Keith Lee was named Creator of the Year at the first-ever U.S. TikTok Awards on Thursday, celebrating the platform’s top content creators in music, dance, fashion, sports, entertainment, and education. The ceremony, hosted by lifestyle influencer La La Anthony, was livestreamed on TikTok and Tubi and featured skits, viral moment reenactments, and playful stunts like Labubu dolls launched from a T-shirt cannon.
Lee, known for his family and small business content, thanked the platform on stage:
“TikTok gave me a platform to showcase small businesses around the country. It’s hard to do something for myself, because I always put others first, but this is for me,” he said.
Other winners included Bretman Rock for Video of the Year, DJ Paris Hilton for Muse of the Year, and Jeremiah Brown, a former “Love Island USA” contestant, as Rising Star of the Year. Hilton said during her acceptance speech:
“A muse doesn’t follow trends, we help create them.”
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The awards also recognized creators promoting positive change. Zach, who has Down syndrome, and his brother Pat Valentine received the For Good award for raising awareness about inclusion.
Grammy-winning singer Ciara closed the night with a performance of her hits, including “Goodies”, “1,2 Step”, and “Level Up”.
The event comes amid major developments for TikTok in the U.S. ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, announced a deal to sell over 80% of its U.S. operations to American and global investors to avoid a potential government ban. Educational creator Alexandra Doten said on the red carpet:
“This platform sparks creativity and inspires people. I’ve been involved in securing its future from the start, so it’s exciting to see it celebrated here.”