Instagram has introduced a new creator recognition program called the “Rings” award, designed to celebrate originality and risk-taking in digital creativity. The award gives selected creators both digital and physical gold rings as a symbol of their influence and innovation on the platform — a move that mirrors YouTube’s Creator Awards but with a more personal, stylistic twist.
Announced on Monday, the Rings award honors creators “who aren’t afraid to take creative chances and do it their way,” according to Instagram’s statement. Winners receive a distinctive gold ring around their profile photo, as well as exclusive customization tools that let them change their profile background color and even modify the “like” button’s appearance. Alongside the digital reward, recipients also receive a physical gold ring designed in collaboration with British fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner.
Instagram describes Rings as less about metrics and more about spirit — celebrating creators who push boundaries, challenge norms, and inspire cultural shifts. The company framed the award as a recognition of courage in the creative process, saying it’s meant for “those who don’t just participate in culture but shift it.”
The first group of winners was selected by a panel that reads like a cross-section of global creative talent. Among the judges were filmmaker Spike Lee, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, makeup artist Pat McGrath, musician Tainy, and tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), alongside Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Each judge nominated standout creators before voting on the final selections.
Wales Bonner’s physical design for the ring, Instagram says, is meant to embody creativity itself — a simple but symbolic piece that reminds recipients to “keep taking creative chances.”
Brownlee, who served as one of the judges, told Mashable that his approach to evaluating nominees centered on “high-effort content.” He emphasized that Rings isn’t about popularity or follower counts — unlike YouTube’s milestone plaques — but about craft and originality. “When I watch something and think, ‘that seemed really hard to make,’ that makes me really happy,” he said.
The launch of Rings adds a new layer to Instagram’s creator ecosystem, which has increasingly emphasized recognition and retention as competition intensifies across social platforms. With TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and other video-first platforms vying for talent, awards like Rings serve both as symbolic appreciation and a signal that Instagram wants to remain a serious home for creators.
Brownlee summed it up best: “It’s about creators getting recognized by other creators. Hopefully there’s a long future of Rings after this first wave.”
