TL;DR: Every year, Stan recognizes the Creator-Entrepreneurs in our community who are redefining what it means to launch, grow and sustain their own businesses online. The 25 in 25 Awards celebrate 25 Creators who’ve turned ideas into impact, creativity into careers, and content into thriving businesses. These are the builders, dreamers, and risk-takers shaping the future of the Creator economy and proof of what happens when you bet on yourself.

Creators Are the New Entrepreneurs

At Stan, we believe Creators aren’t just storytellers, they’re business owners, innovators, and community builders. They’re building new models for what work can look like: flexible, purpose-driven, and entirely their own.

The 25 in 25 Awards are our way of spotlighting the Creators who’ve built with conviction, scaled with grit, and inspired others to do the same. Together, they embody the core of our mission:

To make it possible for anyone to make a living working for themselves on the internet.

This isn’t just a list of achievements, it’s proof that the next generation of entrepreneurs are already here, and they’re doing it their way.

The 25 in 25 Award Categories

From breakout growth to community impact and creative innovation, this year’s awards recognize the full spectrum of what it means to be a Creator-Entrepreneur.

Here’s our full list of award categories: 

• Community Over Competition Award
  
• Dream Community Award
  
• IRL Impact Award
  
• The Voice Award
  
• Trailblazer Award
  
• The Growth Engine Award
  
• The Momentum Award
  
• Highest Earning Creator
  
• Breakthrough Creator
  
• Transformation of the Year
  
• Rising Star
  
• The Dream Store Award
  
• Authenticity Award
  
• Self-Made Award
  
• Cause Creator Award
  
• Global Dreamer Award
  
• Stan’s Biggest Stan
  
• Creator of the Year
  
• Innovation Award
  
• Creativity Is a Superpower Award
  
• Highest Earner
  
• High Ticket Heavyweight
  
• Mid-Ticket Maniac

Fan-Voted Categories:

Community is the heart of what we’re building at Stan and fueling the Creator economy. It’s fundamental to our founder and CEO, John Hu’s own story as an entrepreneur. So it only makes sense that we let the people decide  who inspired them most with The People’s Creator Award.

How to Vote

We’ll post our nominees for The People’s Creator Award on October 27, 2025 on Stan’s Instagram. To vote for your favorite nominee, simply add a like to their post. 1 like = 1 vote. Voting will take place for 48 hours from October 27, 2025 at 9am PST to October 29, 2025 at 9am PST. 

Partner Awards: GaryVee & Steven Bartlett Join the Celebration

Two new categories are joining the lineup this year, selected by leaders who’ve built global platforms by empowering creators and entrepreneurs alike.

• The GaryVee Award: Hand-picked by Gary Vaynerchuk for the Creator who embodies hustle, heart, and scrappiness – proof that the long game always wins.
  
• The Steven Bartlett Award: Chosen by Steven Bartlett for the Creator whose entrepreneurial journey most inspires others to build with courage and conviction.
  

Why the 25 in 25 Awards Exist

Each honoree represents the future we’re building toward: a world where Creators can focus on creating while their business runs itself. A world where software, services, and community converge to help anyone make a living doing what they love.

What’s Next

Stay tuned into this space for our full list of winners and their stories, dropping November 18.

Until then, we’re celebrating the energy, innovation, and relentless belief that define this community.
Because at Stan, we don’t just power the businesses,  we celebrate the people building it.

You could be next.