The Female First Awards 2019: Social Media Influencer of the Year

by Daniel Falconer | 13 December 2019

When it comes to social media, there are countless people making a name for themselves, and earning some big bucks out of what they do on their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts! For some, it's all about exposure; for others, it's about changing the world. Whatever the case may be, these five nominees for Social Media Influencer of the Year at The Female First Awards 2019 all certainly deserve their spot on our nominees list!

Nominee: Shane Dawson

It's been a tremendous year for YouTuber Shane Dawson. He's gone from making food videos to putting out multi-part documentaries on the video-sharing website, delving into the lives of some of the most controversial figures the platform has ever played host to. We've seen his friendship with the likes of Jeffree Star go from strength to strength, and he's allowed audiences to get to know the real people behind the online personalities we're all used to.

Alongside his fiancé Ryland, future sister-in-law Morgan and gorgeous/funny/delightful/adorable cameraman and editor, Andrew, he's changing the world of social media as we know it. Seeing that part of history go down in real-time is nothing short of astonishing. He should be immensely proud of all he's doing.

Did we mention he and Jeffree enjoyed the most successful make-up launch of all time following an almost-year-long collaboration? Incredible!

Nominee: Molly-Mae Hague

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This week has been fun...

A post shared by MOLLY-MAE (@mollymaehague) on Dec 6, 2019 at 8:04am PST

Before she went into this year's edition of Love Island (where she finished as runner-up alongside boxer Tommy Fury), Molly-Mae Hague was already a relatively well-known name, thanks to a large Instagram following. After being on the ITV series however, she managed to turn her popularity into an empire, picking up deals with all sorts of brands for big payouts, and influencing the young generation on everything from how to dress, to where to chill out, and what to eat.

She got a lot of unfair stick following her time on Love Island, but she is one half of only two couples that have stayed together after coming out of the luxury villa. How's that for a slap in the face, doubters?

Nominee: Mrs Hinch

There's a real buzz around cleaning, and keeping your home and personal space tidy, nowadays. One of the main reasons for this resurgence in cleanliness, is Sophie Hinchliffe, aka Mrs Hinch. Sharing her best cleaning hacks and products on social media, she's inspired the nation to get rid of the grub, and keep our houses sparkling!

Invited on countless shows and sent thousands of products from companies that want her endorsements, she's had a year packed full of interactivity, with a fan base that's only ever climbing.

Nominee: Jenn Thai

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Holy December—where did this year go?! For me, it felt like it FLEW BY. So many big moments, great changes, and I still feel like there’s still so much left to do—specifically, buy Christmas gifts. 😅 This time of year is always a big time for reflection for me—how I’ve grown personally/professionally, whether I’m where I thought I’d be a year ago. My biggest goal has always been to continue evolving into the best version of myself possible—it’s something I’ve learned from pH and have implemented in my own personal way. Some things that have really helped me progress: 👉🏼 Tracking goals using a physical planner—I love me some digital tools, but there’s nothing quite motivating like physically marking a check next to an item on a to-do list or writing down daily successes 👉🏼 Weekly meditation—I would say ‘daily,’ but I haven’t achieved that time in my days just yet. 🤪 Taking at least 30 minutes during the day (NOT right before bed!) to focus on proper breathing and to relax/de-compress really helps bring clarity into my day-to-day 👉🏼 Assess, then progress—there’s a difference between setting a realistic goal and overreaching. Stressing about reaching an unrealistic goal can be damaging to your mental health, and also potentially delay your ability to reach that goal in the long run. Having a trusted, tell-it-like-it-is confidante can be really helpful—everyone can use an accountabilibuddy! Do you find yourself reflecting on your accomplishments from this past year, too? What’s helped you achieve them? • • • • • #womenwithstyle #thisjenngirl #Tampablogger #Floridablogger #FLblogger #Tampainfluencer #StPeteblogger #southernblogger #bloggerbabes #womensweardaily #bloggerstyle #petiteblogger #thatsdarling #darlingmovement #makeyousmilestyle #flashesofdelight #thehappynow #pursuepretty #petitejoys #livethelittlethings #feelfreefeed #seekthesimplicity #Tampabae #youglowgirl #doitwithpassion #lovewhatyoudo #lovemywork #ilovemywork #dowhatyoulove #lovetheprocess

A post shared by Jenn Thai | Tampa Blogger (@thisjenngirl) on Dec 1, 2019 at 4:58pm PST

Food influencers are a dime a dozen, but rarely do you come across one as personable and relatable as Jenn Thai. Showing off her foodie snaps to the world on Instagram, she's amassed a following of almost 12,000 on the platform alone. She might be in her early days of building up legions of fans, but she's absolutely one to watch. 2019 has been massive for her, and 2020 is only going to get bigger.

Nominee: Stormzy

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It is very very very important that every single person who reads this goes and registers to vote. The deadline is 23:59 tomorrow, the link is in my bio. Do not just scroll past, don’t sit there and think “my one little vote ain’t gonna do anything”—your vote is CRUCIAL. Your “one little vote” can quite literally tip the scale for what will be the most important election of our generation. Your “one little vote” means everything, there were millions of people who thought there “one little vote” didn’t mean shit and now Trump is the president of America and we are leaving the EU. So your vote really does count. I will be registering to vote and I will be voting for Jeremy Corbyn. There are several reasons as to why I’m voting for him - I would be here all day if I began to list them...but in my 26 years of life I have never trusted politicians or relied on them to be the bearers of hope and righteous people that we’ve needed them to be. And for me, he is the first man in a position of power who is committed to giving the power back to the people and helping those who need a helping hand from the government the most. I think Boris Johnson is a sinister man with a long record of lying and policies that have absolutely no regard for the people that our government should be committed to helping and empowering. I also believe it is criminally dangerous to give the most powerful role in the country to a man who has said that the sight of a “bunch of black kids” makes him “turn a hair”, compared women in burqas to letterboxes and referred to blacks people as “picaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”. I think it’s extremely dangerous to have a man with those views as the sole leader of our country. These are all MY views, I don’t care for your love or hate for them. I just think it’s important that we all register and go out and vote. And I think it’s important that we use our vote to make sure that the person who runs our country for the next 4 years is someone committed to doing what is right. GO OUT AND DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND TRY YOUR BEST TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND WHO IT IS YOU’RE VOTING FOR. THE LINK TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS IN MY BIO. 💪🏿

A post shared by @ stormzy on Nov 25, 2019 at 11:10am PST

Our final nominee is a man who's usually known for his music, but who took the time to encourage his followers to register to vote ahead of this year's General Election. Upon sharing the link to the electoral registration website, applications to register spiked by 236%, with a record-breaking 350,000 people registering after the rapper called on people to use their voice in the election.