TIME Magazine has unveiled its very first TIME100 Creators list, a collection of the top 100 most influential digital creators of the year. The list is an expansion of the Top100 series, which has previously included things like the Top 100 companies.
Headlining the Top 100 is Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, who’s included as one of the “Titans” and will grace the cover of the magazine’s latest issue. In an editorial Sam Jacobs, editor in chief of TIME, explained the justification for doing a list focused on creators.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen a significant shift in how people view institutions and established gatekeepers. The media industry has been no exception, and while our business has been challenged, others have seen increased attention and relevance,” Jacobs says, “They are changing what we watch, how we spend our time, what we buy, and how we vote.
It’s true that creators have completely reshaped the face of digital entertainment — down to how people consume entertainment, engage with politics, spend their free time and more. Influencers like Kai Cenat are oftentimes household names now, as well known as any actor out there.
Developed in collaboration with the analytics firm #paid, Jacobs notes that TIME focused on individuals “who built careers for themselves natively through digital platforms,” looking at a wide array of social media.
The Top100 list is separated into five different categories; Titans, Entertainers, Leaders, Phenoms, and Catalysts.
Cenat is joined by the likes of Jimmy Donaldson, better known as Mr. Beast, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, creators of Mythical Entertainment and Good Mythical Morning, and TikTok personality and media star Charli D’Amelio.
Elsewhere on the list are well-known podcast like Joe Rogan and Theo Von, businesswoman and author Vivian Tu, and mega-streamer Imane Anys, better known as Pokimane.
The massive list does illustrate just how prolifically creators impact nearly ever aspect of our society.
