TikTok hosted its inaugural ‘For You Fest’ last night and along with crowning the first Aussie Creator of the Year, it was also just a night of top tier entertainment. The hosts of the evening (comedy duo The Inspired Unemployed) took to the stage after a dramatic, scantily-clad entrance to get us all warmed up for co-hosts Avneesha and Nazeem Hussain.
Over the next couple of hours, viewers were treated to an entertaining live show that we’ve, frankly, been missing over the past couple of years. Sure, we’ve all become accustomed to tuning in for live virtual events, but the TikTok ‘For You Fest’ was on another level. Would you expect anything else from the entertainment platform that quite literally got us all through months of being home-bound? Exactly.
Keep on reading to find out everything that went down during the livestream of TikTok’s first-ever ‘For You Fest’.
The Inspired Unemployed Made an Entrance
To say The Inspired Unemployed’s Matt Ford And Jack Steele made an entrance is quite an understatement. They didn’t just hop in a plane or a boat, they did it all to get to the show on time — and get there on time, they did. Sure, the boys might not have made anything more than undies on when they burst through the theatre doors, but hey, you win some, you lose some.
Millie Ford Is Officially Australia’s Creator of the Year
In the lead-up to ‘For You Fest’, there were three TikTok creators in the running for the top gong, but of course, only one could take it out by way of a public vote. Announced by TikTok king, Jason Derulo himself, that person was (drumroll, please), Millie Ford (aka @milligram96)!
Known for her hilarious videos that tug on the nostalgic heartstrings of anyone who grew up in Australia, Millie is an extremely worthy winner. Not only does she have a whopping 1.2 million followers on TikTok, but she’s easily one of the most entertaining (and, let’s be honest, triggering) people on the platform.
All three of the creators in the running for TikTok Creator of the Year have nominated a charity to receive the $30,000 prize money should they win, which means the Australian Red Cross will be the recipient this year. A humanitarian aid and community services charity that helps people in the most vulnerable situations through tough times, there’s no doubt it’s an extremely worthy cause.
Honourable mentions must also go to the other two creators who more than deserve their place in the top three Australian creators list: Nathan Lyons (@kookingwithakoori) and Walt (@oneminmicro).
The Comedians Had Us in Stitches
As soon as we found out The Inspired Unemployed had been tapped as the hosts of this year’s ‘For You Fest’, we knew we were in for a good time. But we were also excited to see Nazeem Hussain (best known for his shows Legally Brown and Orange Is the New Brown) perform live and, of course, he didn’t disappoint.
Nazeem joined the hosts on-stage and immediately starts to crack jokes with The Inspired Unemployed and Avneesha, before launching off the stage to meet the top creators sitting in the front row of the crowd. A seasoned presenter and comedian, Nazeem asked Nathan Lyons who taught him to cook (he answered his entire family) and Millie Ford for her tips on making it on TikTok (consistency is key, she said).
As for comedy sketches, crude and hilarious puppet @randyfeltface did what he does by throwing his purple little body around the stage and swearing at the crowd. Next up, Nazeem came back out to the stage for a live comedy set and ticked off topics like his time on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and eating the halal ostrich anus (sourced especially for him) and exactly which fairytales need to be cancelled immediately.
Music Was the Real Star of the Show
Music is the heart and soul of TikTok — whether it’s featuring as a backing track to a dance routine or skit, or launching the careers of the platform’s talented creators. So, it’s fitting that music was firmly planted as the headlining act at ‘For You Fest’.
Not one to ever do anything by halves, TikTok had four artists perform their tracks on-stage. The first musician of the night was Ula, who covered Olivia Rodrigo’s Good For You — a fitting start to a TikTok live show — in a high energy performance complete with backup singers.
After a comedic interlude, Peach PRC brought her signature whimsy and pop ballad style to the stage. Clad in an all pink and metallic gown, her performance was strong and we especially loved her female electric guitarist and complete vibe (and outfit) change mid-performance.
Nathan Evans popped onto the big screen for a percussive sing-a-long with the crowd and to close out the show, Masked Wolf sang their top hit, Astronaut in the Ocean.
The 2021 TikTok Trends Were Front and Centre
As far as TikTok trends go, dancing is almost always front and centre, so just as we started to really settle into the show, @gnomeboys came out onto the stage in the exact way we’d expect some of the best Aussie dance creators to, bringing the vibe all the way back up.
Throughout the show, Avneesha asked the audience at home to submit their favourite trends of the year, from food like feta pasta and frozen honey to the most popular dance moves from the year. Nazeem was strong-armed into participating in the dreaded honeycomb challenge from Squid Game with The Inspired Unemployed boys because we all know it was the biggest show of the year. As for who won and lost? Let’s just say Nazeem was the only one who made it.
The inaugural ‘For You Fest’ was a raging success and we can’t wait to see next year’s show!
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