TikTok is once again inviting you to “Discover” its most influential voices

Last year, TikTok celebrated some of the most prominent creators on its platform by including them in an honor roll called The Discover List. That initiative has returned for 2022, and this time, TikTok is sending its kudos across the globe.

The 2022 Discover List separates its honorees into the same five categories that were used last year. TikTok’s Changemakers are using the platform as a tool for activism, the Foodies are cooking up delicious treats, Icons are spreading trends across the internet, Innovators are putting their “unique twist” on content creation, and Originators are developing the viral crazes that take TikTok by storm. In total, 50 creators are recognized across those five denominations.

This year’s Discover List entrants include some of the top influencers across social media, such as Younes Zarou and Hunter Prosper. “The Discover List honorees are just getting started,” reads a TikTok blog post. “Whether they’re shaking up the food industry, sparking change, or redefining what it means to be a Changemaker, Foodie, Innovator, Icon, and Originator, these creators drive culture and continue to transform digital entertainment. We can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Since TikTok first unveiled the Discover List last year, the concept has been aped by one of the app’s biggest competitors. Last month, Meta revealed a group it called the “Creators of Tomorrow.” Like the Discover List, that project aimed to highlight the drivers of culture on social media. There is one member of the 2022 Discover List who was also named as a Creator of Tomorrow: Drew Afualo, who is known for her biting roasts.

In order to differentiate itself from similar celebrations, the 2022 Discover List expanded internationally. One non-American creator who made the cut is Bayashi, the bizarre Japanese chef who has become a short-form sensation.

Congrats to the latest batch of Discover List honorees. If you’d like to learn more about those creators, you can check out the Discover List’s official lookbook.