Instagram Names 25 Creators to 2026 Ring Awards, From Haaland to Kareem Rahma

Instagram handed its 2026 Ring Awards to 25 global creators on Friday, honoring figures spanning footballer Erling Haaland, "Subway Takes" host Kareem Rahma, Mexican band Latin Mafia, Brazilian singer-songwriter Joyce Alane and Indian supermodel Bhavitha Mandave.

Now in their second year, the awards recognize creators who, in Instagram's framing, push boundaries and take creative risks on and off the platform. A judging panel drawn from fashion, music, film and sports selected the winners. The panel included Donatella Versace, A$AP Rocky, Finneas, Chloé Zhao, Mikaela Shiffrin, Osgemeos, Eva Chen and Jack Edwards, alongside head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.

What do winners actually receive?

Each honoree gets two things: a physical ring crafted by judge Bode Aujla, and a digital gold ring displayed around their Instagram profile. Instagram will also showcase the winners and their work on digital displays in New York's Times Square and on the facade of the Dream Hotel in the Meatpacking District.

The visible profile badge matters strategically for practitioners chasing verification-adjacent credibility signals, since Instagram says it wants the ring to function as a recognized marker of creative achievement over time.

Who made the list?

The 25 winners, with Instagram's own descriptions, are:

• @erling – the internet's favorite Scandinavian footballer
• @bhavithamandava – first Indian model to open a Chanel show
• @samvissermakeup – lead makeup artist under Gucci creative director Demna Gvasalia
• @kareem – creator of the viral "Subway Takes" series
• @latinmafia – genre-blending band from Mexico
• @szilvesztermako – fashion photographer known for ethereal design
• @paintedbyesther – celebrity makeup artist for Beyoncé, Olandria and Chloe Bailey; created a viral blush technique
• @damienjalet – choreographer who worked with Yung Lean on his viral STORM video
• @mssjb – choreographer for Beyoncé, Pharrell and Sabrina Carpenter
• @Blackforager – whimsical plant-foraging creator
• @riswan_freestyle – freestyle football athlete known for trick plays and celebrity crossovers
• @jtfirstman – actor, writer, comedian and director of the upcoming "Club Kid"; recently starred in "I Love LA"
• @littlesimz – British-Nigerian rapper, singer and actress; Mercury Prize and BRIT Best New Artist winner
• @melovemealot – digital artist, model and rapper from Korea
• @ly.as – fashion commentator behind the viral "LaWatch Party"
• @medet – hip-hop music video director and creator of the PBC Worldwide collective
• @salehebembury – creative sneaker designer
• @skylarmarshai – Brooklyn-based fashion storyteller and artist
• @joycealanee – Latin Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter from Brazil
• @vicmontanari – fashion creator who popularized the "Portuguese girl aesthetic"
• @byjuanalvear – avant-garde nail artist for celebrities like LISA
• @winnie_thepooj – creator of the "Brooklyn Coffee Shop" series
• @renellmedrano – photographer of album covers for Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber
• @stevenmotocooks – culinary creator, formerly at Per Se in New York
• @underthecover – creator of the "Under the Cover" book series

Why is Instagram doing this?

Vivan Odior, head of marketing for Meta's consumer apps, framed the award around process rather than output. "Creativity often is not the thing you end up posting. It's everything before that: chasing an idea, finding inspiration when there isn't any, not knowing how something will land, and overcoming doubt," Odior said.

On the judging panel's composition, Odior said: "We collaborated with judges who understand this spirit and bring authority and cultural influence in their fields."

She added that Instagram wants creators to genuinely care about winning: "Our hope is that a few years from now, creators can see the ring on someone's Instagram profile and understand what it took to earn it."

For social teams, the takeaway is a platform signal about which creator categories Instagram is elevating — fashion, music, sport and culinary creators dominate — information worth weighing when planning partnership categories for 2026. Expect the ring badge to recur as an annual prestige marker if Instagram sustains the program into its third year.