Last night, content creators from Australia and beyond gathered in Sydney for the 2024 TikTok Awards. The event was filled with glitz and glamour, but for some, it was a night of disappointment as many creators were left at home without an invitation. The awards, held at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, aimed to celebrate various creators and the diverse content they produce, but not everyone felt included in this vision.
One notable voice of frustration was Ellie Peach, a nurse with over 130,000 followers on TikTok. She expressed her disappointment in a video, stating, “Tonight I am going to the emergency department to work. I was not invited to the TikTok Awards. Honestly, I am upset about it.” Ellie felt she had made significant strides in her online presence and believed she deserved an invite, especially since a male nursing creator, Hamish Briggs, who has 98,000 followers, was invited.
Ellie emphasized the importance of representation for women in nursing, a profession that is predominantly female, at major events like this. Other healthcare professionals, including Dr Katie with 314,000 followers and Dr Michael with 453,800 followers, shared in the disappointment. Dr Michael, who received an invite last year, remarked on the issue of networking over merit in these events, stating, “When it comes to this sort of stuff, it’s who you know, not who you are.”
Australia’s media personality, Abbie Chatfield, also chimed in after seeing Ellie’s video, offering a comforting perspective. She reassured Ellie that the awards night is not as glamorous as it seems, comparing it to attending a different school’s graduation ceremony. Abbie acknowledged that feeling excluded was valid but reminded her that the reality of such events often doesn’t match the social media portrayal.
As the conversation around the inclusivity of the TikTok Awards continues, many creators hope for a more representative future at such events. PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to TikTok and the Awards organizers for further comments, and the community eagerly awaits their response.
