Pulse Influencer Awards 2023 voting closes at midnight on September 21 [Interactive]

Following the custom of the 1st Edition in 2021 and the 2nd Edition in 2022, the final week of voting closes with a bit of suspense as we await the announcement of winners at the Saturday, October 7, 2023 awards ceremony.

Month-long voting for nominees in this year's Pulse Influencer Awards officially opened on September 4th and there has been overwhelming support across the 6 Pulse Africa markets where the awards are simultaneously taking place.

Voting is as simple as just one click per category.

On Thursday, voting will close and influencers who garner the highest votes will be named as the title winners at this year's awards ceremony.

Statement on vote buying

Unfortunately, this year's edition has witnessed cases of vote buying among nominated influencers. Beware, Pulse is not linked to any vote selling schemes.

Pulse Influencer Awards Industry Categories

To kick off, under the Industry Categories, here are the nominees for Nex Gen Influencer of the Year. As a new category this year, the Next Gen nominees are rising stars and trendsetters who are leading the way in the digital landscape.

In the film industry, 2023 has seen nominations for Kenya's new and young generation of actors. The award has previously been won by Blessing Lung'aho and Jackie Matubia in 2022 and Sarah Hassan at the inaugural edition in 2021.

In 2023, the Media & Blogger categories have been combined with 10 of the most popular media personalities having been nominated by their fans.

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In 2022, the Media Influencer Award was won by Natalie Githinji as Edgar Obare scooped Blog Influencer of the Year for the second time. At the first edition, Shix Kapienga won the Media award.

Men's 100-metre athletics champion Ferdinand Omanyala has been once again nominated for the Sports Influencer of the Year award, having won it in 2022. The 2021 title was awarded to Radio Maisha sports presenter Steve Mukangai.

The year 2023 witnessed a surge of innovation in the food category, with the emergence of new names showcasing fresh recipes, quicker cooking methods, and invaluable kitchen tips.

Kui's Kitchen and Dennis Ombachi secured the coveted awards in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

It is going to be tough competition in the music category as the list features makers of the top hits in the county this year. Nikita Kering has scooped the award twice in a row but did not make it as a 2023 nominee.

While the list features some fresh faces, many of them are well-established names with significant influence in the music scene.

In the Business category, Just Ivy has been nominated once again after winning in 2022, while Njugush took the title in 2021.

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Additionally, the category boasts influential figures likeJust Ivy Africa and Maureen Bandari, all vying for the coveted title.

Businessman Khalif Kairo was also in contention for the title. However, he did not make it past the voting stage as he was disqualified for violating the Pulse Influencer Awards terms and conditions.

In the highly competitive fashion category, Kate Actress and Anita Nderu stand out as leading contenders for the title, making this category one to watch closely.

The title was carried by Joy Kendi in 2021 and Mercy Sande in 2022.

The Arts and Photography categories are combined for 2023 with the 2022 Photography Influencer of the Year Muma Pix set to defend his title. Life of Lenses won the award in 2021.

The 2021 Arts Influencer of the Year, Wixx Mangutha has also been nominated for the award. MiniCheps won the award in 2022.

Everyone knows at least one new-age comedian who has achieved distribution and amplification for their work using only a mobile phone, a mobile phone camera and the internet.

In 2023, the Lifestyle Category will include previously independent categories; travel & leisure, beauty, health & fitness.

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Over the first two editions, some of the winners included Shiv Simani, Dave Mani and Norah Geoffrey in 2021 as well as Joy Kendi, Natalie Tewa and a second title for Shiv Simani in 2022.

This category will recognize the instrument of dance as a galvanizing force for change, inspiration or expression, leveraged by digital media.

Daddie Marto is nominated for the award he won in 2022, Tech Influencer of the Year.

Pulse Influencer Awards Channel Categories

TikTok is exploding with content! Our TikTok category seeks to highlight and recognize influencers who have raised the bar in content creation and in the generation of a true active and engaged community.

For LinkedIn, Joan the Career Coach won the award in 2022 and has once again been nominated for the 2023 awards. The award was previously won by Maina Kageni in 2021.

Big names, including Abel Mutua and Diana Bahati, have made it to the nomination list for the 2023 Pulse Influencer Awards in the YouTube category. Abel Mutua previously won this category in 2021, while the TMI Podcast claimed the award in 2022.

Won by Beryl Itindi in 2022 and Crazy Kennar in 2021, the Facebook channel has this year also seen the repeat nominations of Auntie Jemimah, Churchill Ndambuki and others.

Winner of the Instagram title in 2022, Murugi Munyi, has also made a comeback among the 2023 nominees. The title was won by Crazy Kennar in 2021.

At the 2021 Pulse Influencer Awards, Boniface Mwangi won the X (formerly Twitter) title and presented it to Esther Kazungu instead. In 2022, Edgar Wabwire claimed the title and has been nominated for the 2023 award as well.

As the world of podcasting expands in Africa, some of Kenya's most loved podcasts have been nominated for the award this year. In 2021 it went to 'The Good, the Bad and the Busherian' and in 2022 'The Messy Inbetween' took the award home as their first accolade.