Nigerian creators dominate 2025 TikTok SSA nominations

Nigerian digital creators are once again proving their dominance on the continental stage, securing a higher number of nominations for the 2025 TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa. From music icons to culinary experts and social commentators, Nigeria’s talent has defined the feeds and trends for the year.

The TikTok Awards are an annual celebration of the most impactful and inspiring creators across Sub-Saharan Africa. According to TikTok, this year’s event aims to highlight the extraordinary ways creators have engaged, inspired, and connected communities on and off TikTok.

From the sound of BhadBoi OML’s ‘Wasiu Ayinde’ on repeat, the energy of the ‘Ngishutheni’ dance craze to the grit of #CorporateTok, and Shallipopi‘s unforgettable hits, TikTok is celebrating the genius of creators who’ve turned 60 seconds into a movement.

The much-anticipated awards ceremony, set to celebrate the creators, artists, and trendsetters who have shaped our scrolling habits, will take place on December 6, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Our annual awards are a moment for reflection and celebration where we build deeper relationships with the people who power the continent. 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,” Boniswa Sidwaba, TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, said.

This year has been noted as a period where African creativity “refused to be predictable,” seeing everything from the infectious energy of new dance crazes to the serious grit of #CorporateTok go mainstream.

According to the official announcement, voting for the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa 2025 is currently open and will close at midnight (CAT) on November 14, 2025. Fans can cast their votes for their favourite creators by following the provided link accessible via the official TikTok pages. It was noted that voting is restricted to one vote per category per person per day.

To further support their favourite nominees, the public is encouraged to follow the official TikTok pages, share the voting page, and use the official hashtag #TikTokAwardsSSA in their posts.

Nigerian Nominees

Nigerian content is featured across nearly every major category, confirming the nation’s status as a digital powerhouse in the Sub-Saharan African scene.

Among this year’s Nigerian Nominees is Shallipopi (@theycallmeshallipopipp), for the Artiste of the Year award. Nigeria also has a strong presence in the Storyteller of the Year category, with creators like Belove Olocha (@beloveolocha), Brian Nwana (@briannwana), and Joy Etor (@joygiverkitchen), who excel at telling stories through their short videos.