Shallipopi Leads as Nigerians Win Big at TikTok Awards
Nigerian Afrobeats star Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi, has been named TikTok’s 2025 Artiste of the Year. His win was one of several major victories for Nigerians at the TikTok Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event focused on celebrating creative talents shaping African digital culture.
According to a statement by TikTok, Shallipopi earned the top music prize due to the massive success of his hit song Laho. The track gained wide attention on the platform, creating viral challenges and trends that spread across Africa and beyond Nigeria. TikTok described the song as a “cultural reset” that dominated users’ For You feeds.
The award ceremony was held under the theme New Era, New Icons, highlighting fresh voices and rising stars across the continent. Shallipopi’s win helped crown a highly successful night for Nigeria, as creators from the country won six out of the 10 available awards. This made Nigeria the biggest winner at the event.
Other Nigerian award winners included Brian Nwana, who won Storyteller of the Year, and Belove Olocha, named Entertainment Creator of the Year. Raja’atu Ibrahim also received the Creator of the Year award for her content that showcases Northern Nigerian cuisine and culture.
Izzi Boye picked up the Education Creator of the Year award, while Degoke Ogunbiyi was honoured as Social Impact Creator of the Year. These wins showed the strength and diversity of Nigerian content, covering entertainment, education, food, and community storytelling.
TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, said Nigeria’s success reflects the power of its creative ecosystem. She explained that these awards were voted for by the TikTok community, showing strong support for Nigerian creators across the platform.
She added that Nigerian creators are using short videos to share their culture, stories, and everyday experiences with the world. Through music, language, food, and social impact content, they continue to influence global conversations about African identity.
Reacting to the recognition, some creators thanked TikTok for giving them a platform to share their stories globally. Brian Nwana said every creator is a storyteller whose work can change how the world sees their communities and countries. TikTok users across Africa can watch highlights from the ceremony, including Shallipopi’s acceptance speech, live on TikTok on December 11 at 7:00 pm WAT.
