Over 2,000 AI Personalities from all over the world entered the AI Personality of the Year Awards 2026 - dubbed the “Oscars” for AI celebs. AI Influencers are taking over culture - showing up at major events like Coachella and the World Cup and AI actor Tilly Norwood ruffling feathers in Hollywood. The awards are the latest AI phenomenon. 

The awards ceremony can be watched HERE.

LONDON, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It’s official. AI-generated influencers are capable of enlightened award speeches just like their human Hollywood counterparts. 

The winners of the world’s first AI Personality of the Year Awards were revealed last night, with overall winner Soraya Thorne delivering an acceptance speech in which she called for WORLD PEACE.

The Fanvue x OpenArt AI Personality of the Year Awards are the first global programme to recognise the achievements of AI Influencers across content excellence, cultural impact, and commercial success. The awards were organised between leading AI companies Fanvue, OpenArt and ElevenLabs.

The awards took place as the AI influencer industry continues to explode in popularity, with experts estimating its value will exceed $30 billion before 2030 - part of a wider creator economy that is predicted to hit $1 trillion by 2033. Over 2,000 AI personalities from across the globe entered the awards.

Overall winner, Soraya Thorne, the brains behind Faux Feast, was announced in a short awards video clip released last night, with the AI Influencer taking to the stage to accept her award - before the unexpected speech that has lit up the internet. The awards were hosted by million-dollar AI Influencer, Aitana Lopez. 

In the speech, Soraya Thorne appeared to channel her inner Madonna, calling on humans and world leaders to strive for world peace - before the rambling equivalent of a tinseltown celeb thanking their agent - stating her “undying love” for her creator. Thorne even used the podium as a platform to unexpectedly reveal her next ambition: to become the first AI Influencer to appear on Joe Rogan. 

Soraya’s creator is Anja, a 37 year-old from Canada and the human brain behind the inaugural winner of the Fanvue x OpenArt AI Influencer of the Year Awards.

While the 100% AI-generated influencer, Soraya, was the star of the show, her creator will ultimately receive the $6,000 in prize money.

AI Influencers are raking in thousands for their creators per month - Aitana Lopez’s earnings exceed $20k per month through brand deals and direct-to-fan subscriptions on creator monetisation platform, Fanvue. 

Anja commented: “I’ve been creating food and travel content as a real creator for the last 3 years, but with Soraya I wanted to push the creative boundaries using AI. Soraya has built an engaged fanbase through posting a surreal sensory world of beauty and food in one immersive experience - her social media presence has attracted the attention of brands, and now to win the first ever Fanvue x OpenArt AI Personality of the Year Awards is a true honour. Just like a real influencer, she has her own personality and using the Oscars and Golden Globes as inspiration, I hope her acceptance speech will serve as a force for good in the world. Next stop, Joe Rogan.”

Other winners include Polish Daniel Kowalczyk who was the overall winner of the Lifestyle category, French-Colombian songwriter Zairo who came out on top in the Entertainer category and Canadian Unfiltered Blonde who beat a lineup of other comedic AI personas to win the Comedian category.

Joel Morris, Co-Founder and CEO at Fanvue, commented: “What we loved about the entries is how human creators are turning their AI Influencers into fully fledged digital businesses. Creative people are building AI Influencers to enter the booming creator economy, and earning upwards of $2k per month - supplementing their earnings from the day job, or in some cases going full time. We’re seeing thousands of AI Influencers across genres, from music to acting, sport and lifestyle, join Fanvue, scale and audience and monetise content.”

Fanvue already hosts globally recognised AI influencers like Aitana Lopez alongside human celebrities including Cardi B and Alisha Lehmann, highlighting how virtual and human creators increasingly operate within the same ecosystem.

Chloe Fang, Head of Strategy & Partnerships at OpenArt, commented: “The awards have uncovered AI Influencers from all corners of the globe, demonstrating the scale and creative talent on show in this rapidly growing industry.  The standard of entries was incredibly high and so diverse, from music and fashion to lifestyle and fantasy - the judges had a tough time picking the winner, but Soraya really stood out. The awards are part of OpenArt’s goal to empower everyone to experiment with AI tools, build a personality and a community - without the need for a studio or production team. We can’t wait to see what comes next.”

A stellar line-up of judges assessed the entries, including communications and marketing guru Andrew Bloch; 13-time Emmy-winning comedy writer Gil Rief; CEO of MCR agency Sergi Cerrato; and Kevin Van Witt (Creator of The Monster Library). The program was also backed by ElevenLabs, the AI voice platform valued at $11 billion, ensuring entries are judged across every dimension of a digital personality. 

Notes to Editors
For more information, images and other assets, please contact ryan@ideafarmer.co.uk or ana@ideafarmer.co.uk

Interviews with judges, ambassadors, and awards organisers available on request.

About OpenArt
OpenArt is the leading all-in-one generative AI creative platform for visual storytellers, empowering creators to bring characters, stories, brands and worlds to life. With first access to the latest AI models, unified creative workflows, and tools designed around persistent characters and storytelling, OpenArt enables the creation of AI influencers, virtual brands, and original media formats. Founded to push the boundaries of AI creative expression, OpenArt is defining the standard for the next generation of visual storytelling.

About Fanvue
Fanvue is the fastest-growing subscription platform in the creator economy, with 17 million monthly active users and over 250,000 creators.

About the World AI Creator Awards
The Fanvue World AI Creator Awards delivered Miss AI in 2024. Over 2,500 AI Influencers entered. Kenza Layli, an AI Influencer created to empower women in the Middle East, earned the inaugural title. Kenza has returned as an Official Ambassador for AI Personality of the Year 2026.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70920bb6-555b-4935-b55f-57c8262764af