The 1 Billion Followers Summit, organized by the New Media Academy, has announced the shortlist of 10 candidates for the One Billion Award, a US$1 million prize recognized as the world’s largest and most valuable for content creators. The award celebrates creators whose work positively impacts society, fosters unity, and sustains values of compassion and empathy.
Selected from over 16,000 submissions from 190 countries, the shortlisted candidates represent diverse fields, including education, health, humanitarian aid, and cultural preservation. Public voting for the candidates is open from December 22 to 28, 2024, via vote.1billionsummit.com. The top five candidates will advance to a final round judged by an expert panel, with the winner announced on January 13, 2025.
Shortlisted Candidates:
- Dr. Adanna Steinacker (Nigeria): Focuses on women’s health education via social media.
- Nirmal Purja (UK): Mountaineer and conservation advocate supporting Himalayan communities.
- Simon Squibb (UK): Entrepreneur inspiring future leaders and supporting social enterprises.
- Charlie Rocket (USA): Spreads kindness through his Dream Machine Foundation.
- Samuel Weidenhofer (Australia): Creates heartwarming videos promoting positivity.
- Ahmed AbuZaid (Egypt): Educates on English, video editing, and self-improvement.
- Nasser Al-Oqail (Saudi Arabia): Simplifies complex topics through his science-focused channel.
- Osratouna TV (Algeria/UK): Promotes Arabic language and cultural pride among children.
- Creators For Lebanon (Lebanon): A group providing humanitarian aid and rebuilding communities.
- Mahmoud Zuaiter (Palestine): Uplifts with inspirational content amid Gaza’s hardships.
Panel of Judges:
The expert panel includes leading content creators like Ahmed ElGhandour (Egypt), Prajakta Koli (India), Zachery Dereniowski (Canada), Amine Imnir (Morocco), and Hassan Suleiman (AboFlah, UAE). Together, they will select the winner based on the content’s innovation, societal impact, and adherence to quality standards.
This initiative aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to position the UAE as a global hub for digital content, empowering creators to drive the media industry forward and inspire meaningful change worldwide.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
