According to The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram is launching its own awards program. It’s similar to the Oscars, but for short social media videos. There will be no awards ceremony, no comedian presenter or anything like that. Instead, 25 winners will receive physical rings.
The rings are designed by fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner. They may cost a few dollars since there is no financial reward for the recognition. However, the winners will receive a digital copy of the ring that they can share on their Instagram profile and stories.
Winners can also customize the background color of their profile to create a unique gradient. Eva Chen, head of fashion partnerships at Instagram, says this type of personalization is “something we’ve never done before.” Myspace made this possible for its users over 20 years ago, Friendster even before that.
Instagram has three billion monthly active users, and only 25 people will receive the ring in question. The judges will whittle the list down to thousands, then hundreds, before choosing the winners. The judges include the platform’s CEO Adam Mosseri, as well as celebrities such as Spike Lee and actress Yari Shahidi.
There are no official categories like other awards, but winners are selected from a variety of topics and interest groups. “The criteria were really strict,” says Chen. “But we were looking for people who took creative risks, continued to push boundaries and thought of new ways to connect with their audiences.”
Instagram hopes that the event will become a regular event like other awards. “We’re really excited to see how it’s received and how the winners will enjoy the spotlight on Instagram,” says Chen. The winners will be announced on October 16th.
