Terry Crews to Host Inaugural Clio Creator Awards on Nov. 18

Actor Terry Crews will host the inaugural Clio Creator Awards on November 18 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where Dhar Mann and Grace Wells will receive specialty honors.

The Clios confirmed Mann as the recipient of the 2026 Clio Creator Impact Award and Wells as the recipient of the 2026 Clio Creator Rising Star Award. The event is the first ceremony for Clio Creators, a creator-focused addition to the organization’s established advertising awards.

Mann founded Dhar Mann Studios, which reaches more than 170 million followers and draws more than 320 million views each week. Wells, a short-form storyteller known for her “Making Epic Commercials for Random Objects” series, will receive the Rising Star honor.

The award recognizes an emerging creator for creative craft, breakthrough momentum and cultural influence. According to the Clios, Wells has expanded the series into brand advertising and works with aspiring filmmakers.

More than 20 creators and performers will present Grand Clio Creator Awards across the program’s Brand and Creator tracks:

• Program presenters: Trixie Mattel, Jesse Riedel (Jesser), Justine Ezarik (iJustine), Jordan Howlett (Jordan the Stallion), Amanda McCants, Hannah Stocking, Cole Walliser, Andrew Bachelor (King Bach) and the Stokes Twins.
• Red carpet hosts: Hannah Stocking and Trixie Mattel.

Mann, Stocking and Walliser joined the program’s creative council in July, alongside Haley Kalil and Adam Waheed. In the same month, Howlett was named Blenders Eyewear’s first Chief Content Officer (an executive role covering the brand’s campaigns and products).

Nicole Purcell, CEO of the Clios, said: “The Clios have been setting a high bar for creativity in the marketing and advertising industry for more than 65 years, and the impact that creators have had on this business in recent years is hard to overstate.” That history anchors the new program within established advertising recognition.

The Clios launched Clio Creators in March as one of six specialized Clio verticals, or industry-specific awards divisions. YouTube presents the program and Influential powers it; Publicis Groupe acquired Influential in 2024 for around $500 million. MOCEAN serves as the program’s creative partner.

The awards accept entries from:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Other platforms

The Clios position that platform breadth as a point of difference from other recognition programs. More importantly for entrants, judges assess an entry’s creativity and craft rather than its view count, reach or popularity.

The jury combines creators, brand executives and agency leaders. The Clios announced it in July, and among its members are:

• Marisa Hammonds, TikTok’s Global Head of Creator Marketing and Community
• Monica Lambert, Head of Influencer and Talent at Amazon Studios and Prime Video
• Rahul Titus, Publicis Groupe’s Global Influencer Lead
• Kenny Gold, Edelman’s Global Chief Creator Officer

The jurors determine the Grand, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.

Tim Katz, Vice President of Americas at YouTube, said: “Today’s creators are the new Hollywood – shaping culture, redefining modern entertainment, and building business empires.” YouTube’s backing gives the program a major platform partner without changing its craft-based judging criteria.

Chris Detert, Influential’s Chief Communication Officer and the awards’ executive producer, said Influential is helping identify the right voices, surface standout work and collaborate with the jury. That gives the company a role in participant selection and jury support, while the Clios retain the stated creative criteria.

What does this change for creators and brands?

For creators and brands, the immediate change is access to a recognition path that does not privilege one platform or require audience scale. The program accepts work from multiple networks, while the jury evaluates creative merit rather than distribution.

In budget terms, campaign scale cannot secure a favorable tier; creative quality and craft are the stated basis for judgment. For marketers, the program offers a cross-platform benchmark for reviewing branded work. Audience size still describes creator reach, but it does not decide the award, separating performance metrics from creative recognition.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Dolby Theatre, and the ceremony will stream on YouTube. The November 18 ceremony will put that cross-platform, craft-led judging model on public display.