• Creatorland
  • Posts
  • Instagram’s New Gold Rings Awards, Sora 2 and the Future of Filmmaking, & How Digital Creators Are Taking Over Traditional TV

Instagram’s New Gold Rings Awards, Sora 2 and the Future of Filmmaking, & How Digital Creators Are Taking Over Traditional TV

In our 79th edition, we’re exploring how creators are reshaping every corner of media, from Instagram’s new Rings Awards celebrating top talent, to Sora 2’s next leap in AI filmmaking, to the rise of 24/7 creator-led TV channels.

🏆 Instagram’s New Gold Rings Awards

Instagram just announced Rings, a new award celebrating creators “who take creative chances and do it their way.” Winners don’t just get bragging rights. They get a digital gold ring around their profile photo, a customizable background color, and even a physical ring designed by fashion icon Grace Wales Bonner.

The judging panel reads like the world’s coolest dinner party: Spike Lee, Marc Jacobs, MKBHD, Yara Shahidi, and Eva Chen, among others, voted on the final recipients. Instagram says the award honors the spirit of creativity, the kind that pushes boundaries and makes people say “wait, how did they even do that?” MKBHD put it best, calling his main judging criteria “high effort content”.

Unlike YouTube’s plaques, Rings has nothing to do with follower count. It’s about originality and impact, rewarding those who shift culture instead of chasing trends.

🎬 Sora 2 and the Future of Filmmaking

OpenAI just unveiled Sora 2, a major leap in AI video and audio generation. With more natural movement, higher fidelity, and real-time sound design, it’s already inspiring both awe and existential dread. The update lets anyone “prompt” a fully produced short film in minutes, complete with camera angles, edits, and even sound cues.

Major Callouts for Creators

  • Production speed is collapsing. What used to take weeks of storyboarding can now be prototyped in hours.

  • Smaller teams gain scale. Indie creators can now work at near-studio quality, driving a wave of creative democratization.

  • Quality may plateau. Faster output risks flooding platforms with “AI slop” that looks polished but lacks emotional depth.

For directors, producers, and indie creators, this could mean rapid previsualization, faster concept testing, and fewer barriers to cinematic storytelling. For everyone else, it raises the question: what happens when imagination becomes instant?

📺 How Digital Creators Are Taking Over TV

Samsung TV Plus and Tubi are giving top digital creators their own full-fledged TV channels. The result? A new gold rush where creators become programming, brands become sponsors, and audiences tune in with the same intention once reserved for network TV.

Samsung’s latest lineup includes Dhar Mann, Michelle Khare, Smosh, and Mark Rober, while Tubi for Creators has expanded to over 50 creators and 5,000 episodes, targeting Gen Z and millennial cord-cutters. For advertisers, this shift offers scale, brand safety, and pre-packaged trust. As Dhar Mann Studios president Sean Atkins put it, “CTV changes everything, instead of one-off influencer posts, marketers can now scale creator partnerships like television deals.”

How Digital Creators Can Get Involved

  1. Check CTV distribution partners: Apply to programs like Tubi for Creators or Samsung TV Plus Originals. Many accept pitches directly from production companies or managers.

  2. Build long-form IP: Platforms prioritize shows with episodic structure and narrative arcs over short clips. Aim for “series-ready” ideas, not just viral content.

  3. Develop brand-safe formats: Keep visual quality and tone consistent with broadcast TV standards to attract sponsors.

  4. Collaborate with CTV studios: Partner with companies like Dhar Mann Studios or Mythical Entertainment that already have FAST channel infrastructure.

  5. Bring your audience with you: CTV execs are looking for proof of engagement across YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram before commissioning.

This next era of creator media is not about replacing TV, it’s about absorbing it. The same audiences who grew up online now control the remote, and brands are following the movement.

🔥 Hot Opportunities

There are over 25 paid creator campaigns live right now on Creatorland, including Aria Beauty offering $279.99 product bundles with commission, Siesta Wrap paying $100 plus perks for cozy holiday content, and Backstage hiring creators for monthly contracts worth up to $10,000. Check them all out below!

💪 Seeking TikTok Shop Creators for Gifted Product + 20% Commission For Premium Peptide Wellness Brand

Amino Innovations seeks TikTok Shop-approved creators (18+, 1,000+ followers) to promote our science-backed peptide supplements for recovery, hair health, and wellness. You'll receive one of 7 free products ($50-$110 value) and earn 20% commission on all sales with no cap. Perfect for health, wellness, fitness, beauty, and hair care creators who want to monetize content through TikTok Shop - share your authentic experience with our peptides using your unique style (no scripts required) while building affiliate income through TikTok's seamless shopping experience.

🔗 Julip Seeks Creators to Showcase Next-Gen Link-in-Bio Platform (Paid Collaboration)

Julip is seeking creators who are ready to upgrade from basic link-in-bio tools to something more customizable, comprehensive, and aesthetic. If you're frustrated with the limitations of Linktree, Beacons, or Stan Store, this paid collaboration is for you. We're looking for authentic creators to showcase how Julip transforms their link-in-bio experience.

💸 Arro Seeks Financial Literacy Creators for Retainer-Based Ambassador Network

Arro is building an ambassador network of creators passionate about increasing financial mobility and teaching financial literacy. As an Arro Ambassador, you'll use our financial wellness app and credit card as tools to educate your community about smart money management while earning both upfront payment and performance-based commissions.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe Here

Not on Creatorland yet? Join Here.

👋 Happy Networking!

~ Brian F.

Content We Referenced Today
  1. Instagram launches Rings award to honor innovative creators (yes, they really get gold rings) - https://mashable.com/article/instagram-rings-award

  2. What Sora 2 Means for the Future of Filmmaking - https://lbbonline.com/news/What-Sora-2-Means-for-the-Future-of-Filmmaking

  3. Creators Just Became TV: How Samsung TV Plus & Tubi Are Selling Scale - https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiegutfreund/2025/08/24/creators-just-became-tv-how-samsung-tv-plus--tubi-are-selling-scale/