Max Klymenko, the man behind the "Career Ladder" series, has climbed all the way to become Creator of the Year at the 2025 TikTok Awards UK and Ireland
The Video of the Year award goes to Bus Aunty, who thanks TfL - Transport for London - in her speech
Entertainment Creator of the Year winner Charley Marlowe says her win is for "every northern, working-class diva"
Nikki Lilly takes home the Fashion and Beauty prize - after being diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, she has used her platform to inspire others
Morgan M-James wins Storyteller of the Year, while the Voice for Change award goes to Tola and Kevin
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Image source, Nabiha Ahmed/BBCA sea of tables are quickly filling in the auditorium, with the ceremony beginning soon.
I cannot see an empty seat - or to the end of the room where the stage is, for that matter.
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
I've just heard Charley Marlowe's famous cackle in person - and it was surreal. She's up for Entertainment Creator of the Year.
"Win or loose, we're on the booze," she jokes, adding: "We're gonna have a good night anyway!"
I ask her when she decided to start posting online.
"I feel like it was the thing to do. So I thought, let me be a massive sheep and take part in whatever this is," she says, laughing.
We talk about balancing content creation and the day job - she's currently working on BBC Radio 1 and regularly interviews celebrities.
"If it's a job with a celeb, you've got to do your research. So I just think, is it the end of the world if I don't post a video for a week, no. But have I got to know my stuff when I meet Davina McCall, yeah!"
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
Max Klymenko, known for his "career ladder" content, says this evening he wanted to create content to talk to people about jobs - without the bias of them knowing what the jobs are.
"I moved here from Ukraine some time ago and I really struggled to get a job so I wanted to give young people options - but in a way that's not boring," he says.
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
Content creator Morgan M-James has just told me that if he wasn't a content creator, he'd "love" to be a chef or a tree surgeon.
"Not that I can cook or anything," he adds, but says it would be really cool.
On being at the awards tonight, he says "wild is the word" he's going to use.
"To be nominated is one thing; just to be in this room - to be here in real life - is wild," he tells me.
Recalling a conversation with his brother, he says he told him: "This is like the Brit awards, but my 'For You' page - I'm seeing everyone and I'm like 'Oh, I follow them'."
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Image source, Nabiha Ahmed/BBCJamilo, better known as J Watches on TikTok, says her nomination left her "shook".
"I looked at the nominations and thought...where is everyone like me?" she says, amazed at how she made it to such a stellar line-up of nominees.
Jamilo says her audience is educating her on the best films to watch just as much as she is by her own videos.
"Indonesian films? They go hard," she says.
My bag asks whether she would rather post at midday or midnight every day, she replies: "Midnight. In fact, make that 03:00. The world is quiet. I'm awake. Enjoy the moment."
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Image source, Nabiha Ahmed/BBCIf there's one thing that's true about Sammi Jefcoat, it's that she knows how to put an outfit together.
She's wearing a classic Sammi-style corset and holding a glass bag with her eye designed on it.
"I firmly believe in an outfit changing your day," she says.
Her outfits have got her recognised across the world - from Texas to France.
My bag asks her what the last memorable TikTok she watched was.
And, what do you know? It was one of this very bag being created.
Image source, EPAThe US president said an American buyer for the app in the US will be announced soon
While tonight is about celebrating the success of some of the UK’s biggest creators, there have long been discussions about the app being banned in some countries.
The app is currently owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company.
This has led US lawmakers to ask questions about the security of users’ data on the platform - criticism that TikTok and ByteDance deny.
In 2024, US politicians passed a law banning the app in the country unless it was sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Then, last month, US President Donald Trump struck a TikTok deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will see a group of US investors take over the app's operations in the country, creating a new company valued at $14bn (£10.5bn).
The UK government and Parliament have also banned TikTok from staff work devices since 2023 - as has the European Commission. The app is also banned in India, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
In case you're interested in who Bus Aunty is, I did an interview with her earlier.
Often seen smiling beside a passing double-decker, Bemi Orojuogun has turned her lifelong love of the capital's transport network into a viral celebration of city life.
"My love for buses comes from a long time ago, from the early 90s," she says. "I have always taken a picture of myself with buses and one random day I chose to post one on TikTok and it went viral, and now here we are."
One of her videos, which is nominated for best video of the year, has been viewed almost 50 million times and Bemi now has collaborations with Burberry and Ikea.
The mental health nurse has become one of TikTok's most unexpected success stories and she admits "it's slightly overwhelming that everyone recognises me", but says is she is proud of what she's achieved.
"You're never too old," she says firmly. "I would never have thought I could do TikTok and be nominated for awards, but here I am, having only posted for just over a year.
"Never give up on your dream because what I love about London has got me here."
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
Bemi Orojuogun, also known as "Bus Aunty", tells me this evening she’s loved buses for a "very long time".
She says that even before TikTok, she would take selfies with them.
She adds her plan was to use TikTok as a platform to advise people on mental health - "but I believe God had other plans".
Stormzy reposted her video "and that was it", she explains.
To my left, Nikki Lilly, who produces fashion, beauty and lifestyle content, says these topics can be seen as "skin deep".
She explains she wanted her content to reshape perceptions.
"I don't want to only make my social media a highlights reel," she says. "It's also me having surgeries, and me having a facial difference."
"Things like fashion and beauty and make-up are limitless and they're for everyone."
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
Nominees mother-and-son duo Tola and Kevin share content about his journey with autism and ADHD.
"We just show what life for him is like and what for our family is like," she explains.
"There's not much we want than for people to see life on this side and know it can be beautiful too... we share life as we know it - the good times, the bad times and everything in between."
Tola says it's the "relatability" that keeps her going, because when Kevin was younger, they were isolated but now they have a community of people who support them.
She adds that it "always feels wild" to her when she looks at the number of followers they have, but says the impact is amazing.
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Straight off an 08:00 flight from Ireland and on the red carpet is Aghogho Okpara, who makes videos about being a medical student.
"I was rejected five times before being accepted on my course, and TikTok gave me a platform to reach all the right people," she tells me.
Her first ever video in 2022, though, was very different.
"It was when everyone was dancing, so one of those classic post-pandemic ones. Thank God nobody saw it!"
My bag asks her to describe her For You page as a person. She says: "Very weird. The opposite to what my followers think of me. But opposites attract!"
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
As you've just seen, I've met Jack Edwards.
Want to know more about him?
The man has built a devoted following by sharing his love of reading - but his journey into social media stardom began with rejection.
"It was lockdown and I was looking for a job in publishing and no-one wanted to hire me," he told me earlier.
"My inbox was snorkelling in a sea of rejection and every email started with the word unfortunately.
"So I started talking about the books I was reading on social media."
What began as a side project quickly turned into a full-time career, and Edwards ended up leaving the job he'd eventually secured in publishing.
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
"I feel so nervous," Jack Edwards, who calls himself the internet's resident librarian, tells me.
"It's so special seeing my entire 'For You' page here."
However, he adds that he's been treating himself like a "sick dog" today.
"You know when you're going to put a dog down and you take them for a run on the beach and have chocolate cake for breakfast.
"That's what I was doing today because I'm spiralling - it's overwhelming," he explains, as he says he is "honoured" to be among this "library of storytellers".
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
The first thing I notice about the Gardiner Brothers as they join me on the red carpet is that they're tall - really tall.
The professional Irish dancers, who have five world titles under their belt, are in the running for video of the year tonight.
"It's a huge honour," Michael tells me. "TikTok video of the year is a big deal and we're honoured to be in that top six.
"TikTok has just given us this incredible opportunity to promote our Irish dancing, our Irish culture around the world."
He says they almost gave up filming their viral clip because it was raining - "as it does in Ireland," Matthew says - but their final take was the ticket to 70 million views.
Image source, ReutersTonight's award ceremony kicks off at 20:00 GMT, and it's hosted by presenter AJ Odudu.
As we've mentioned, there will also be a live performance by hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, who are set to perform their new solo - and well known TikTok bop - Follow Excitement!
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Alfiecooks is no stranger to FoodTok, having started making recipe videos about two and a half years ago.
"It literally just started with a few recipes," he says, and he has now gained millions of followers.
It's not TikTok, but "a beetroot" that Alfie says changed his life.
He loves using whatever he has in the fridge to cook up his signature dishes.
"I don't know how I ended up being nominated for an award but I'm happy to be here," he says.
My bag asks him what single hashtag he'd use for the rest of his TikTok career, his answer is simple: #soupseason.
Imogen James
Live reporter
Image source, Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIf you’re like me, scrolling through TikTok before bed almost becomes an exercise of jealousy, as I see creators buying luxury after luxury. So how can they afford it from making minute-long videos online?
Creator rewards programme
This is how eligible creators get paid by TikTok for the videos the make. You have to be over 18, have at least 10,000 followers, at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days, post original content, have a personal account and post videos over a minute in length.
Rewards begin when videos reach 1,000 qualified For You feed views. The actual money they receive is vague to the public, but judging by the lifestyles many popular creatives show off, it can't be all bad.
TikTok shop
TikTok has its own e-commerce platform within the app, where creators can link to items on their videos. It can be their own products, or products sold by registered sellers on the app. If viewers click on the item and buy it, the creator gets commission.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships aren’t a new thing in the digital creator world. It’s been a key way for influencers to make money since the early YouTube days.
In partnerships, ads must be disclosed to the audience, but influencers typically receive a free gift or experience, and payment, in exchange for an agreed amount and type of content.
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards
I've caught up with Rizzle Kicks as they walked down the pink carpet. They're expected to perform their new solo - and well known TikTok hit - Follow Excitement! tonight.
Jordan says the social media platform is offering lots of opportunities to new artists to get their big break - and admits he'd have filmed "a hundred TikToks a day" to promote his and Harley's music if the app had been around when they were starting out.
"I get that as a tool but for us it took a minute to adjust," he tells me. "We were shooting a lot of content videos which is what we used to do, the music video. Music videos are kind of dying out in a way."
Image source, ReutersSome 72 content creators - with a combined following of 83 million on TikTok - are nominated across 12 categories for tonight’s awards.
Among them is London’s unofficial bus ambassador, Bemi the Bus Aunty, nominated for an endearing video of her romanticising the capital’s double-deckers.
Also featured is TikTok’s unofficial librarian, Jack Edwards, who has built a following by sharing his love for reading.
There’s a starry line-up of artists nominated too - from rapper Central Cee to singer Olivia Dean - who are nominated for songs that have practically become the soundtrack of UK TikTok feeds.
We’ll be bringing you a list of all the nominees - along with winners - when they are announced.
Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards
Suits, gowns and heels are no strangers to the red carpet - but what about a side pouch?
I've brought a bag holding a myriad of questions to the red carpet, asking about everything from dream collaborators to favourite sounds.
I'll be asking nominees to pick one at random and answer.