Trendupp Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognizes achievements in the social media community in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It honors content creators, influencers, brands, and organizations that have made notable contributions to the Nigerian social media landscape through innovative movements, campaigns, projects, and content. Trendupp Awards is organized by Trendupp Africa, which was established by Tiwalola Olanubi.

History

The Trendupp Awards, themed annually as 'The Force of Influence,' were established in 2021 to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian social media space. These awards primarily recognize content creators, influencers, and brands for their consistent impact on the social media community through content, projects, and engaging campaigns on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. In its inaugural edition in 2021, the awards received approximately 91,000 nominations across sixteen categories, with 96 nominees and sixteen winners. The event garnered a virtual audience of over a hundred thousand attendees from across

. The first edition was hosted by

Timini Egbuson Timini Egbuson is a Nigerian actor. Biography Timini was born in Bayelsa state and is the younger brother of actress Dakore Akande. He got his primary school education from Greenspring Montessori, The Afro School and St Catherine's. He attende ...

. The second edition took place on Sunday, June 12th, 2022, at the Monarch event center in

Lekki Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos, Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoining to its west Victoria Island (Lagos), Victoria Island and Ikoyi districts of Lagos, with the Atlantic O ...

, Lagos. Content creator, influencer, and TV host Kie Kie hosted the event. The host generated headlines when she appeared to fall off the stage during the awards, later revealed to be a prank. Winners of the second edition received $1000 cash prizes, while the winner of the "emerging force" category, the only voting category, received a cash prize of $1,500. The third edition was held on Sunday, July 9th, 2023, at Balmoral Hall,

Federal Palace Hotel The Federal Palace Hotel is a 5 star hotel with 150-rooms that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, located in the commercial hub of Victoria Island (Nigeria), Victoria Island in Lagos. Established in 1960 as the country's premier international hotel, ...

, Victoria Island, Lagos. The edition received over 200,000 nominations across sixteen categories. Mikano Motors presented a brand new car to the "Force of Influence" Winner, Mr. Macaroni. Other partners included

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

Nigeria, McVitie’s Nigeria, Tramango, and Cliqki Technologies, with media partners such as

MTV Base MTV Base was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia that focused primarily on hip hop, R&B, grime, garage, reggae, funk, soul and dance music. It was launched as part of MTV's digital boutique of music cha ...

and more. Prominent past winners include

Broda Shaggi Samuel Animashaun Perry, known professionally as Broda Shaggi , is a Nigerian comedian, actor, Songwriter and musician. He is a native of Ishagamu in Ogun State but born in Ikene in Ogun state. At a young age, he took an interest in acting drama a ...

, Anita Natacha Akide, Ikorodu Bois,

Lasisi Elenu Nosa Afolabi, better known as Lasisi Elenu, is a Nigerian comedian, actor, compere from Offa, Kwara in Nigeria. One of Africa's most popular influencers, he is known for his skits with a 'wide mouth' disguise filter during performances and on ...

Taaooma Maryam Apaokagi, known professionally as Taaooma'','' is a Nigerian comedian, content creator, cinematographer, and social media influencer. She currently serves as the CEO, and founder of Chop Tao, a food company, and directs for The Greenade Co ...

, Benjamin Hundeyin, Mark Angel, Fisayo Fosudo, Amazing Klef, Denola Grey, Aproko Doctor, Phyna, and Sheggz, all of whom have made significant contributions to the Nigerian social media landscape.

Rules

The Trendupp Awards employ a no-voting system, with winners selected each year by a jury of industry leaders, headed by

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji Iyinoluwa Samuel Aboyeji (born March 28, 1991) is a Nigerian entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Andela, and was the former managing director of Flutterwave. Aboyeji was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by ''New African'' mag ...

. Winners in each category are determined by the jury based on three criteria: creativity, consistency, and engagement. Nominations are open to the general public for the first three editions.

History

Rules

Categories

Force of Influence

Other categories

Ceremonies

References

External links