The awards celebrates the brands and agencies leading the way on TikTok with creative, high-performing campaigns that embrace the platform's nature and deliver advertising experiences, says the platform.

Building on last year's inaugural edition, the 2025 TikTok Ad Awards will once again showcase advertising campaigns from across the region, from brands that have brought authenticity, creativity and joy to the platform while achieving business results. The programme aims to recognise and reward exceptional talent, innovation and impact, adds the platform.

Submissions open from Monday,18 August and are welcome from brands and agencies based in South Africa, as well as Kenya, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Eligible campaigns must run on TikTok between 1 October 2024 and 31 October 2025, says the platform.

The Programme Will Feature Nine Categories:

  • It's the Creative for Me — Spotlighting TikTok-first ideas that happen on the platform, pushing creative boundaries and engaging audiences.
  • Community Core — Recognising authentic collaborations with creators and communities that drive engagement and impact.
  • Full Funnel Flex — Recognising integrated strategies that deliver measurable results across the entire marketing funnel.
  • Big Branding Energy — Celebrating the best upper-funnel strategies and creative storytelling to achieve standout brand recall.
  • Goal Digger — Honoring campaigns that excelled at lower-funnel performance, from ROAS to conversions and sales.
  • Bougie on a Budget — Showcasing campaigns that maximized impact through inventive use of modest production budgets.
  • Sound On Please — Celebrating campaigns where sound was central to storytelling, using music, voice, or effects in fresh and memorable ways.
  • The People's Choice — The ceremony will feature a live-voting opportunity for everyone present to vote which campaign they think deserves to take home some metal.
  • The Greatest Of All Time (The G.O.A.T) — The highest acocolade, will be presented to the best overall campaign that excels in creativity, achieves its media objectives and demonstrates effectiveness. This award aims to recognise campaigns that tapped into TikTok's community, creativity and trends to inspire joy and create cultural moments. All applications submitted under any of the seven main categories will be automatically considered for the G.O.A.T.

Submissions will close on October 31, 2025, says the platform.

"After the incredible creativity we saw last year, we're excited to bring the TikTok Ad Awards to Riyadh for 2025," concludes Shadi Kandil, General Manager, Global Business Solutions, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Central and South Asia of TikTok. "These awards are about celebrating the work that goes beyond advertising to create cultural moments, inspire joy and drive tangible business results. We look forward to seeing the bold and innovative work that brands and agencies across METAP will showcase this year."

For more information, visit www.tiktok.com.

*Image courtesy of www.tiktok.com