TikTok and 1B Followers Summit launch Global Educator Award offering $100,000 – here’s how to join
Finalists to enjoy fully hosted experience in Dubai this January
DUBAI – The 1 Billion Followers Summit has partnered with TikTok to launch the first-ever Global Educator Award, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at celebrating creators who inspire learning through engaging digital content.
With a top prize of $100,000, the award is set to highlight educational creators who turn knowledge into creativity and spark real-world impact. The competition opens on 24th November 2025 and runs until 21st December 2025, welcoming creators from MENA, Africa, the UK, and the USA to showcase their talent.
Hosted within the upcoming fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest content creator economy gathering, the award ceremony will take place from 9th to 11th January 2026 in Dubai. The venues include Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Museum of the Future, all under the theme ‘Content for Good’.
Summit partnership
The Summit is organised by the UAE Government Media Office and seeks to empower creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world. Khadija Hussain, Executive Director of Government Communication at the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, stated that the partnership with TikTok underscores the strong commitment to foster knowledge-sharing and positive community impact. She highlighted that meaningful educational content is a catalyst for youth empowerment, community development, and global learning accessibility.
Global Educator Award
The Global Educator Award recognises creators who transform complex ideas into relatable, engaging content that ignites curiosity across all age groups. The platform encourages a wide range of educational formats, including life-skills hacks, humanities, entrepreneurship tips, STEM experiments, language learning, and more. TikTok’s initiative builds upon the success of #LearnOnTikTok, which supports community-driven learning and celebrates educators who make knowledge resonate through creativity.
The award will see three finalists flown to Dubai, where they will receive a fully hosted experience during the Summit. The winner will be announced at the event, receiving the $100,000 prize in recognition of their contribution to global learning.
Khadija Hussain emphasised that the award motivates creators to channel their passion and expertise into high-quality educational content, strengthening the global education ecosystem. The initiative reaffirms the UAE’s vision of becoming a hub for innovative educational ideas and content creation.
Kinda Ibrahim, Regional General Manager of Operations for TikTok Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, said TikTok has become a space where creativity and learning intersect, empowering millions of creators to inspire through accessible short-form videos. She added that this partnership brings educational content into the global spotlight, showing how creativity can become a tool for both connection and community building.
How to participate
Creators, educators, and lifelong learners are invited to submit their entries between 24th November 2025 and 21st December 2025. Participants must upload educational content on TikTok using the relevant hashtags based on their region:
- MENA & Sub-Saharan Africa: #EducatorAward
- USA: #EducatorAward and #LearnOnTikTokContest
- UK: #EducatorAward
Entries are encouraged to reflect one of five themes: Humanities, Personal Development, School Education, Science & Innovation, or Business & Finance.
Participants can join the Educator Award Competition by registering through the link.
Content themes
There are many ways to bring learning to life on TikTok. Whether it is a 15-second history story, a science experiment that sparks wonder, a productivity hack that transforms someone’s day, or an entrepreneurship insight that helps bring an idea to life, the platform enables creators to make education engaging, personal, and impactful.