- - What You Didn't See at the TikTok Awards: Paris Hilton's Red Carpet Ring Light, Projectile Labubus and More (Exclusive)

Kelsie Gibson, Daniela Avila, Tabitha ParentDecember 20, 2025 at 1:24 AM

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From left: Paris Hilton; Ciara; Mr. Fantasy. -

PEOPLE reveals everything you didn't see at the first ever U.S. TikTok Awards

From Paris Hilton's ring light on the red carpet to Ciara's backstage performance, the night was full of surprises

The TikTok Awards took place on Thursday, Dec. 18 in Los Angeles

The inaugural U.S. TikTok Awards took place in Los Angeles on Dec. 18, and PEOPLE had a front row seat for all the viral moments.

Hours before the show, which was hosted by e.l.f. Cosmetics, stars walked the red carpet, where PEOPLE caught up with attendees, presenters and nominees like Paris Hilton, Anna Sitar Josh Richards and more.

As the show kicked off at the Hollywood Palladium, PEOPLE had an exclusive look behind the scenes, serving as the exclusive backstage media partner for the award show. There we caught up with all the biggest names in social media today (like Landon Barker and his girlfriend Skyla Sanders who cozied up together as they walked the carpet, Love Island's own Jeremiah Brown and Yung Gravy).

Ciara took to the stage later in the evening to perform a medley of her hit songs like "Goodies," "Level Up" and more, while food content creator Keith Lee came out on top, winning Creator of the Year.

While the full broadcast is available to stream on Tubi, if you weren't at the event yourself or didn't have time to tune in and need an explanation beyond just your FYP, scroll on for a backstage look at all the action!

"Infinite Icon" Paris Hilton Hits the Red Carpet with Her Own Ring Light After 6 A.M. Wake Up Call

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Hilton, 44, was nominated in the Muse of the Year category, ultimately taking home the honor toward the end of the night. And, she proved exactly why she was nominated for the award when she showed up on the red carpet with her own ring light in tow for interviews."Being an infinite icon is about inspiring others to be authentic and to own their narrative and to make a difference in the world," she told PEOPLE on the carpet.

The mom of two looked fab — even after mentioning she had had a 6 a.m. wake up call for her son's Christmas play.

What can we say, bringing your own ring light to an award show? That's hot.

Mr. Fantasy Strikes Many Poses on the Red Carpet

Internet icon, Mr. Fantasy, took the TikTok Awards red carpet by storm, as he jumped and leapt his way down the carpet. Sporting a dashing pink suit and his signature sunglasses, the beloved content creator struck many poses as he smiled for cameras and otherwise wreaked havoc on attendees and reporters alike.No one was more excited to be attending the awards than Sir Fantasy himself, chaotically making his way down the carpet, shouting "TikTok, TikTok!"Later in the evening, Mr. Fantasy also brought a fan onstage inside the actual venue, singing along to his newest song "Catapult" and largely seeming to ignore the script on his teleprompter as he did.

The Show Must Go On!

Despite some technical difficulties that delayed the show's start, the evening's events were a night of IRL digital fun. Plus, the award show marked the first ever U.S. TikTok Awards.Some of the technical difficulties made for more fun and unfiltered moments throughout the night, as presenters' mics picked up the sounds of fun and frenzy happening backstage.

Projectile Labubus Take Flight

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Rei Ami and Ashby Florence.

TikTok creator Ashby Florence spent time in the crowd throughout the evening as the audience correspondent for the award show, chatting with attendees, taking selfies and even having them try some of TikTok's biggest food trends of the year, like candied salmon (we're not so sold on that one yet).It was like watching a For You Page — in real life!At one point during the event, Ashby took to the stage with KPop Demon Hunters' own Rei Ami, unveiling a cannon launcher that the pair then used to fire Labubus into the crowd as projectiles."Everybody get on your feet or under your chair," Ashby joked, before shooting off a round of the furry plushies.

Alan Bersten and Emma Slater Pack on the PDA

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Alan Bersten and Emma Slater.

While the two Dancing with the Stars pros didn't walk the red carpet at the award show, we spied the couple cozying up together at the afterparty and making sure to get in all of their selfies and content from the evening.At one point, Slater gave Bersten a sweet kiss on the cheek, and the two spent the evening hand in hand as they mingled and enjoyed the festivities.

Beyoncé Is There in Spirit With Mariah Rose's Outfit

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Mariah Rose.

TikTok creator Mariah Rose told PEOPLE her look for the evening was inspired by none other than the ultimate inspiration: Beyoncé.Speaking with PEOPLE backstage, the creator, who is known for her "Hoops for Hotties" content, which is aimed at teaching the "girls and the gays" about sports, said her outfit was inspired by a vintage 2003 Dior by John Galliano look that the pop icon wore in an Elle photo shoot.

"I wanted something that felt like I was a sporty princess and so I was looking at inspo, and I've had this look that Beyoncé wore in 2003, Dior by John Galliano," she explained. "And I can't have that. So I was like, I need somebody to make me something like modern, similar, and I found Jada Ellis."Ellis dropped the dress off for Rose the morning she got on the plane to attend the TikTok Awards — aren't we lucky?

Santa Who? e.l.f. Brings Christmas Early

e.l.f. Cosmetics sure knows how to give gifts!The beauty company, which sponsored last night's after party festivities, packed the venue with all things glam galore, including their ever popular lip oils. "Lippie Land" offered guests an immersive space to test viral faves like the Glow Reviver Slipstick and and Glow-Reviver-themed carousel.The after party was also a masterclass in brand activations, with the company setting up adorable photo booths for guests to snap s(e.l.f.)ies at an e.l.f.-branded photo wall and even offering a place for those interested to bejewel their very own lip oils.

Even Creator of the Year Keith Lee Needs a Vacay

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Keith Lee.

After winning the Creator of the Year Award, social media star Keith Lee didn't have time to stick around and celebrate.Instead, he rushed home to start getting prepped for his family vacation!While accepting his award, Lee made sure to call out his family as well, specifically spotlighting his wife Ronni, who was in attendance with Lee throughout the evening.He credited Ronni with giving him the idea to get started on the platform."When we first started, I was cooking for my wife when she was pregnant," he said. "I now have my first boy. And I can tell him later that his dad is something to be proud of."

Ciara TikToks the Night Away

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Ciara.

After a stellar performance from the "Body Party" singer on the TikTok Awards main stage, Ciara kept the beat alive backstage, filming a TikTok alongside her back up dancers to the song "Nice n' Sweet" off her 2025 album CiCi.

Talking with PEOPLE backstage before her performance, the singer expressed her gratitude at her songs continuing to resonate with listeners over the years."I just have to say I have been very fortunate that pretty much all of my songs have rang really loud throughout the years and have been successful for me, have actually been a lot of the trending songs over the past years, which has been a blessing and it keeps me young," she said.

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