Instagram announced the next phase of its Rings creator promotion, which aims to highlight the app’s top creators, as judged by a jury of recognized creative industry representatives.
Instagram’s Rings promotion, which launched October 2025, aims to recognize creative talent that has an impact on broader culture, and blazes new pathways in content. Which is the cohort of artists Instagram really wants to have posting to its platform, because it’s these original creators who keep audiences coming back.
As explained by Instagram: “Over the last year, we’ve seen creators whose work sparks conversations and shifts culture both on and off Instagram. It’s important to find ways to properly recognize this. But we also know creativity isn’t just about the final output. It’s about relentlessly pursuing ideas, finding inspiration when there is none, overcoming self-doubt and ultimately, embracing the messiness of this journey to express oneself. Rings doesn’t celebrate one type of content. Rather, it honors this spirit, because taking chances is the spark that ignites creativity.”
The 2026 Rings awards will be judged by a panel of 14 expert judges, including fashion designer Donatella Versace and musician A$AP Rocky.
Selected winners will be promoted in the app and get custom profile design features that highlight their presence.
In addition, this year’s winners will also receive a physical gold ring created by jewelry designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla.
Conceptually, Rings provides an additional avenue for recognition, which could help to encourage top creators to keep sharing to the app. But at the same time, the fact that users can’t nominate profiles for the awards makes this promotion seem a little distant, and maybe less engaging, especially because the selection and judging process feels opaque.
Ideally, any recognition award would be open to all creators, and would invite community participation. But it feels like Instagram may have missed an opportunity to make this a more engaging promotion by focusing on industry credibility instead of audience input.
Either way, it’s another way to celebrate original talent, which could help raise awareness of some of the top creators in the app.
