Donovan Goliath, the award-winning comedian and content creator, hosted the awards and navigated the night with energy and humour.

Live music was curated and performed by South African music group Black Motion. Gcina Mhlophe, one of the country's most powerful storytellers, authors, playwrights and performers, officially opened the awards by reading a poem and blessing the awards and all the attendees, nominees and winners.

Some of the personalities spotted on the carpet included:
  • Lasizwe
  • K Naomi
  • Julia Anastasopoulos
  • Pona Halo
  • Nomuzi 'Moozlie' Mabena
  • Kim Jayde
  • Candice Modiselle
  • Matt Flax
  • Farieda Metsileng
  • Carol Ofori
  • Karabo Poppy
  • Kefilwe Mabote, and
  • Lemii LoCo.

The show then kicked off with Bontle Modiselle Dance Studio lighting up the stage, accompanied by the Dance Award category nominees:
  • 250Machine
  • Adriaan Hughes
  • Justin De Nobrega
  • Kelly KiKx, and
  • Mr NT.

The awards' founder Manuela Dias de Deus, said at the awards, "Our idea has always been to put creators on the radar and open doors for emerging and established talent. The youth's potential to monetise their content and create job opportunities is immense. More so, our vision is to make the awards the biggest event of its kind on the continent. We want to continue to grow and be on everyone's feeds."

According to the awards, big dreams translated into big moments on the stage and throughout the night. Suzelle DIY made a special guest appearance on stage to give the audience a good laugh and some tips on how to flip load shedding on its head and to keep making entertaining content.

Ami Faku gave a powerful solo performance, while Birth of Stars paid tribute to the LGBTQI+ community, showcasing the journey of three young South African creatives:
  • Kamo WW
  • Coachella Randy, and
  • Kagiso Mogola.

Bontle Modiselle and Lasizwe teamed up to perform a killer skit, paying homage to Beyoncé's recent world tour, where she brought out Blue Ivy to perform the song My Power.

A powerhouse line-up of personalities presented the awards across the 19 categories, handing over the trophies specially designed by visual artist Shaun Oakley (aka Damn Vandal).

The presenters included:
  • African Ginger
  • Kim Jayde
  • 947's Matt Flax
  • Moozlie
  • Farieda Metsileng
  • Suzelle DIY aka Tali Babes
  • Tshepiso Sathekge and Renaldo Schwarp from MultiChoice, and
  • Kgomotso Mosiane from Samsung.

The awards also used the night to announce the launch of the Thumb Stopper Podcast, which will give fans candid, intimate and behind-the-scenes access to some of their favourite content creators and influencers across South Africa. It launches exclusively on Spotify Podcasts for the first month.

The awards celebrated 19 creators, with the first OG Award going to Mihlali Ndamase. Her close friend Lasizwe did the honours of announcing the first-ever OG Award winner with a goosebumps moment of recognition for Mihlali and her achievements.

As Mihlali couldn't be there to accept her award, Lasizwe invited her mother, Mam Phumla Tshitende, onto the stage to receive the trophy.

The 2023 DStv Content Creator Awards winners are:

Cause / Social Commentary Award
  • Doctor Siya

Funniest Content Creator Award
  • Ikho Kweba

Visual Arts Award
  • Karabo Poppy

Best Brand Collaboration Award
  • essenceMediacom for Gillette '#IndodaCanShave'

Sports Fan Award
  • Lemii LoCo

Fashion & Style Award
  • Kefilwe Mabote

Emerging Creator Award, presented by 947
  • God's Butler

Podcast of the Year Award, presented by Spotify
  • Podcast and Chill with MacG

Podcast Special Mention, presented by Spotify
  • African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe
  • Automotive Award
  • Juliet Mc Guire

Knowledge Sharing Award
  • Becoming Dr Andy

Thumb-Stopping Award
  • Donovan Goliath

The OG Award
  • Mihlali Ndamase

Alter-Ego Award
  • Sipho2Skiits — August (That Mozambican Dude)

Foodie Award
  • Mush Kitchen

Travel & Lifestyle Award, presented by LIFT
  • Wander with Iana
Dance Award
  • Justin de Nobrega

Sol Content Creator Award
  • Mandisi

Song of the Year Award
  • AKA ft. Nasty C — 'Lemons (Lemonade)’

DStv Content of the Year Award
  • Tums the Narrator

"Telling great stories is in our DNA, and partnering with the DStv Content Creator Awards aligns with who we are as a business. We see the need to enrich the lives of young storytellers and encourage them to tell their own stories in their own way. We are thrilled to be part of this journey for the second year running and even more excited to see the winners coming out of this year," says Tshepiso Sathekge, senior manager of sponsorship at Multichoice South Africa.

The DStv Content Creator Awards is possible thanks to the commitment of like-minded brands and partners. The awards extend a big shout-out to:
  • DStv
  • Samsung
  • 947
  • TikTok
  • Spotify
  • SOL
  • Steyn Entertainment
  • LIFT
  • Converse, and
  • One-eyed Jack.

The journey of championing content creators is complete with their unwavering support.

To catch highlights from the night, individuals are encouraged to search for '#DStvCCA' on social media and head to the website for official event photos. A TV special of this year's show will air on DStv Catch-Up later in 2023. 

For more information, visit www.contentcreatorawards.co.za. You can also follow DStv Content Creator Awards on Facebook, X or on Instagram.