1 Billion Followers Summit, TikTok launch Global Educator Award with $100,000 Prize

Dubai: The 1 Billion Followers Summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, and digital platform TikTok have partnered to launch the inaugural Global Educator Award, a worldwide initiative to celebrate content creators reimagining online learning, featuring a top prize of $100,000.

The award, hosted as part of the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, marks a significant push to encourage positive and impactful educational content across digital communities, according to summit organisers.

The competition for the Educator award officially opened on 24 November 2025 and will accept entries from content creators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States until 21 December 2025. Creators are being asked to submit educational and entertaining content—ranging from history lessons and STEM experiments to entrepreneurship tips and life-skills hacks—that promotes accessible learning on TikTok.

Khadija Hussain, Executive Director of Government Communication at the UAE Government Media Office and deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, underscored the strategic nature of the collaboration.

"The 1 Billion Followers Summit continues to forge strong partnerships with leading global digital media platforms," Hussain said. "Our aim is to empower creators from our region and across the globe, enabling them to actively shape the future of the content industry and foster positive change across communities.”

Hussain further noted that meaningful education content acts as a catalyst for community development and youth empowerment, and that the award gives creators a powerful incentive to channel their passion into content that enriches the education ecosystem.

The initiative builds on the success of TikTok’s existing #LearnOnTikTok campaign, transforming knowledge into engaging, community-driven content. The platform's Regional General Manager of Operations for the Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, Kinda Ibrahim, stated that the award recognises the creators who "turn everyday moments into education, connection and community."

Three finalists will be fully hosted and flown to Dubai by the 1 Billion Followers Summit to attend the three-day event. The winner will be revealed during the Summit, scheduled for 9 to 11 January 2026 in Dubai across three venues: Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Museum of the Future.

The upcoming summit, which focuses on the global content creator economy, will be held under the theme ‘Content for Good’, reinforcing the UAE's position as a global hub for innovative educational content. Creators entering the competition are encouraged to focus on one of five key themes: Humanities, Personal Development, School Education, Science & Innovation, and Business & Finance.