For the first time in its history, TIME Magazine has unveiled the TIME100 Creators list for 2025 — a groundbreaking expansion of the iconic TIME100 franchise that celebrates the most influential digital voices shaping culture, conversation, and community today. This inaugural edition honors creators across five categories — Titans, Entertainers, Leaders, Phenoms, and Catalysts — spotlighting individuals who are redefining how stories are told and how communities form online. According to TIME’s editorial team, the list represents a major recognition of the creator economy’s increasing cultural and social influence (TIME).

Among the standout honorees are several Black creators whose platforms have become essential spaces for education, joy, and empowerment:

• Kahlil Greene, the widely known “Gen-Z historian,” celebrated for using digital platforms to unpack history, identity, and systemic issues through accessible storytelling (TIME).

• Golloria George, a beauty influencer who has built a large community by championing representation, authenticity, and inclusive beauty standards (TIME).

• Keith Lee, the beloved food critic whose honest reviews and community-driven recommendations have transformed small businesses overnight and reshaped food discourse online (TIME).

• Wisdom Kaye, a fashion trendsetter recognized for merging high fashion with digital creativity, frequently highlighted in style coverage by major publications (Vogue).

• Quenlin Blackwell, a comedy and lifestyle creator whose humor, vulnerability, and relatability have earned her a deeply loyal audience (TIME).

• Darren Jason Watkins Jr., better known as IShowSpeed, a globally followed streamer known for his high-energy personality and massive reach across multiple platforms (TIME).

• Joel Bervell, the “medical mythbuster,” whose content debunks healthcare misinformation and addresses racial bias in medicine, earning praise from medical experts and mainstream media (CBS News).

Leading the list is streaming superstar Kai Cenat, who not only earned a spot but also appears on the TIME100 Creators cover. His meteoric rise, massive audience engagement, and cultural impact have solidified him as one of the most influential digital figures of his generation. His inclusion at the forefront of the list reflects the scale of his influence across entertainment, gaming, and youth culture (PR Newswire).

TIME editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs emphasized why creators now belong within the magazine’s most influential community. He explained that creators have become central to how people learn, communicate, and understand the world. “We’ve expanded the TIME100, the world’s most influential community, to include individuals who work in fields that we believe are shaping the future,” Jacobs said. He further noted that these creators are now “changing the way people inform themselves” and redefining modern influence in real time (TIME; PR Newswire).

Editorial teams at TIME also highlighted that the list was developed with research partners and global correspondents to ensure the creators honored were people who built their influence natively within digital spaces — not traditional celebrities merely active online. This approach reflects TIME’s acknowledgment of how creators are rewriting cultural norms, economic models, and public dialogue (TIME).

This year’s honorees — especially the Black creators recognized — illustrate the transformative power of digital storytelling. They break boundaries, shift perspectives, and build communities that uplift millions. Their work shows what’s possible when digital platforms are used with purpose, authenticity, and courage.

Congratulations to these innovators shaping culture and leading the next era of influence through creativity, intention, and bold vision.