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Creator Special

From streamers and podcasters to OnlyFans models and TikTok megastars, here’s the people shaping the culture of 2025

By

August 26, 2025	

Illustrations by SEAN MCCABE and MATTHEW COOLEY. Photographs in illustration by Karl Bridgeman//World Rugby/Getty Images; XNY/Star Max/GC Images; Denise Truscello/WireImage; Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images; Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images; River Callaway/”Variety”/Getty Images; Alena Zakirova/Getty Images; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images; Abiel Garcia; Prince Williams/WireImage; akAgi; Michael Regan/UEFAGetty Images; Dave Benett/Getty Images; Prince Williams/FilmMagic; Courtesy of Kay Poyer; Raymond Hall/GC Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty Images; Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images; Courtesy of Sabrina Brier; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; Tammie Arroyo/”Variety”/Getty Images; © Sarah Krick; Justin Nunez

They used to be a novelty, but creators have infiltrated every part of our lives. TikTokers are no longer bound to TikTok — they’re in our HBO shows and prime-time sitcoms and Spotify playlists. So what makes a creator influential today? For this list, we defined it as someone born from the internet — not a celebrity who jumped on after gaining fame in a more traditional way — who uses their chosen platforms to push conversations forward. We started with dozens of names, then with the help of data from the software and analytics company CreatorIQ, weighed their followers, engagement rate, and audience growth over the past year. Using those numbers — and our own editorial judgment — we ranked these creators, all of whom are shaping the culture of 2025.








Kay Poyer

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Kay Poyer

Handle: @ladymisskay_Genre: Lifestyle CreatorFollowers: 1.1 million

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