Finalists announced for $1 million dollar content creator award in Dubai

The 1 Billion Followers Summit has announced ten shortlisted candidates for the One Billion Award and its $1 million prize, the largest award for content creators globally.

Public voting for the 10 shortlisted candidates is open from Dec. 22 to Dec. 28 at https://vote.1billionsummit.com, with the top five candidates advancing to the final stage.

The candidates are:

Dr. Adanna Steinacker (Nigeria)

Dr. Adanna Steinacker's YouTube channel House of Adanna provides engaging and accessible content focused on women's health.Instagram/@houseofadanna

Intent on transforming women's health education through the power of social media, Dr. Adanna left behind her career as a medical doctor, and now dedicates herself to her YouTube channel, House of Adanna, providing engaging and accessible content focused on women's health and well-being. She has over one million followers on social media platforms.

Nirmal Purja (UK)

Mounatineer Nirmal Purja led the first winter ascent of K2 and climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in under seven months.Instagram/@nimsdai

Born in Nepal, Purja is a renowned mountaineer and former UK Special Boat Service member. Purja has +2.2 million followers on social media platforms. He led the first winter ascent of K2 and climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in under seven months. Through his social media content and his foundation, Nimsdai, Purja supports Himalayan communities and people in need, as well as environmental conservation efforts.

Simon Squibb (UK)

Content creator Simon Squibb's content focuses on motivating future leaders and supports social enterprises addressing global issues.Instagram/@simonsquibb

An entrepreneur and inspirational speaker, he shares personal experiences to help people achieve their dreams. He focuses on motivating future leaders, and supports social enterprises addressing global issues. Squibb has over nine million followers on social media platforms.

Charlie Rocket (USA)

Creator Charlie Rocket's content supports people in achieving their dreams through acts of kindness and his ‘Dream Machine’ Foundation.Instagram/@charlie

Rocket is an athlete who overcame depression, obesity, and a brain tumor. With a mission to support people in achieving their dreams through acts of kindness and his ‘Dream Machine’ Foundation, Charlie inspires others through spreading kindness and celebrating stories of resilience. He has more than 10 million followers on social media platforms.

Samuel Weidenhofer (Australia)

Social media influencer Samuel Weidenhofer is known for spreading positivity and kindness through heartwarming videos featuring acts of kindness towards strangersInstagram/@itssozer

The social media influencer is known for spreading positivity and kindness through heartwarming videos featuring acts of kindness towards strangers, from surprising kids to gifting strangers. He has more than 10 million followers on social media platforms.

Ahmed AbuZaid (Egypt)

Known for his YouTube channel, "Droos Online," Ahmed AbuZaid provides viewers with practical skills in English and video editing.Website/vote.1billionsummit.com

Known for his YouTube channel, "Droos Online," he provides viewers with practical skills in English and video editing, along with advice on time management, self-improvement, and study skills. He’s keen to test everything and share it with passion to educate and empower his audience of over 11 million followers across social media platforms.

Nasser Al Oqail (Saudi Arabia)

Nasser Al Oqail is the founder of the "Dupamicaffeine Sciences" channel, which has over nine million followers across social media.Website/vote.1billionsummit.com

Al Oqail is the founder of the "Dupamicaffeine Sciences" channel, where he simplifies complex books into relatable and actionable insights for his over nine million followers across social media.

Osratouna TV: Founded by Abderrazak Bennadji (Algeria, UK)

Osratouna TV provides Arabic language children's programming promoting regional culture.Website/vote.1billionsummit.com

Osratouna TV promotes Arabic language and cultural pride among children through songs, stories, and interactive lessons. The channel has attracted over 17 million followers on social media.

Creators For Lebanon (Lebanon)

Creators for Lebanon includes influencers Abdallah Saadeh, Hasan Hashim, Hasan Raad, and Abir Al Saghir.Website/vote.1billionsummit.com

The group of four Lebanese content creators united to help displaced families, provide aid, rebuild communities and inspire solidarity in times of crisis. The group includes Abdallah Saadeh, Hasan Hashim, Hasan Raad, and Abir Al Saghir, and has over 40 million followers on social media platforms.

Mahmoud Zuaiter (Palestine)

Gazan content creator Mahmoud Zuaitar creates uplifting content amid the crisis in Gaza.Website/vote.1billionsummit.com

A content creator from Gaza, Zuaiter creates uplifting content amid Gaza’s hardships to inspire and spread hope. His content helped highlight the conditions in the strip and he also contributes to humanitarian aid efforts and highlights social issues to inspire positive change. Zuaiter has around three million followers on social media platforms.

These candidates were chosen out of over 16,000 submissions from 190 countries. An international panel of experts will choose the winner in closed sessions on Jan. 11 and 12, 2025. The panel includes notable influencers like Ahmed ElGhandour, Prajakta Koli, Zachery Dereniowski, Amine Imnir, and Hassan Suleiman (AboFlah). The winner will be announced on Jan. 13, 2025.

Organized by the New Media Academy, the 1 Billion Followers Summit is the world’s largest event dedicated to shaping the content creator economy.