Clio in collaboration with YouTube and Influential bet big on creators with launch of Clio Creators. The new program will award both brands and creators, recognising standout work that drives culture, creativity, and engagement across digital platforms worldwide. 27 Mar 2026 10:52 IST New Delhi: Clio Awards has announced Clio Creators, a program built for the people shaping culture from their phones, not boardrooms. Partnering with YouTube and Influential, the initiative is designed to spotlight how creators are driving both creativity and commerce today. Unlike most awards stuck in one format or platform, Clio Creators accepts submissions across Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and whatever platform that blows up next week. Nicole Purcell, CEO of Clios, said, "For more than 65 years, the Clios have recognized creativity in many forms. What started out primarily as a celebration of radio advertising has evolved into a multi-faceted business that serves as a global creative benchmark for originality, craft, and cultural impact across a number of fields." "Clio Creators extends our reach to the entire creator ecosystem, honoring how their work is shaping the creative business from brand partnerships to independent storytelling, and everything in between," he added. Clio Creators will sit alongside the brand's existing awards across advertising, sports, music, entertainment, and health. But this one feels different. It splits entries into two clear lanes: Brand and Creator. The Brand track honors brands that leverage creator talent, storytelling, and platform-native strategies to drive marketing objectives, cultural relevance, and audience engagement. While the Creator track celebrates work promoting a creator's own brand, persona, or content. "Creators are shaping the future of storytelling, and Clio Creators provides the perfect platform to honor that innovation," said Chris Detert, Influential's Chief Communication Officer. "Influential is proud to help identify the right voices, surface standout work, and collaborate with the jury to celebrate campaigns and content defining this space." The inaugural program cycle will culminate in an awards ceremony in November at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where entrants, creators, and their fans will celebrate as the Grand Clio Creators Award winners are revealed on stage. The event will also be streamed on YouTube. "YouTube is the home of creators and their communities. Brands are putting them at the heart of their campaigns because they drive exciting discoveries and confident decisions that deliver results," said Anne Marie Nelson-Bogle, VP of Marketing, YouTube Ads. "We're incredibly proud to partner with the Clios to bring much-needed recognition to the brands and creators building a new era of creator marketing."

Clios launch Clio Creators to celebrate digital content excellence. The new initiative, in partnership with YouTube and Influential, aims to recognise creativity and cultural impact across the creator economy The Clios have announced the launch of Clio Creators, a new programme developed in partnership with YouTube and Influential to honour creative excellence in digital content creation across platforms. Clio Creators will accept submissions from Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and emerging platforms, distinguishing itself from other programmes in the space through its platform-agnostic approach. Said Nicole Purcell, CEO of the Clios: "For more than 65 years, the Clios have recognized creativity in many forms... Clio Creators extends our reach to the entire creator ecosystem, honoring how their work is shaping the creative business from brand partnerships to independent storytelling, and everything in between." The programme will feature two tracks - Brand and Creator - recognising both brand-led collaborations and independent creator work. It will culminate in an awards ceremony in November at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with the event also streamed on YouTube. Added Chris Detert, Chief Communication Officer at Influential: "Creators are shaping the future of storytelling and Clio Creators provides the perfect platform to honor that innovation."