Red carpets will meet ring lights tonight, as we brace ourselves for an annual celebration of the UK and Ireland’s biggest TikTok creators.

The awards will recognise those who have used the social media platform to shape culture, comedy, and trends that rule our feeds.

This year sees the second-ever ceremony of its kind held in the UK, with the first US version to be held next month. Creators from sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil are also being recognised in dedicated ceremonies in December.

Twelve awards are up for grabs today, with 72 content creators hoping to take one home tonight. The winners are selected through a vote among TikTok users.

Image source, Photo by Nicky J Sims/Getty Images

Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards

I've just caught up with BookTokker Gab who - in true big brain fashion - has given me a short history lesson on the Filipino Barong he’s wearing.

"I am shaking right now, my hands are literally non-stop," he tells me.

Gab’s attending his first ever TikTok awards after finishing a PhD last week.

He says winning would mean everything to him, as he’s dedicated to diverse voices.

"The person behind the screen can also be the person in front of the camera," he says.

I ask him what fictional character he’d like to make a TikTok with.

"Belle because she loves books," he says.

Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards

Ready for the red - or should we say pink - carpet!

I’ve had my picture taken before all the real influencers make their way down the carpet.

You can watch all the interviews live on the stream at the top of the page.

Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards

I overhear red carpet presenter Zainab Jiwa jokingly say "you guys are the only reason I am here!", met with laughs from the duo, who are performing tonight.

Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards

Minutes into being here, it already feels like the references from my TikTok For You page have jumped out of my phone into an east London venue.

It may not be the Met Gala, but the red carpet is prepped for nominees to “throw a fit” tonight.

And no matter the category, everyone here is expected to have their “main character” moment.

All whilst the likes of Tate McRae and Britney Spears hits blast through the speakers.

It’s a room built for the chronically online (me).

Image source, Getty Images

A year on from the first UK and Ireland TikTok Awards, many of its winners continue to be household names amongst avid scrollers.

Last year saw travel influencer Kyra-Mae win Creator of the Year, having only graced the platform with her vlogs and videos for around nine months.

Ian Ward, better known as the King of Chemo, took the crown in the Voice for Change category. It celebrated his completion of seven marathons across all seven continents, in order to fundraise for cancer.

British singer Myles Smith - who was first discovered by his label on TikTok - took an award home for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Other winners included beauty content creator Uche Natori, all-things-British expert Jay Foreman, and budget travel vloggers Jade and Ryan.

Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards

I have just arrived at the TikTok awards where the press have huddled up to await the arrival of tonight's nominees.

It's already bustling with life in here - with bar staff, camera crews and even makeup artists are gearing up for the night.

Image source, EPA

Over the last few years, TikTok has crept up to become a hallmark app for a global audience - boasting well over 1bn users.

The Chinese company has been around since 2016, but had a surge in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Was it an easy way for people to stay occupied? Entertained? Short grabby videos certainly do the trick.

Alongside that, it curates your For You feed through its extraordinarily powerful algorithm, which learns what content users like to see far faster than many other apps.

It's more than an app where short dances go viral - people use it for advice, entertainment, fashion, music and even shopping. Videos now can be as long as ten minutes for those seeking longer content.

TikTok has also had a huge effect on the music industry in the last few years, as short snippets go viral on the platform, boosting sales and making hits.

Many artists are now discovered this way, and release snippets of new songs on the app.

• TikTok: The story of a social media giant

Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter, at the TikTok Awards

You might think the nominees tonight are all Gen Z or Millennials, but this year’s awards are celebrating creators of all ages.

Bemi Orujuogun, 56, is a nurse who is better known as Bus Aunty and posts videos of herself with London buses.

She’s nominated for best video of the year which has been viewed almost 50 million times.

Friends of the Elm Tree is also up for nomination in the same category and the account is run by a couple in their 60s who turned to TikTok to save their local pub.

Nabiha Ahmed
Reporting from the TikTok awards

I spend more time on TikTok than I'd like to admit. So much so, that occasionally I ask myself if I can remember the last five posts I've seen on the app.

Truthfully, a lot of the time the answer is no - even if I am mid scroll.

But increasingly, I find the best of TikTok culture infiltrating my day.

It might be humming a viral song snippet from the app, as I am whilst writing this. Or thinking about the TikTok recipe I plan to make over the weekend, which I hope to enjoy whilst browsing budget-friendly travel websites I've seen creators recommend.

It is this lasting impact that the UK and Ireland's TikTok content has had on us which will be celebrated tonight, at London's second ever annual TikTok Awards UK and Ireland.

I and our culture reporter Yasmin Rufo are here to bring you the winners live from the venue.

We'll also be speaking to those creators who have made our bookshelves sag with recommendations, filled our bellies with homecooked meals, and made us roar with laughter even on the most mundane of days.

Stay with us to hear more from a star-studded line up of internet icons.