The Creator A-List: The 50 Most Influential Influencers (2024)

Adam Faze

@adamfaze

Faze is the founder of Gymnasium, a content studio that produces shortform shows for TikTok and Instagram, like the popular series Boy Room, which investigates the questionable bedrooms of men around the country. “Before I became a full-time creator, I was working in Hollywood as a producer attempting to sell TV shows and movies in an industry that was shrinking,” says Faze. “[Now, I’m] making shows the average young person has actually seen.”

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “47th Street in New York’s Diamond District.”

Craziest place I’ve looked at social media “The Box [in New York].”

Aimee Song

@aimeesong

The Los Angeles native was among the first fashion bloggers of the late aughts to turn their pre-Instagram presence into a full-fledged career. She launched her blog, Song of Style, in 2008 while studying interior architecture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and its success led to front-row fashion show invites and partnerships with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada and others. She has published two books (including The New York Times best-seller Capture Your Style) and this year launched Amiya, a line of knitwear that is produced in Italy. Song, 36, reportedly earned nearly $4.7 million in 2023, according to Forbes.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “My bathtub while giving birth unmedicated.”

Craziest place I’ve looked at social media “In South Africa, right before I bungee jumped the highest commercial bridge.”

Alix Earle

@AlixEarle

The 23-year-old’s path to creator glory was a short one. The New Jersey native exploded on TikTok in 2023 while studying at the University of Miami, during which time she continually went viral with run-of-the-mill (and irresistibly authentic) “Get Ready With Me” videos, bookended by musings on relationships, makeup, shopping, studying, acne struggles and wild college nights. Earle expanded her reach on YouTube, Instagram and most recently a popular podcast, Hot Mess, on Alex Cooper’s The Unwell Network. Though she hasn’t been immune to controversy — Earle apologized in August for using a racial slur at age 13, when screenshots of an old post she made on a website circulated widely — she’s signed with UTA and remains a hot commodity among brands thanks to her relatability and an ability to push products to her audience in a phenomenon dubbed “the Alix Earle effect.”

The Biggest perk of creator life “Being able to travel. I always wanted a job that allowed me to experience different cultures all over the world. Even when I am feeling like I’m living out of a suitcase more than my own closet, I remind myself that this is exactly what I wanted for myself.”

Amelia Dimoldenberg

@ameliadimz

Dimoldenberg, 30, filmed the first episode of her interview show Chicken Shop Date, in which she chats, chews and flirts with guests, during her first year of university, and by the time she graduated it was her full time job. Now, it’s become a hot stop for any and every celebrity’s press tour — recent A-listers on the show include Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter — and Dimoldenberg has expanded her digital empire to include red carpet interviews at the Golden Globes and Vanity Fair Oscar parties and even her own production company, Dimz Inc. The one thing she misses about life before Shop? “Walking down the street without people shouting ‘chicken!’ at me,” she says.

Benito Skinner

@bennydrama7

The 30-year-old recently wrapped filming on Overcompensating, the A24 and Prime Video series that he wrote (and starred in) based on his own life as a closeted football player, but he rose to digital prominence creating sketches about characters who are nothing like him. Among his most popular: Cooper the Gen Z intern and Kourtney Kardashian. “To be able to have the control over my creative output and test characters, writing and directing has truly made my life feel like a dream,” he says. “I feel like I’ve been able to tap back into a childlike version of myself — earnest moment!”

The person whose social media account I’d love to run for a day “J.K. Rowling. I’d love to delete herTwitter.”

Bretman Rock

@bretmanrock

After starting out as a beauty influencer, the nonbinary creator has become a leading voice for many as a first-generation Asian American, showcasing that beauty and self-expression know no gender or labels. Apart from their down-to-earth, comedic and relatable content on social media, which mostly now takes place in their home state of Hawaii, Rock, 26, also has offered a more personal peek inside their life during two seasons of their MTV series, Following: Bretman Rock, as well as the YouTube Originals limited series 30 Days With: Bretman Rock.

My daily media diet consists of … “I’ve been in my podcasting era. Not just with work, but with the content I consume — I’m trying to exercise my longform attentionspan.”

Brittany Broski

@brittany_broski

In a five-year time span, Broski turned one viral video into a massive cross-platform social media brand, consisting of content that knows no genre. From her comedic YouTube videos and medieval celebrity interview show, Royal Court, to her top podcast, Broski Report, and iconic creator collaborations (namely with drag queen Trixie Mattel), the 27-year-old has created a special connection with millions thanks to her relatable personality. She also has found her way to the center of numerous cultural moments, including hostingthe Barbie pink carpet, and a “once in a lifetime experience” creating content at the Paris Olympics.

The person whose social media account I’d love to run for a day “Give me 15 minutes on her TikTok account, and I’m getting Trixie Mattel banned from the internet forever.”

Camila Coelho

@camilacoelho

Coelho was a Dior makeup artist at her local Macy’s in Brazil before becoming one of the first digital influencers to attend the Met Gala (with Diane Von Furstenberg in 2019). After competing in Miss Brasil USA and immigrating to Boston at the age of 16, Coelho began her YouTube channel to keep in touch with family and friends back home. Now at 36, she boasts 12.45 million followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and her Elaluz beauty brand and namesake fashion line with Revolve reportedly brought in more than $10 million in 2021.

The one thing I miss about my life before I was a creator “Coming back home and not worrying about work anymore. With my job today, I feel my mind never stops working.”

Charli D’Amelio

@charlidamelio

D’Amelio took her dancing skills and used them to become the most followed woman on TikTok with more than 155 million followers. With her family by her side, the 20-year-old creates aspirational content for young girls and has turned her and her family’s brand into an empire, with a Hulu reality series, The D’Amelio Show, and numerous collaborations and business ventures, such as D’Amelio Footwear. She’s conquered on traditional media as well, having competed on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars alongside pro Mark Ballas (which she ultimately won).

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “In the middle of a mental breakdown.”

Chase Hudson

@huddy

Better known as Huddy, the trailblazing music multihyphenate reaches nearly 47 million global followers through his formidable online presence, with a fan base of more than 30 million on TikTok alone. Known for his edgy vocals on songs like “21st Century Vampire” and “All the Things I Hate About You,” Huddy also is a celebrated Gen Z fashion icon and will headline THR’s inaugural Creators A-List issue party on Oct. 10, hosted in partnership with iHeartRadio.

The one thing I miss about my life before I was a creator “I miss the people I grew up with. I kept in contact with my childhood best friends, but I don’t hear from anyone else. But I am surrounded by so many amazing people now, with lots of support from my girlfriend, family, friends and great teams.”

Chiara Ferragni

@chiaraferragni

In 2015, the Italian influencer appeared on the cover of Vogue España — the first time a blogger was featured on any of the magazine’s covers globally — and was the subject of a Harvard Business Review case study for her fashion blog, The Blonde Salad (launched in 2009 while she was studying international law at Bocconi University), and her namesake shoe line. She also has partnered with brands like Guess, Gucci, Nespresso and others, including a recent campaign that bruised Ferragni’s reputation. Italian regulators ordered the blogger to pay a fine of more than 1 million euros after regulators found her partnership with Italian food brand Balocco misled consumers into thinking a portion of sales would benefit bone cancer research. Earlier this year, she was removed from her board position at Tod’s, which she had joined in 2021. But the 37-year-old boasts 28.7 million followers on Instagram and once commanded as much as $12,000 for a post.

If TikTok is banned, I’ll … “Fund another social platform.”

Claudia Oshry

@girlwithnojob

After starting on the internet as @girlwithnojob, Oshry, 30, now has a whole bunch of jobs: On top of her 3 million Instagram followers, she hosts top comedy podcast The Toast with her sister Jackie Oshry; operates podcast network Toast News Network, which is in partnership with Dear Media; and is a touring stand-up with two comedy specials. She also became a New York Times best-seller for her 2022 memoir Girl With No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster. This summer, in an expansion of The Toast, the Oshry sisters took their show on the road with live residency Girly Swirlies Night Out! — with some shows selling out in an hour.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “On a red carpet with Gypsy Rose Blanchard mere days after she was released from prison.”

Craziest place I’ve looked at social media “On a yacht in Mexico with Leonardo DiCaprio.”

Delaney Rowe

@delaneyrowe

If you’ve recently seen a movie — literally any movie — you’ll be a fan of Rowe’s presence on Instagram and TikTok, where she parodies cinematic tropes like “absolutely insufferable female lead of an indie movie” and “movie trailer for every thriller about the perfect family with a dark secret” in cringe comedy videos that are so spot-on and well made, one wonders whether you need to bother with the longforms she’s spoofing.

The Biggest rookie mistake I’ve made on my platform “Posting to try and get a specific person’s attention and believing it wasn’t completely obvious. Like posting their favorite movie on my story or something. Pain.”

Drew Afualo

@drewafualo

Afualo, 29, has made a name for herself skillfully taking down misogynistic TikTok users. In the years since Afualo broke through on the social media app, she has launched podcasts (The Comment Section and Two Idiot Girls), written a book (The New York Times best-selling Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve) and managed to become one of the most well-known creators originating from TikTok. She and sister Deison, the other half of Two Idiot Girls,also went on a cross-country tour over the summer, to their followers’ delight.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “On my toilet!”

Craziest place I’ve looked at social media “Also on my toilet!”

Druski

Sketch comedy aficionado Druski has built a brand around the notion of “could have.” There’s Coulda Been Records, the parody talent-scouting show he started on Instagram Live during the pandemic; the Coulda Been House YouTube reality web series it spawned — which premiered in February with guest stars Snoop Dogg and Chris Brown; and Coulda Fest, his 17,000-person sold-out comedy and music festival held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta in September. But in real life, the comedian, born Drew Desbordes, doesn’t believe in what could have been.

“Nothing is a mistake,” says Druski. “Everything happens for a reason. My whole life is like that.”

Read the full Druski profile here.

Evelyn Ha

@HJEvelynha

The travel and lifestyle influencer documents her globe-trotting for millions of digital fans and partnered with YSL during September’s New York Fashion Week. She also will be featured in Kate Spade’s upcoming spring collection. On Instagram, Ha is known for picturesque shots that build a mouthwatering grid, and on YouTube, she takes on trendy food challenges and shares days in her life in the Big Apple and beyond. She’s a rising star with an editorial eye, and the devil is in the details: nearly 4 million followers on YouTube, another 4 million on TikTok and 2 million more on Instagram.

Hannah Berner

@hannahberner

After a stint as a tennis player, Berner broke into comedy by writing sketches and tweets for Betches Media. Now, the 33-year-old has two podcasts with more than 100 million combined downloads, a Netflix stand-up special (We Ride at Dawn), and her TikTok woman-on-the-street interviews with celebs like Joe Jonas and Charli XCX go nearly instantly viral. The best part of her creator lifestyle? “No one can fire me.”

My daily media diet consists of … “Cat memes, whoworewhat emails, The New York Times crossword.

The person whose social media account I’d love to run for a day “Demi Moore’s dog, Pilaf.”

Heidi Wong

@itsheidiwong

A passionate horror fan, Wong developed a following on TikTok by retelling stories based on scary films, along with sharing movie reviews and original spooky content. She has created content for Netflix, Sony, 20th Century, Paramount, Universal and AMC, in addition to being a published poet. Wong, 26, still relishes moments like walking the red carpet for Scream VI, and though the China native now lives in New York City and is far from loved ones, she says, “A win for me is a win for my family back home — and for the Asian community.”

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “Inside a quarantine hotel room where I stayed for 21 days without leaving during COVID. It was the most mentally challenging and productive 21 days of my life. I never told my followers about this, but I posted so many movie reviews during that time.”

Jack Schlossberg

@jackuno

Schlossberg, grandson of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Onassis, is a lawyer by trade. Over the summer, the 31-year-old started posting quirky clips of himself lip-syncing or, much to the internet’s delight, reciting Lord Byron by memory while on a razor skateboard (he has Bouvier blood, after all!). His nearly overnight extreme popularity catapulted him to late night talk show appearances and a gig covering the 2024 election for Vogue. “I’m a walking, talking rookie mistake,” he jokes of his off-kilter digital presence.

My daily media diet consists of … “A big helping of cable news with a side order of the Financial Times, and Vogue magazine for dessert. After, I scroll to digest.”

If Tiktok is banned, I’ll … “Argue that it’s unconstitutional, because … I’m a lawyer ;)”

Jake Shane

@passthatpuss

The 24-year-old has had a fast rise to internet stardom, first going viral in the spring of 2023 for his comedic re-creations of historical events (i.e., acting out “the Founding Fathers after John Hancock signed his name super big” on the Constitution). Today, he has more than 3 million followers on TikTok and the successful podcast Therapuss With Jake Shane, where he’s welcomed A-list guests including Ed Sheeran, Reneé Rapp and Charli XCX; he’s also gone viral for his friendship with Glen Powell and is going on a 21-city podcast tour this fall.

Before I became a full-time creator, I was … “An executive assistant at a record label. My boss always joked that ‘if anything ever happened, he would manage me,’ and now he does.”

Jay Shetty

@jayshetty

Shetty knows the value of a well-balanced social media diet. His consists of “a light Instagram breakfast with a side of TikTok, LinkedIn for lunch, a mix of all three for dinner, and wind down with YouTube for dessert,” he says. It’s perhaps not a surprising revelation for a New York Times best-selling author, life coach and former monk whose popular podcast is titled On Purpose. After creating and hosting his own self-titled talk show and the TV series Wisdom Goes Viral, Shetty made his feature film debut in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. But the film set isn’t the craziest place Shetty says he’s filmed content. That honor goes to the White House, where he interviewed President Biden in 2023.

The biggest rookie mistake I’ve made on my platform “Trying to respond to every DM. I failed after the first 10,000.”

Jimmy Tatro

@jimmy

The comedy performer got his start as a YouTube creator (he hosted his own show called Life According to Jimmy) before landing in Grown Ups 2, 22 Jump Street and Netflix’s true-crime satire American Vandal. Tatro, 32, co-wrote, directed and stars in the feature The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie, which was released this summer on Roku Channel and continues his web series of the same name for his 3 million-plus subscribers. Other recent acting credits for Tatro include the features The Machine, Theater Camp and the forthcoming Amazon comedy You’re Cordially Invited, opposite Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon.

Kai Cenat

@kaicenat

Known for his comedic videos and live content, the 22-year-old has become one of Twitch’s most prominent creators. He gained popularity by including such rappers as Lil Baby, 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj in his programming and was named streamer of the year at the Streamy Awards in 2022 and 2023. Cenat is credited with popularizing the slang term “rizz,” a shortening of “charisma,” which was selected as the 2023 Oxford Word of the Year.

Kareem Rahma

@kareem

Rahma, 38, cut his teeth on a variety of media gigs (including Vice and The New York Times) before venturing out to produce comedy and interview-style content independently. He has broken out in a big way with Subway Takes, an Instagram talk show that brings on guests of varying levels of fame (Olivia Wilde, Tim Walz, his own friends) to deliver quippy hot takes, and Keep the Meter Running, a documentary-style TikTok show about local cab drivers. In September, he drew 50 million views a month, and he’s currently working on developing a television version of Keep the Meter Running with Ramy Youssef’s Cairo Cowboy banner and Ultraboom (known for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, among others).

The one thing I miss about my life before I was a creator “Going to a three-hour lunch — obviously on the clock and getting paid — and then going back to work a little bit intoxicated but knowing that it did not matter because work is fake.”

The biggest perk of creator life “Owning my intellectual property and building valuable media properties.”

Keith Lee

@keith_lee125

Lee, 28, a former MMA fighter, took his love for food and turned his charmingly honest food reviews into a booming brand that tells followers which dining spots they need to check out and which to steer clear from. His culinary power has become known as “The Keith Lee” effect, and he’s trying to accentuate the positive impact: With the help of his wife, Ronni Lee, they launched their “FamiLee Food Tours,” reviewing restaurants in need in an effort to help them gain business. He counts stars including Cardi B, Big Sean and T-Pain as collaborators.

My daily media diet consists of … “My morning starts off with gospel; my afternoon includes TikTok, Instagram Reels, travel videos by Drew Binsky and Disney vlogs on YouTube.”

The biggest rookie mistake I’ve made on my platform “I don’t believe in mistakes, I believe in lessons learned.”

Kristy Scott

@kristy.sarah

Scott built a social media empire from her YouTube vlog, The Scotts (4.33 million subscribers), where she documents life in Texas with her chef husband, Desmond, and their two children. Nearly 23 million followers across Instagram and TikTok tune in for the Scotts’ “curated chaos,” including family-friendly pranks and fashion, beauty, interior design and travel content. The 29-year-old social media personality launched her first fashion line, Vayra, in 2023, and she’s partnered with Google, Estée Lauder, United Airlines, Vogue Italia and the Oscars.

Laufey

@laufey

Winning her first Grammy this year was already a big feat — but beating out the likes of Bruce Springsteen for the award only cements how much Laufey fans really love her. That album, Bewitched, has established her as a boss in her own right: It launched the biggest debut for a jazz album in Spotify history and helped her sell out arenas all over the world, including famed venues like the Hollywood Bowl and Radio City Music Hall. The 25-year-old Icelandic-Chinese artist, whose rise is credited in part to the TikTok videos posted early in her career, will spend one day onstage with an orchestra and the next going viral on social media: You couldn’t put Laufey in a box if you tried.

The biggest perk of creator life “Having full creative control over my image.”

The social media account I’d love to run for a day “Duolingo.”

Lilly Singh

@lilly

The Canadian got her start as a YouTuber before becoming an actress, writer, producer and advocate. Singh, 36, co-wrote, produced and starred in her first feature film, Doin’ It, which premiered this year at SXSW, and she hosts the CTV quiz series Battle of the Generations. Additionally, she founded the nonprofit Unicorn Island Fund to highlight underrepresented voices in storytelling and recently was appointed a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate by the United Nations’ Secretary-General.

Mai Pham

@maiphammy

Twenty-year-old lifestyle creator Xuân-Mai Pham started making YouTube videos when she was 7. “There really wasn’t a before,” she says of life pre-content creation. The Canada-born influencer’s following exploded after she moved to New York in 2021. Her audience spans 5 million, including 3 million on YouTube, where she posts day-in-the-life and travel videos, and in 2022, she launched her clothing brand, Alchemai. “Ever since I developed my first memory, I knew I wanted to be in entertainment,” she says. “I loved watching YouTube and seeing videos, and I wanted to be what I loved.”

The biggest perk of creator life “Never feeling alone. I can travel alone, be in my house, do things by myself, but being able to record and share my experience while talking through a camera anywhere makes me feel like someone is always there with me and someone is listening.”

Mel Robbins

@melrobbins

As host of one of the top-ranked education podcasts in the world, it’s no surprise that the thing the New York Times best-selling author misses most about life before social media fame is “having boundaries with work,” she explains. As a 55-year-old woman, Robbins thinks it’s “crazy cool” every time she films content, but if there’s one social media account she could run for the day, it’d be a big one: “The Rock, so I can finally meet him.”

Before I became a full-time creator, I was … “Earning an honest living.”

Mark Phillips

@RDCWorld

Fans of Phillips say he should be a shoo-in to portray Bernie Mac in a biopic, and now that the comedian and actor has added filmmaker to his accomplishments — releasing the fantasy film Imagine That through his own content creator collective, RDCWorld, which is short for Real Dreams Change the World — it’s a possibility he could make true himself. Phillips always has enjoyed cinema. “Before I became a full-time creator, I was quitting jobs left and right, but my favorite job was working at an AMC movie theater,” he says.

The biggest rookie mistake I’ve made on my platform “Caring about what people think.”

Ms. Tatiana

@mstatianaclark

Her next-level Afrobeats remix of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song was so epic, Nickelodeon invited her to be part of an album celebrating the cartoon’s 25th anniversary. And her soulful, gospel-tinged version of Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” was so addictive, the rapper played her rendition every night on his recent tour. It’s clear: Ms. Tatiana has the special sauce that everyone wants the recipe for. She worked as a vocal arranger on Brandy’s Christmas album, released a duet with multihyphenate Leslie Odom Jr. and counts Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson as followers, and even Jennifer Hudson and Meghan Trainor have slid into her DMs with words of support and encouragement.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “A local alley in my hometown. It’s one of our busiest areas in downtown Gulfport, Mississippi, because the walls are full of graffiti. When I was a little girl, I used to always want to go see the lights at night, so my mom would take me during Christmastime.”

If TikTok gets banned, I’ll … “Still sing, whether it’s in a local diner or a huge stadium. The world will hear my voice because that’s how God intended it to be. My gift will not be wasted, it’s too powerful for that!”

Nara Aziza Smith

@naraaziza

The fashion model turned content creator built her tradwife-centric digital media empire via videos narrated with distinct, soothing voiceovers and soft piano music. Raised in Germany, she now lives in Texas with her supermodel husband, Lucky Blue Smith, and their three children. With close to 10 million followers on TikTok and nearing 5 million on Instagram, Smith covers content regarding fashion, beauty, cooking, baking, wellness and motherhood.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “At a glacier in Austria.”

The person whose social media account I’d love to run for a day “Martha Stewart.”

Nico Heller

@newyorknico

Since gaining attention for his eclectic guidebook-like coverage of New York City’s residents and diverse cultures, the former music video director has developed a reputation as the unofficial talent scout of the five boroughs. Heller, 35, shares footage of everything from block parties to bodegas (though he notes that the craziest place he has filmed content is actually at the National Twins Convention in Twinsburg, Ohio). This fall, he’s taking his talents offline with the release of his first book, New York Nico’s Guide to NYC.

My daily media diet consists of … “Instagram, TikTok, daytime local news and ESPN.”

The social media account I’d love to run for a day “The Department of Sanitation or the MTA.”

Noah Beck

@noahbeck

A true Sway House success story, the Arizona native (who played soccer at the University of Portland before dropping out) caught virality as a resident of the infamous creator house that catapulted a group of young men to online fame. Yes, Beck, 23, did all the now-cringey TikTok dances and often flashed his enviable abs, but as the most brand-friendly of the bunch, he easily transitioned to become a true in-demand influencer and fashion “It” boy with brand deals galore. Beck leaned on his newfound fame to launch a unisex lifestyle brand, Iphis, as well as an acting career. He next stars opposite James Van Der Beek in the Tubi original Sidelined: The QB and Me.

The biggest perk of creator life “Collecting absurd amounts of frequent flier miles.”

If TikTok is banned, I’ll … “Probably move back in with my parents. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

Prajakta Koli

@mostlysane

Indian YouTuber Koli, known for her observational comedy channel MostlySane, doesn’t miss a thing about her former life as a radio intern. “I came into my own after I became a creator,” says Koli, who’s also known for her lead role on Netflix’s coming-of-age romantic drama Mismatched. “I started enjoying every single day of going to work, creating content and living my life the way I do now.”

The biggest perk of creator life “Not one day is like another. I love that there’s absolutely no monotony in my workdays.”

Reece Feldman

@guywithamoviecamera

Feldman, 26, who started out as a production assistant on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has become Hollywood’s go-to Gen Z authority the past few years, working with nearly every studio and streamer in town to create social media content for their upcoming projects — both on their platforms and on his, which boasts more than 2 million TikTok followers. He frequently appears at premieres and media junkets and is brought to sets throughout the world to film viral trends or comedic skits with A-listers; this year, he also served as a red carpet correspondent at the Oscars and the Met Gala.

The one thing I miss about my life before I was a creator “Complete and utter anonymity.”

Craziest place I’ve looked at social media “Sitting next to Christopher Nolan in a completely empty Imax theater. … I had to show him the formatting and aspect ratio of a TikTok.”

Rhett and Link

@goodmythicalmorning

YouTubers Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal III (known as Rhett and Link) managed to take content and make it into an empire with an internet-first entertainment company, Mythical Entertainment. The comedy duo, both 46, host the long-running daily YouTube show Good Mythical Morning and recently launched a YouTube native TV series Wonderhole, where the childhood friends delve into docu-comedy, sketch comedy and more.

The biggest rookie mistake we’ve made on our platform “We made the ultimate one back in 2006 when we thought we didn’t need a YouTube channel because ‘we had a website.’ ”

Rickey Thompson

@rickeythompson

If you’re ever having a bad day, go to any of Thompson’s social media pages, and his gregariousness will put a smile on your face. Breaking through on the now-defunct Vine app, the model and actor has been providing the laughs and the motivation for years, saturating all aspects of pop culture from magazine covers and runway shows during Fashion Week to podcasting and guest spots on TV (Donald Glover’s Swarm) and film (Good Mourning). And your favorite brands have him on speed dial, including Coach, YSL Beauty, Balmain, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and more.

Before I became a full-time creator “I wanted to be a lawyer, but then I was called by the stars!”

If TikTok is banned, I’ll … “Do what I did back when Vine shuttered: Stay ahead of the curve and keep my content diverse across multiple social platforms and continue being successful.”

Sabrina Brier

@sabrinabrier

The TikToker became a sensation for her “that friend who” character (is drifting away, who has never faced adversity, is constantly giving advice), and now she’s pivoting digital fame into a tangible business. Brier, 30, appeared on an episode of Abbott Elementary — creator Quinta Brunson got her start in viral videos — and will next release an audiobook through Simon & Schuster. “I used to have a very strict 9-to-5 schedule when I was an assistant [in the entertainment industry], and there’s definitely something exciting, and chaotic, about every day being different and unexpected,” she says of creator life.

Craziest place I’ve filmed content “My sister and I filmed a video in a storm — think: Twisters — and we were completely soaked within minutes. My phone is still water-damaged.”

Sean Evans

@seanseaevans

His biggest mistake? “Committing to a now-decade-old format where I have to eat the hottest wings on the planet,” jokes Evans, who has made a name for himself chowing down on increasingly hotter chicken wings while grilling celebrities as the host of YouTube’s Hot Ones. Before he was a full-time creator, he was an architectural boat tour guide in Chicago, and now — in its 23rd season — his show has collected more than 3.8 billion views on YouTube and has become a must-do stop on a movie press tour, turning Evans, 38 — with his masterful interviewing style — into a household name.

The Sturniolo Triplets

@sturniolotriplets

For the Sturniolo family, one famous sibling isn’t enough. Chris, Matt and Nick, identical brothers from a Boston suburb who just turned 21, have 8.8 million followers just on TikTok, where their videos go viral one after another. Followers love the vibes and content, which is simple and simply hilarious. They exploded in popularity with videos of them sitting in a parked car talking about nothing much or bickering like brothers (or frenemies) as a way “to escape the reality of school, work and stress,” Nick has said. On YouTube, where they have 7 million subscribers, they post vlogs, challenges, trips and more. Merch and tours followed, and a reality show seems inevitable. We’d watch that!

Before we became full-time creators, we were …

ALL “Employees at our local grocery store.”

The person whose social media account we’d love to run for a day

ALL “Each other’s, so we can post embarrassing photos.”

Tana Mongeau

@tanamongeau

It’s impossible to tell the full Mongeau (pronounced “mojo”) tale here — though The Cut did it well in an exclusive profile by labeling the 26-year-old “the internet’s TMI queen” who has “survived multiple scandals with a cockroachlike tenacity.” Her empire can’t be quantified in follower count — she does have nearly 22 million across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and X — because it’s her relevance and ability to stay viral that makes her reign. Though she once loved leaning into messy, she seemingly turned over a new leaf following the revelation of racist tweets posted by Brooke Schofield, her co-host on the wildly popular Cancelled podcast. “I condemn her for these tweets,” Mongeau said, though she welcomed Schofield back on the pod and its tour weeks later.

Tefi Pessoa

@hellotefi

Pessoa’s brand of relatable wit, an online personality she equates to being the “aunt” of TikTok, allowed the 33-year-old content creator to garner nearly 2 million followers on TikTok. Her social media rise — she started as “the worst receptionist FiDi has ever seen” — has led her to a slew of on-air work, including serving as a correspondent during New York and Paris fashion weeks, filming voting-centric videos with President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and creating content inside the Democratic NationalConvention.

The biggest perk of creator life “Telling your girlfriends tonight’s wine and oysters are onme.”

The person whose social media account I’d love to run for a day “The Hollywood Reporter’s. Let me do it!”

The Agents

Ali Berman, Damon Lau, Raina Penchansky and Oren Rosenbaum

UTA

UTA’s roster includes some of the biggest names in their respective digital fields— from YouTube (Emma Chamberlain) to podcasting (Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy) to general domination (Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports). Within the dedicated creator division, leaders Berman, Lau, Penchansky (who is also the CEO of the UTA-owned influencer management firm DBA)and Rosenbaum help clients like MrBallen (more than 9 million subscribers on YouTube) and Kai Cenat (13 million-plus followers on Twitch) navigate the worlds of audio, digital, esports and gaming.

My daily media diet consists of … Berman “I might as well be Gen Z because it’s pretty much all social media with a side of New York Times games — Spelling Bee to bespecific.”

LAU “Consuming content from a variety of daily and weekly newsletters, online news aggregated through web crawlers, social platforms like Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and WhatsApp, along with streaming services like Spotify, Netflix and others, plus PC gaming.”

PENCHANSKY “I spend my time reading SubStacks, catching up on the Financial Times’ “How to Spend It,” Business of Fashion, Ad Age and The Information. For a break from the news, I enjoy romantasy novels, Apple TV+ shows and browsing ClassDojo.”

ROSENBAUM “I start my day at 3a.m. by reading 25 newsletters, followed by six to eight hours of podcasts. In the evening, I spend an hour each on YouTube, TikTok and Twitter.”

Ben Davis and Jad Dayeh

WME

As the co-heads of the agency’s digital department, Davis and Dayeh guide digital native clients like Dixie D’Amelio and Hot Ones host Sean Evans as well as traditional talent whenever they dive into the digital space, from podcasting to online entertainment. In addition to mounting successful tours for Pod Save America and Theo Von, recent shepherded deals include Jay Shetty signing a partnership with dating app Match and Jon Stewart launching a weekly podcast with Daily Show network Comedy Central.

My daily media diet consist of …

DAVIS “Puck, anything Michigan football, Ms. Rachel.”

DAYEH “The Town, Axios newsletters, The Duran podcast, Surfline.”

David Freeman

CAA

As head of CAA’s digital media division, Freeman leads a team focused on high-profile brands and high-flying content creators. They advise Google and New Balance on using social-first monetization and represent many of the creators who shape the way we scroll, including Ms. Rachel, Noah Beck and Dylan Mulvaney. “Believing fame will last forever is the biggest rookie mistake a creator can make,” Freeman says. “Creators need to build meaningful, lasting brands and media companies made for longevity.”

My daily media diet “All the big Hollywood trades, The Information, [media personality] Evan Shapiro’s LinkedIn and Pivot podcast.”

Jade Sherman

Gersh

As Gersh’s head of digital, Sherman helps agency clients navigate through the world of brand partnerships, social platforms and podcasts. Notably, Gersh helped Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix parlay newfound public interest from the Bravo show’s “Scandoval” into a lucrative series of brand deals (Bic and T-Mobile) and a well-reviewed hosting gig for Love Island U.S.A. And speaking of Love Island, Gersh clients also include the breakout of this season, JaNa Craig.

My daily media diet consists of …

“I wake up in the morning and immediately open Twitter — don’t make me call it X. I’ll go through IG Stories when I get to the office to check on my clients and respond to my friends who have sent IG Reels in my DMs and let them know I saw it on TikTok two months ago. At night, I’ll fall asleep to a TikTok video asking me if I have been scrolling too long.”

This story appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.