Instagram’s Rings Awards Are Here… But Where Are the Small Creators?
Instagram's New Rings Awards Are Cool—But Small Creators Deserve the Spotlight, Too
What Are Instagram Rings?
Instagram just dropped a flashy new awards program called Rings—and yep, they’re literal gold rings. The platform will be awarding 25 creators with a physical ring (designed by fashion icon Grace Wales Bonner) plus a shiny digital ring that shows up on their profile.
These creators will also get profile perks like:
👉 Customizable profile background
👉 A spotlighted feed
👉 Custom Like buttons (yes, really)
Instagram says this award is about celebrating creativity, culture, and contribution. It’s aspirational. Prestigious. And for the 25 who get it? Super cool.
But... scroll the comments on the @creators announcement, and you’ll see what many of us are really thinking:
"Where’s the recognition for small creators?"
"What about entrepreneurs with 2K followers building daily?"
"These awards feel out of reach."
We agree. And that’s why we created The Reelies Awards.
The Comments Say It All: Small Creators Are Speaking Up
The @creators announcement of the Rings awards was met with excitement—but also a wave of real talk from the community:
🗣️ "I hope this means smaller creators like me are in with a chance 🙏" – @nathaliemirandamusic
🗣️ "Something that rewards actual content vs how many people you're direct messaging..." – @ivfmummalondon
🗣️ "The larger ones are getting bigger and smaller ones are getting smaller 🙌" – @finelinemountains
🗣️ "Another popularity contest for creators already in the spotlight 🙄" – @ayhollywood
🗣️ "I love this idea and I really hope to see some smaller creators in the mix!! 🔥🔥" – @deneikacoakley
🗣️ "Ah yes, another way to reward the already rewarded 👏" – @sktechcorner
🗣️ "Hope it brings exposure to accounts of all following levels!" – @taylormadegq
🗣️ "Just the elite doing elite things" – @unilagolodo
🗣️ "It still feels like larger creators are getting bigger while smaller creatives struggle jumping through new hoops and changes!" – @virtualgainsmediasolutions
🗣️ "Would love to see something for smaller and rising creators" – @glowzay
This isn't just venting—it's proof of a gap in the creator economy: visibility and celebration for the ones still growing.
Small Creator and Social Media Expert Prathima Venkatesan won award for her Reel.
Why the Creator Economy Needs to Celebrate the Underdogs
Let’s be real: follower counts still hold a lot of weight in who gets seen, rewarded, and promoted. But here’s the truth:
🔥 Small creators are making magic with so little resources
🔥 Micro-influencers drive real engagement.
🔥 Entrepreneur-creators are doing everything—strategy, filming, editing, showing up on camera—without a team.
They’re building communities, making sales, and shaping culture. They deserve to be celebrated, too.
Small creators need visibility, resources, and recognition that keeps them going AND opens doors.
What Is The Reelies Awards by Your Social Team?
The Reelies is the first Instagram Reels award show made for small creators and entrepreneur-creators in the U.S. and Canada.
Created in 2024 by Manu Muraro, founder of Instagram Expert Manu Muraro, its mission is to connect and celebrate the people who are trying to grow online communities, selling digital products, services, educating, entertaining, and inspiring—no matter their follower count.
Here’s what sets The Reelies apart:
👉 Focused on small business owners, personal brands and creators. No followers count or viral reels necessary!
👉 Entrepreneur- and content-creator-centric
👉 Celebrates diversity, authenticity, and creativity
👉 Red Carpet Ceremony happens every September in Atlanta, GA
2026 submissions open in April—so if you’re reading this and thinking, “Wait, this could be me…” Yes. It could be.
Follow The Reelies on Instagram not to miss a thing!
How The Reelies Fills the Gap Left by Instagram’s Rings Awards
Instagram’s Rings awards are designed to elevate a few select creators and give them more platform visibility. We love the concept—but it leaves many out.
And here’s my probably unpopular hot take: It would be impossible for Instagram themselves to create anything for the small creators.
Even if they did and limited the size of accounts that can participate, as soon as they would promote it, the competition would be insane and would only end up rewarding very select few that clearly have the most resources to create.
That’s why we think awards for small creators, to remain small, should be handled by ourselves, fellow small creators.
Here’s how we’re doing things differently at The Reelies Awards:
💥 Inclusivity: We’re not looking at follower counts or virality, at all. That is not even considered for any part of the judging process. We care about storytelling, getting the job done, creativity and sparkles of uniqueness.
💥 Visibility for the overlooked: You shouldn’t need a PR team to get noticed. The Reelies lifts up the everyday-but-extraordinary creator. And so many leave the experience with a new group of followers, collaborators and even a brand partnership or a new client.
💥 In-person community: Our annual red carpet black tie ceremony is more than just an awards night—it’s a celebration, networking opportunity, and hug-fest for people who often work solo. It’s a Eras Tour-coded creator event.
Who Are the Judges for Instagram’s Rings?
For SEO and context, here are the high-profile names behind the Instagram Rings judging panel:
👉 Adam Mosseri – Head of Instagram
👉 Spike Lee – Director
👉 Marc Jacobs – Designer
👉 Yara Shahidi – Actress and activist
👉 Pat McGrath – Makeup legend
👉 Devon Lee Carlson – Influencer
👉 Lori Harvey – Entrepreneur
👉 Others from the fashion, beauty, and creator spaces
Big names. Big vibes. Definitely not for Reels made in 10 minutes with B-Roll in between soccer pick up and a zoom calls.
Want to Enter The Reelies 2026? Here’s How to Get Ready
We open submissions in April 2026—and if you want your content to shine, now’s the time to prep.
Start by:
👉 Saving your best Reels to a collection
👉 Looking over the Categories
👉 Following @thereelies on Instagram for updates and category announcements
We’ll also drop a free checklist soon to help you prep your application (and boost your content strategy while you’re at it).
TL;DR
👉 Instagram Creators account and Adam Mosseri just launched Meta’s own Rings awards for 25 top creators—think gold rings + digital perks
👉 The internet clapped back, asking: what about small creators?
👉 The Reelies is our answer: an annual award show built for small creators and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Canada
👉 Submissions open April 2026—follow @thereelies to stay in the loop
Want to be seen for the work you’re already doing? Get your content ready, because The Reelies might be your moment. ✨
Photo: KVC Photography
About Manu Muraro
Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, a content marketing brand helping small business owners grow through strategic email marketing and Instagram content.
She’s the creator of Your Template Club, one of the first Canva template subscriptions designed for Instagram, and the founder of Your Inbox Team, a weekly email marketing membership that helps entrepreneurs send consistent, high-converting emails in under 15 minutes.
Manu is also the creator of The Reelies Awards, the first award show celebrating Small Business Owners and Creators’ creativity and originality in Instagram Reels.
A former creative strategist at Cartoon Network, Manu brings award-winning experience to everything she creates — from viral Reels to done-for-you content that saves time and drives results.
👉 Follow Manu on Instagram