fifty took home the Popularity Award, and Kep1er earned the Best Performance award. 8Turn and UNIS were recognized with the New Rising Star awards.

The Best Ambassador award went to Hada, while Cookim was recognized for creating Lifestyle Content of the Year. The Best Chemistry award was given to the duo Hyeda and Goroket for their collaborative content while luluboi received the Rising Creator award, highlighting his impressive growth on the platform.

Additionally, CJ ENM won the Entertainment of the Year award, while MediCube received the Partnership of the Year honor.