Paris Hilton attends the TikTok Awards at Hollywood Palladium on Dec. 18 in Los Angeles. Amy Sussman/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Just hours after news broke that the U.S. deal for TikTok is officially happening and will close next month, the social media giant hosted its first U.S. awards show in Hollywood - to rocky results. The event streamed live on TikTok and on Tubi while also taking over the Hollywood Palladium on Thursday night, handing out 14 awards to top creators in a show hosted by La La Anthony. After a two-hour red carpet, though, the ceremony started an hour late, as TikTok execs Kim Farrell and Marisa Hammonds came out to tell the crowd - comprised mostly of influencers and reality stars - that the room was so powerful that "you blew out out screens," meaning zero of the five large screens behind the stage would be working. Related Stories Business TikTok U.S. Deal to Close Next Month: Oracle and Silver Lake Confirmed in Buyer Consortium Movies The Opening Tunnel Shot in 'Train Dreams' Was a Happy Accident Despite the screens flickering on briefly here and there, that meant throughout the night none of the nominee clips or prepared video packages were visible in the room, with only audio working. Anthony at one point suggested to guests that "if you want to see the full experience with the nominees, feel free to watch them on your second screen," as the videos were showing up normally on TikTok and Tubi and could be watched on one's phone inside the room. Mr. Fantasy (who fans suspect is actor KJ Apa's alter ego) also teased about the issue during his time on stage, ranting, "The screens aren't working and I find that to be really funny, do you know what I mean?" Nevertheless, the social platform put its own spin on the classic awards show formula, running at a much tighter 105 minutes with a more casual dress code and endless areas for selfies and content creation. A big song-and-dance number about this year's viral moments opened the show, and creator Ashby popped up throughout the night for audience bits - including when she manned a Labubu cannon that launched the in-demand collectibles into the crowd. The event also opted out of music playing off any winners giving overly long acceptance speeches and didn't use seat fillers, which left large sections of the Palladium empty by the last portion of the show. Trixie Mattel, Rei Ami, Tan France, Josh Richards, Patrick Starrr, Jordan Chiles, Tefi Pessoa and Kelsey Anderson were among the night's presenters, and Paris Hilton pulled double duty as both a winner and a presenter. She took home the Muse of the Year Award, saying in her speech, "A muse doesn't follow trends, we help create them. We slive. We turn imagination into reality; we remind people that creativity should be fun, fearless and a little bit magical... TikTok has become a place where we can turn our passion into movements, trends into legacies and moments into magic." She then returned to present Creator of the Year, teasing it made sense she was presenting that category as "some people would say I created the blueprint of creators - and by some people, I mean everyone." She gave the award to food influencer extraordinaire Keith Lee, who took the stage to fans chanting his name and remembered, "When we first started, I was cooking for my wife when she was pregnant. I now have my first boy and I can tell him that his dad is something to be proud of." The night also featured a performance from Ciara - serving up a medley of her hits - and the announcement that in Lee's honor, TikTok is contributing a $50k donation to Feeding America. Confetti rained down to close out the celebration, with Carl's Jr. offering afterparty eats outside. Check out the full list of winners below: Creator of the Year: @keith_lee125Video of the Year: @bretmanrock (VIDEO)Rising Star of the Year (sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics): @findjeremiahBreakthrough Artist of the Year: @alexwarrenStoryteller of the Year: @tinekeyoungerMuse of the Year: @parishiltonTikTok for Good Award:@valentinebrothersMy Show is On Award [Film & TV]: @dayanechrisselMVP of the Year [Sports]: @mariahcroseOkay Slay Award [Fashion/Beauty]: @katiefangggI Was Today Years Old Award (sponsored by H&R Block): @lawbymikeImmediately Added to Cart Award (presented by TikTok Shop): @klothesmindedCapCut Creator of the Year: @reciderTikTok Live Creator of the Year: @eliesparzaa THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up SAG-AFTRA SAG-AFTRA to Kick Off the 2026 Union Negotiations Cycle Heat Vision Sony Buys Majority Stake In 'Peanuts' IP for $460 Million YouTube TikTok U.S. Deal to Close Next Month: Oracle and Silver Lake Confirmed in Buyer Consortium Sean Penn Crew Strikes on Movie Exec Produced b