In a landmark event held on 8 March 2024 at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented awards to exceptional social media content creators across 20 diverse categories. The inaugural National Creators Awards 2024 marked the beginning of an annual tradition, receiving an overwhelming response of approximately 1.5 lakh nominations and 10 lakh votes to select 23 winners, including three international content creators, across 20 diverse categories. During the ceremony, PM Modi urged content creators to showcase India’s rich culture and heritage through digital content, advocating for a “Create on India” movement to engage with a global audience. He lauded these creators’ talent and significant influence, hailing them as the “Internet’s MVP” (Most Valuable Person), underscoring their pivotal role in shaping the country’s digital narrative.
The National Creators Awards 2024 aimed at acknowledging the pivotal role of content creators in driving India’s digital transformation, recognizing them as catalysts of social change and progress in an emerging billion-dollar industry with global reach. These awards served as a significant motivation for Indian creators, affirming their invaluable role in shaping the nation’s digital landscape. Spanning across categories such as Disruptor of the Year, Best Storyteller, Green Champion, Celebrity Creator, Social Change Advocate, and International Creator, the awards celebrated the diverse and impactful contributions made by content creators from various corners of India. Each category showcased their efforts in shaping public opinion and fostering positive change. Moreover, the awards underscored the government’s emphasis on digitization and highlighted the pivotal role of social media in shaping contemporary discourse. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have fostered a dynamic ecosystem of digital creators, and these awards have provided a platform to honour their excellence and innovation, emphasizing their importance in driving societal progress and shaping the narrative of the digital era.
These content creators are also social media influencers and play an essential role in shaping people’s opinions at grassroots levels. They have the higher potential to spread any narratives at the local level quickly because they are active in a particular locality. These content creators become very important in promoting brands to government schemes that cut all geographical barriers, as they come from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, The National Creators Awards 2024 also holds significant political implications. In the context of Indian elections, these content creators are crucial for political parties due to their broad reach, accessibility, and ability to engage diverse demographics, especially the youth. They play a pivotal role in digital campaigning, amplifying political messages, and providing real-time coverage at a local level where traditional media lack. The awards serve as a platform for the government to acknowledge and honour social media content creators, thereby establishing a positive relationship with this influential group. By recognizing their contributions, the government aims to cultivate goodwill and garner support from these social media influencers, who wield substantial influence during election campaigns. Furthermore, by organizing such events and highlighting the importance of digital content creators, political parties can signal their commitment to embracing modern communication channels and engaging with younger, tech-savvy voters. This can contribute to parties’s image-building and outreach efforts, particularly among youths because they are highly active on social media platforms.
As political parties prepare for the general election in 2024, their engagement with social media influencers becomes paramount for shaping public opinion and securing electoral support. These influencers, who wield significant reach and influence among huge followers, play a pivotal role in disseminating political messages and shaping narratives across various digital platforms. However, there exists a need for more transparency in their promotional activities. This includes instances where clients don’t fulfil contractual obligations or withhold payment, particularly when influential clients are involved, leading to psychological and financial distress, often unnoticed by the public. A comprehensive approach involving regulatory measures, self-regulation, and public awareness campaigns is essential to address this issue. Clear government guidelines can ensure ethical conduct among social media influencers in their political engagements. Despite this challenge, the National Creators Awards 2024 emerge as a pivotal platform to recognize and celebrate the prowess of digital talent. By honouring these content creators, the awards acknowledge their contributions and underscore the burgeoning significance of social media influencers in Indian politics.
About Author
Dr Nikhil Kumar Singhmar is an Author and Social Media & Political Consultant in India. He holds PhD in social media politics in India from Jawaharlal Nehru University. His areas of interest include the discourse and narrative analysis associated with social media, Election strategies and Data analysis.