Plus who you need to watch out for in 2025
In the world of the internet, it’s Gen Z who are the driving force behind new trends. Today’s young people grew up entirely in the digital age so, not only are they consuming content, they’re also creating, curating and redefining the way it’s consumed.
Living on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, these online trendsetters are leveraging their massive social media followings beyond likes and shares.
They’re entertaining, but they’re also shaping fashion, music and politics and demanding more from brands, industries and mainstream media. They’re dictating trends, breaking records, launching business empires and advocating for change.
But it’s easy to feel like you can’t keep up, so here are the Gen Z influencers you need to watch:
Kai Cenat
Kai Cenat is the biggest celebrity you’ve probably never heard of. The 23-year-old American online personality is part of a group of six content creators, known as Any Means Possible, or AMP, who post mostly on Twitch.
What’s Twitch, you ask? It’s an online video livestreaming service and one of the most popular sites to watch streamers play video games. Since it went live in 2011, it’s also been a site where you can view music broadcasts, esports competitions and other creative content.
Ever heard of the term ‘rizz’? If not, you should definitely check out our article on all the slang you need to know to keep up with Gen Z. If so, you can thank Kai for making that catchy little phrase popular.
Last year, Kai also broke the world record for the most subscribers on Twitch after he created a non-stop livestream that lasted the entire month of November. And, not only does he have social influence, but he’s also worth about USD $8.5 million as well, according to Forbes.
Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain is an American influencer who rose to fame on YouTube thanks to her unique approach to vlogging and content creation. The 24-year-old skips the ‘perfect life’ trope and encourages her followers to be genuine and authentic, which skyrocketed her to popularity.
At just 17, she won a Streamy Award for Breakout Creator and just a year later, she was named on Time’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
Emma has maintained her influence in the fashion and lifestyle space ever since, launching her weekly podcast, Anything Goes, in 2019, becoming a Louis Vuitton and Cartier ambassador, and hosting the Met Gala (four times!).
Khaby Lame
Khabane ‘Khaby’ Lame has the most TikTok followers in the world and has held onto this title since overtaking dancer, Charlie D’Amelio, in 2022.
Why would 142.1 million people tune in to his content in particular? Because of his silent mockings of unnecessarily complicated ‘life hacks’. They’re hilarious and relatable and you can check them out here.
Since rising to fame, the Sengalese-Italian influencer has signed a multi-year partnership with Hugo Boss, has been listed in both Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ 30 Under 30, and judged both the 2022 Cannes Festival and 2023 Italia’s Got Talent.
MrBeast
Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, has the most subscribers on YouTube by a landslide.
The 26-year-old began posting videos to YouTube when he was just 14, and now 355 million followers tune in to watch his fast-paced, high-production videos where he hosts crazy challenges and donates huge chunks of money.
He has won countless awards for content creation, has been named one of Time’s 100 most influential people and is estimated to be worth a measly USD$500 million. He also has the third highest number of followers on TikTok (almost 114 million), plus over 65.5 million followers on Instagram.
His rise hasn’t been without controversy though – in 2024, he was one of the subjects of a class action lawsuit that alleged widespread mistreatment, among other offences, on his reality TV show, Beast Games.
On top of his five YouTube channels, MrBeast is also the founder of MrBeast Burger, Feastables, and is a co-founder of Team Trees, Lunchly and Team Seas – two of which are fundraisers that have brought in more than USD$50 million.
Kylie Jenner
Quite possibly one of the OG influencers, Kylie Jenner isn’t just one of the stars of reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians – she’s her own force to be reckoned with in the beauty and fashion industry.
Kylie’s been collaborating with brands from the age of 14 and debuted her own makeup collection in 2015, Kylie Cosmetics, all the while connecting with her almost-400 million Instagram followers.
Kylie has been a pop culture influencer for over a decade, having been named one of Time’s most influential teens in the world in 2014 thanks to her social media pull. She was also the youngest person on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list in 2017 and was, controversially, called the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at 21 (‘self-made’ being the controversial opinion there).
So what’s 2025 looking like? Who are the top 10 Australian Gen Z influencers likely to be all over our feeds this year?
- Robert Irwin (need we say more)
- Sophia Begg (she’s not going anywhere anytime soon)
- Nedd Brockman (fitness)
- Natasha Etschmann (business and finance)
- Jenna Hudson (singer)
- Ben Stubbs (family)
- Cherry’s Goods (food)
- Rachael Wilde (beauty)
- Hallie & Maddi (comedy)
- Ramal (tech)
There are of course so many more, like Molly-Mae Hague, Bretman Rock and Charli D’Amelio to name a few, but this list should be enough to help you recognise the way young people are shaping the way we engage with fashion, music, entertainment, activism, even business, one post at a time.
As social media evolves, so too will the landscape of influencers, but they aren’t going anywhere and their impact on global culture will only grow stronger.
If you’re looking for your own way to connect authentically with audiences like these influencers, Student Edge can help. To put your brand in touch with young people in a way that works for you, contact us now.
