Instagram has launched a new initiative known as the Rings Awards that will reward 25 creators with a unique gold ring and some awesome profile features. The company made this announcement on Monday, and people are already buzzing since creators won’t receive any payment from this initiative. Eva Chen, who is an employee at Instagram and assists in fashion partnerships, came up with the concept. She explains that the program is designed to honour people who experiment and are innovative on the platform, not necessarily those with millions of fans.
The winners receive a physical ring that was created by Grace Wales Bonner, who is a British fashion designer. In addition to the ring, they receive exclusive features on their Instagram page. Their stories will get a golden ring to them, and they can also change the background colour of their account to one that is special to them. It is essentially like earning a badge that signifies you’re one of Instagram’s best creators. The firm chose these award recipients from its three billion global users, which is an enormous number of individuals to have to select from.
Celebrity Judges Select Risk-Takers for the Awards
A panel of well-known individuals assisted Instagram with the decision on who the winners of these rings would be. The judges comprised film director Spike Lee, designer Marc Jacobs, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (whom people refer to as MKBHD), actress Yara Shahidi, and artist KAWS. These judges collaborated with Instagram teams to review all nominations and select the last 25 winners. They were not searching for the most popular or the most liked. They wanted to identify creators who make some cool work and are not hesitant to experiment and do something new.
Marques Brownlee himself, with more than five million Instagram followers, said they were on the lookout for “high effort content” from individuals who will risk their creative work. Eva Chen explained that they desired creators “who are taking creative risks and who are always pushing the envelope and thinking in new ways how to communicate with their audience.” The entire concept is to pay for quality and creativity rather than popularity alone. It’s a reverse strategy from the way social media typically operates, where more numbers equate to greater rewards.
Instagram Cuts Cash Programs While Other Platforms Pay More
The timing of this Ring awards program is noteworthy since Instagram and parent company Meta have been halting their programs, which actually paid creators money. Earlier this year, Meta shut down a program on Threads that was paying certain creators between five hundred and five thousand dollars per month. Facebook is also ending its Reels Play bonuses and other payment initiatives, though they’re beginning a new Content Monetisation Program in their place. Essentially, Meta is shifting away from paying creators actual cash for their content directly.
Other social media firms are going in the opposite direction. YouTube has paid over one hundred billion dollars to creators in the past four years, and it allows creators to retain 55 per cent of the revenue their videos earn. TikTok recently announced that United States and Canadian creators can retain up to 90 per cent of the money they receive from superfans who subscribe to their content. The creator economy in general earned around 250 billion dollars in 2024, and that’s a big number. But the thing is that over half of all creators earn less than fifteen thousand dollars per year. So while some individuals are earning good amounts, most creators are financially struggling.
News At Glance
- Instagram introduced a Ring awards program, awarding 25 creators with physical gold rings and special profile badges
- Winners were selected by celebrity judges such as Spike Lee, Marc Jacobs, and MKBHD for creativity over follower count
- The program does not provide any monetary rewards to winners
- Meta has been phasing out cash-based creator payment programs on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads
- Competing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok still offer significant revenue-sharing to creators
FAQs
- What are Instagram’s Ring awards?Â
It’s a scheme that rewards 25 creators with a designer gold ring and special profile treatments, such as a golden ring around their stories.
- Do Instagram Ring award winners receive money?Â
No, winners receive just the physical ring and digital profile treatments, not any monetary payment.
- Who makes the call on which creators get the Instagram Rings?Â
The winners were chosen by a judging panel made up of Spike Lee, Marc Jacobs, MKBHD, Yara Shahidi, and KAWS.
- Is Instagram continuing to compensate creators through other initiatives?Â
Meta has been closing most cash bonus initiatives on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads in 2025.
- How much do actual content creators make?Â
Over half of all creators earn less than fifteen thousand dollars a year, despite the industry being worth 250 billion dollars.
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