This travel influencer triumphs on TikTok with surprising videos

Generation Z’s favorite social network has rewarded a British director whose videos of cities or countries with a unique style have accumulated millions of views

On the internet, forget the Oscars or the Césars. Make way for the TikTok Awards, created thanks to the immense popularity of the social network used mainly by 18-24 year olds. This awards ceremony has recently existed in several countries, including France, which celebrated the second edition in 2024 and, at the end of December, in London, the British version of this event was held for the first time.

Broadcast live on TikTok throughout the United Kingdom, the ceremony recognized 12 content creators in various categories: sport, fashion, gastronomy… Surprise: the “Rising Star of the Year” trophy, recognizing an influencer in full rise for his talent, was given to a videographer who shares images of his travels.

Spielberg of the trip?

George Harper, the winner, did not imagine receiving this distinction. “I thought it was a scam, I didn’t even expect to be nominated, let alone win“, he told the BBC. Originally from Hampshire, in the south of England, this independent director won the Rising Star Creator of the Year award.

Followed by more than 55,000 people, the 31-year-old filmmaker shares videos of cities and regions he visits, whose image quality and careful editing are reminiscent of film extracts. Its main asset? The control of light and different planes, highlighting the atmosphere of the place. On his account, George Harper thanked his subscribers, explaining that the growing interest in his videos encouraged him to produce more and constantly improve his work. “I travel above all to discover these places, my camera is only a means of recording what I experience“, he specifies. Among the destinations featured, we find Morocco, Mexico, California and even Spain, some videos of which have exceeded three million views.

A prize awarded by the public

The ceremony brought together more than 800 content creators and media personalities, but it was the public who decided the winners, with nearly three million votes cast on TikTok. On the platform, the comments under George Harper’s videos underline this enthusiasm. “Looks like an Apple ad», «How does he achieve such quality on TikTok?», We can read under one of his publications dedicated to Marrakech.

The artist hopes that his work will inspire users to not only travel the world, but also to produce creative and original content, different from traditional “vlogs”. Recently, unusual tourism-related content has emerged on the platform, such as the concept of virtually exploring the world via Google Earth in search of the “ugliest places.” This type of initiative has attracted thousands of TikTok users. Proof, perhaps, that travel remains one of Internet users’ favorite themes for this new year.

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