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Keith Lee was named Creator of the Year at the inaugural U.S. TikTok Awards, taking home the top honor during the platform's first American awards ceremony held on December 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
The food critic and content creator, who has amassed more than 17 million followers on TikTok, accepted the fan-voted award onstage after it was presented by Paris Hilton. Visibly emotional, Lee told the audience, "I never in a million years thought I was going to be standing on this stage." He went on to describe how meaningful the recognition was to him, adding, "This means more to me than I can explain."
Lee, who is widely known for using his viral food reviews to spotlight struggling small businesses, reflected on his upbringing and how the platform helped him find his voice. "TikTok provided me a platform to be able to talk about that," he said, while sharing that he was a shy child growing up. He also thanked his wife, Ronni, who was in attendance, for encouraging him to begin creating content.
In recognition of Lee's impact beyond entertainment, host La La Anthony announced a charitable contribution in his name. "In the spirit of our new Creator of the Year, Keith Lee, TikTok will be contributing 50,000 to Feeding America," she said, noting his consistent efforts to address food insecurity through his work.
Lee beat out fellow nominees Alix Earle, Adam Waheed, Brooke Monk, and Kristy Sarah for the award. The ceremony featured 14 categories celebrating creators across storytelling, education, sports, beauty, philanthropy, and entertainment. Other winners included Jeremiah Brown as Rising Star of the Year and Zach and Pat Valentine receiving the TikTok for Good award.
The event, themed "New Era, New Icons," marked TikTok's first U.S.-based awards show after hosting similar ceremonies in more than 20 countries worldwide. It was streamed live on TikTok and Tubi and featured performances by Ciara and Mr. Fantasy, an online persona speculated by fans to be an alter ego of actor KJ Apa.
