The Content Creator Awards has announced its partner line-up for the 2026 edition. This year’s partners include YouTube, Telkom, 947 and Cars.co.za, alongside a new award backed by three-time winner Nadia Jaftha.

New partners for 2026

YouTube will present a new award category. Telkom is sponsoring the Best Online Series Award. 947 is sponsoring the Sound of Tomorrow Award. Cars.co.za is sponsoring the Automotive Award.

Content Creator Awards founder Manuela Dias de Deus said the line-up shows how brands are engaging with creators. “Content creation has evolved from a passion project into a thriving industry that’s shaping culture, influencing purchasing decisions and creating entirely new careers,” she said. “The fact that leading brands continue to invest in these awards demonstrates the value they see in South Africa’s creator community and the impact creators are having across every sector.”

Nadia Jaftha’s Creator Club to sponsor Emerging Creator Award

Nadia Jaftha, who has won the Content Creator Awards three times, is partnering with the awards through her business, Creator Club, to sponsor the Emerging Creator Award. The winner will receive a R50,000 creator campaign from Creator Club.

“Winning these awards genuinely changed the trajectory of my business and my career,” Jaftha said. “Supporting the Emerging Creator Award is my way of paying that forward and investing in the next generation of South African creators.”

Dias de Deus said the partnership reflects the awards’ focus on creators supporting other creators. “It’s partnerships like these that demonstrate what the Content Creator Awards have always been about: creators opening doors for other creators. Seeing someone like Nadia return, not as a nominee but as a partner investing in emerging talent, is incredibly special and speaks to the community we’re building.”

What’s next

The Content Creator Awards will announce this year’s headline sponsor and the full list of nominees next week.