The 2025 Rode Creator of the Year Awards arrived with a familiar mix of global talent, substantial prize pools, and a growing emphasis on the shifting landscape of online storytelling. Held in Sydney, the awards brought together creators working across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms, continuing the event’s effort to position itself as a broad snapshot of contemporary digital culture. While the competition includes cash prizes and industry sponsorships, its larger function is to highlight the creative approaches shaping today’s attention economy—where short-form series, personal essays, visual experimentation and community-driven formats continue to evolve at speed.
Max Klymenko received the top recognition, Creator of the Year, along with a $25,000 award. His work, which focuses on making educational content more approachable for younger viewers, reflects a trend in creator-led learning that bypasses traditional gatekeepers. Klymenko’s street-interview series, Career Ladder, illustrates how relatively simple production setups can generate wide reach when paired with strong concepts and consistent execution. His reaction to the win underscored the long path many creators take, often relying on early, affordable gear before expanding into more polished production.
The Emerging Creator of the Year award went to filmmaker Braxton Haugen, whose autobiographical shorts center on personal memory and everyday experiences. His series, World, is self-funded—an increasingly common reality for independent creators who depend on incremental audience growth to sustain ambitious projects. The recognition provides practical financial support rather than symbolic encouragement alone, something many new filmmakers cite as essential for maintaining momentum.
The People’s Choice Award recognized Krystal Duran, whose plant-education content blends practical advice with conversational delivery. Her work demonstrates how niche topics continue to thrive on major platforms when presented with clarity and personality.
Fifteen Spotlight Awards rounded out the announcement, acknowledging creators working across comedy, filmmaking, gaming, technology, leadership, travel, music, sports and other categories. Each winner received $5,000. The list reflects a wide stretch of global talent, though the categories continue to lean toward popular verticals that dominate current algorithmic trends.
This year’s ceremony also aligns with a period of new product activity from Rode. The company has introduced updated production tools, positioning the awards as part of its broader engagement with the creator economy. While the event highlights talent rather than hardware, it also reinforces how closely tied creators remain to the tools that enable their work—and how brands often use cultural initiatives to stay visible within that ecosystem.
Rode CEO Damien Wilson acknowledged the breadth of entries and reiterated the company’s support for independent creators, noting the creative risks many participants take in order to develop an audience in increasingly competitive digital spaces.
Full list of 2025 winners:
Creator of the Year: Max Klymenko — @maxklymenko (United Kingdom)
Emerging Creator of the Year: Braxton Haugen — @braxtonhaugen (USA)
People’s Choice: Krystal Duran — @plantswithkrystal (USA)
Spotlight Awards:
Andy Burkitt — Comedy — @weirdneighbourau (Australia)
Mariano Casaca — Filmmaking — @casaca.films (Australia)
Kristian Carl Mackay — Gaming — @kristianph (Philippines)
Will Bowers — Gear & Tech — @WillBowers (Canada)
Justin Dickson — Innovation — @flatlandertech (Netherlands)
Shi Qi Ting — Instagram Personality — @msqiwiie (Malaysia)
Matthew Wilson — Leadership — @quest4thebadge (USA)
Jamiko Manguba — Music — @jmko_music (USA)
Crispy Hut — Niche Excellence — @crispyhut (India)
Heath Druzin — Podcasting — @boisestatepublicradio (USA)
Arz Zahreddine — Positive Impact — @thatsarz (Lebanon)
Tomas Minc — Sports — @tomasminc (USA)
Shan Rizwan — TikToker Personality — @shanonthestreet (USA)
Demas Rusli — Travel — @demas (Australia)
Tina Yong — YouTube Personality — @tina_yong (Singapore)
For more information or to watch the full awards broadcast, creatorawards.rode.com hosts the complete program.
