Ask Onix
Keith Lee wins top honor at inaugural TikTok Awards
Content creator Keith Lee was named Creator of the Year at the first-ever TikTok Awards in the United States, held Thursday at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Ceremony highlights and winners
The fan-voted event, hosted by television personality La La Anthony, celebrated top creators across 14 categories. Winners received custom logo-shaped trophies during the live ceremony, which was also streamed on TikTok and Tubi.
Other notable winners included Jeremiah Brown, star of Love Island USA, who took home the Rising Star of the Year award. Storyteller of the Year went to Tini Younger, while the TikTok for Good award was presented to Zach and Pat Valentine. Bretman Sacayanan won Video of the Year for a humorous clip featuring chickens set to Doechii's "Anxiety."
Celebrity presenters and performances
Paris Hilton, Jordan Chiles, and Bethenny Frankel were among the presenters at the star-studded event. The evening also featured performances by R&B artist Ciara and Mr. Fantasy, an online persona speculated to be the alter ego of Riverdale actor KJ Apa.
TikTok's US sale announced on same day
The awards ceremony coincided with a major development for TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. On the same day, ByteDance signed binding agreements to sell a majority stake in its US operations to a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Emirati firm MGX.
Under the deal, ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake, while Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will each hold 15%. The remaining 30.1% will be owned by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors. The transaction is expected to close on January 22.
"This agreement will allow over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community,"
TikTok, in a memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew
National security concerns drive sale
The deal resolves years of pressure from Washington, which had sought to force ByteDance to divest its US operations due to national security concerns. The agreement marks a significant shift in TikTok's ownership structure in the United States.
Other nominees in top category
Keith Lee faced stiff competition in the Creator of the Year category, with nominees including comedian Adam Waheed and lifestyle influencers Kristy Sarah, Alix Earle, and Brooke Monk.
