Woweeeee!
On Wednesday, we hosted the bCreator Committee brunch for the ITV bCreator Awards 2026 supported by Canon, and a time was had!
The bCreator Committee is our judging panel for the Awards. Made up of creators, brand representatives, agencies and industry experts, each member of the committee brings their own expertise to the important process of judging our categories to the highest and most rigorous standards.
The bCreator Committee brunch is a chance for judges – who represent all sides of the industry – to come together, forge new relationships and, of course, talk all things creator economy. And this is exactly what happened on Wednesday! As well as the opening of nominations for this year’s Awards. That’s right you can nominate now!
More than 100 of the industry’s finest gathered for a day of networking and discussions. Insights were shared, debates were had, and opportunities explored.
Guests were welcomed with barista coffees, courtesy of ITV, and then spent the morning mixing with their fellow committee members and being interviewed by the amazing creators Shabaz and Watson (who hosted last year’s Awards).
Guests also had the opportunity to explore Canon’s lounge, where the Canon team were on hand to run through any camera equipment and photography questions. Within the lounge, Canon had a wheel of fortune that guests could spin, answer questions and then be put forward into a prize draw for a goody bag of products.
Perhaps most excitingly, Canon also had a photography studio set up with award-winning photographer Amanda Akokhia, where committee members were able to get their professional headshot taken, you can view a selection below…
At noon, guests moved from the networking area of the brunch through to the panel area. Decked out with round tables, refreshments, big banners of former Award winners and a branded stage, it looked the part.
bCreator’s founder, Alice Audley, gave a welcome address:
“There has been a massive shift in the past 12 months in the creator economy. It is no longer a disruptor, it’s mainstream. Creators are becoming media companies. More than 200 million people globally consider themselves creators. Goldman Sachs estimates that the creator economy could reach almost half a trillion dollars by 2027. More than 40% of YouTube viewing in the UK happens on television screens. It is an exciting, exciting time and there is a lot of opportunity. The new era is upon us. Now it’s a question of how we best navigate it.
Today, we’re going to talk about the changes we’ve seen, the impact it’s having, how brands and creators are operating in this new age, the new strategies we’re seeing, where opportunities lie, the challenges we face and how we can overcome them, and what the future holds.”
After which, panellists Ben Webster (ITV), Bella Roberts (Creator), Emilio Arciniega (OTG), Fred Asquith (Creator) and Makeda Grant (Canon), were invited on stage and thus began the discussion on the world of the Creator Economy in 2026 (which had a big focus on Creator IP).
After the panel, we moved to audience questions, which turned into a roundtable discussion with committee members throughout the room asking and answering questions; offering their advice, takes and discussing trends.
Once the roundtable chat finished, it was time to formally open nominations for the ITV bCreator Awards 2026. Yes, a reminder, nominations are now open! You can put creators/agencies/campaigns forward HERE. It is FREE to enter and you only need 1 nomination to be considered. Nominations close on April 30th.
A massive thank you to everyone who attended the brunch. It was amazing to have everyone together under one roof and we left feeling energised and excited for the next wave of the Creator Economy.
Bring on the Awards themselves! If you are a brand/agency keen to attend, please register your interest in reserving a table using this FORM.
In the words of our ITV bCreator of the Year 2025, Bella Does Editing, “Let’s get cracking!”