The Creator Fund, launched in partnership between global creator agency Billion Dollar Boy and platform FiveTwoNine, reveals its 20 inaugural recipients, providing passes to the Cannes Lions Festival. The winners represent diverse sectors of the creator economy including food education, fashion, technology, comedy, and finance.

The selected creators demonstrate “originality, ambition and creative vision” according to the fund’s announcement. Each recipient receives a Creator Pass valued at $1,300 for the prestigious advertising event.

The recipient list includes:

1. Allison Chen (pastry chef and food educator)
2. Grace Amaku (nurse turned comedy creator)
3. Queen Motivat (family and motivation influencer)
4. Jade MacPepple-Jaja (London-based fashion, lifestyle, and legal content creator)
5. Ian Kiyoshi Fujimoto (food creator)
6. James Song (visual artist and tattooist)
7. Joel Marlinarson (cinematic filmmaker and creative director)
8. Kennedy Murray (personal finance educator)
9. Marie Mansaray-Lahai (content creator)
10. Lámidé Elizabeth (mom motivation and family advocate)
11. Sophie Butler (disability advocate, model, and podcast host)
12. Tomi Adebayo (tech and auto creator)
13. Bec & Sam Bartley (award-winning comedy duo) – listed as “BAM!”
14. Colby Eubanks (makeup transformation artist)
15. Ohemaa Akosua (TikTok creator and social strategist)
16. Nazsare English (creative, storyteller, and filmmaker)
17. Samraddhi Awasthi (beauty and fashion creator)
18. Simi Adeshina (content creator for travel, fashion, and lifestyle)
19. Taiwo Ade (creator, researcher and founder of Fifty50 Initiative)
20. Bec & Sam Bartley (award-winning comedy duo)

Program Structure and Industry Context

The program targets independent creators who typically lack access to major industry events.

“Creators set trends, shape culture, and define what’s next for the advertising industry, yet they’re often missing from the spaces where industry decisions are made,” Becky Owen, Global Head of FiveTwoNine and Global CMO of Billion Dollar Boy, said in a statement.

The selection process involved an independent jury featuring industry experts from EMARKETER, WeRepresent, YouTube, and the Advertising Association. Eligibility required U.S. or UK-based creators with a minimum of 20,000 followers on their primary platform.

Future Expansion Plans

The Creator Fund coincides with Cannes Lions’ rebranding of its Social & Influencer Lions as Social & Creator Lions for 2025. Beyond this initial program, the fund plans to expand to additional industry events.

Billion Dollar Boy seeks brand partners to increase the fund’s reach and will host “The Creator Era” event at Cannes Lions on June 18, which will focus on the future of the creator economy.