Instagram's Rings Awards winners for 2026. Courtesy of Instagram By Mark Mwachiro --> Instagram is celebrating the creators that sparked conversations and shaped culture on and off the platform this year with the 2026 Ring Awards, revealed on Friday.
Now in their second year, the Ring Awards celebrate visionaries who aren’t afraid to push boundaries and take creative risks.
This year’s honorees include 25 global creators, including soccer star Erling Haaland, Subway Takes’ Kareem Rahma, Mexican band Latin Mafia, Brazilian musician Joyce Alane, and Indian supermodel Bhavitha Mandave, among others, for their creativity, courage, and bold ideas.
“Creativity often is not the thing you end up posting. It’s everything before that: chasing an idea, finding inspiration when there isn’t any, not knowing how something will land, and overcoming doubt,” said Vivan Odior, head of marketing for Meta’s consumer apps.
A panel of judges from across fashion, music, film, sports, and more selected the winners. They include Donatella Versace, A$AP Rocky, Emily Adams, Bode Aujla, Finneas, Chloé Zhao, Mikaela Shiffrin, Osgemeos, Charm La’Donna, Eva Chen, Will Welch, Isamaya Ffrench, Vikas Khanna, and Jack Edwards, as well head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.
“We collaborated with judges who understand this spirit and bring authority and cultural influence in their fields,” Odior said.
Each winner received a physical ring, crafted by Aujla, as well as a digital gold ring around their Instagram profile to celebrate the achievement. In addition, the winners and their work will be showcased across digital displays in New York City’s Times Square and on the facade of the Dream Hotel in the Meatpacking District.
Odior said Instagram hopes the Rings Awards are something that creators genuinely care about winning. She added, “Our hope is that a few years from now, creators can see the ring on someone’s Instagram profile and understand what it took to earn it.”
Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022. Based out of New York, Mark has also contributed to ADWEEK.
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