Instagram Rings Awards 2026: Meet the south Asian creators among 25 global winners

Highlights

• Muhammed Riswan, Bhavitha Mandava and Pooja Tripathi are among the 25 global winners of Instagram's Rings Awards 2026.
• The three south Asian talents represent different creative fields, including freestyle football, international fashion and comedy.
• The annual awards recognise originality, creative risk-taking and cultural impact rather than follower numbers alone.

South Asian creators are gaining international recognition across fashion, sport and entertainment, with three talents making it onto Instagram's Rings Awards 2026 winners' list.

Kerala freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan, Indian model and Chanel ambassador Bhavitha Mandava, and Indian-American comedian and content creator Pooja Tripathi are among the 25 creators selected from around the world.

The annual programme celebrates individuals who use Instagram to showcase original ideas, take creative risks and build communities through their work.

Here is a closer look at the three south Asian creators recognised this year.

1. Muhammed Riswan: Kerala footballer who went viral with a waterfall trick

Muhammed Riswan is a freestyle footballer from Kerala who attracted international attention in November 2023 after posting a video of himself kicking a football into a waterfall.

Filmed at Keralamkundu Waterfall in Malappuram, the Reel went viral, eventually attracting more than 600 million views. It also earned recognition from Guinness World Records in January 2024.

Riswan has since built an Instagram following of around 2.7 million, sharing football tricks and performances at different locations.

Instagram recognised his gravity-defying skills and the way he has taken freestyle football from local pitches to a global audience. It also highlighted how he has built his career without agents or traditional industry pathways while maintaining a connection to his Malayalam roots.

2. Bhavitha Mandava: Indian model making waves in international fashion

Bhavitha Mandava has become one of the most recognisable Indian faces in international fashion.

Born in Andhra Pradesh and raised in Hyderabad, she studied architecture before moving to New York for further education. Her modelling career began after fashion designer Matthieu Blazy spotted her at a subway station in 2024.

She subsequently made her runway debut for Bottega Veneta before achieving a major milestone in December 2025, becoming the first Indian model to open a Chanel Métiers d'Art show.

She is now a Chanel House Ambassador and has also appeared on the cover of British Vogue.

Instagram recognised her journey from a student in New York to an international fashion figure, highlighting her behind-the-scenes content and distinctive perspective on the industry.

3. Pooja Tripathi: Indian-American comedian behind Brooklyn Coffee Shop

Pooja Tripathi is a first-generation Indian-American actor, writer, and content creator based in New York City.

She is best known for her Brooklyn Coffee Shop sketch series, which humorously explores the characters and conversations associated with trendy urban cafes.

Through relatable characters and satirical observations about city life, Tripathi has developed a following across Instagram and TikTok. The series has attracted more than 50 million views across the two platforms.

Her other creative projects include Amsterdam Ave., a dramedy series she co-created, and the musical comedy web series Kombuchachacha.

Her inclusion in the Rings Awards recognises her distinctive approach to comedy and her ability to turn everyday cultural observations into widely shared content.

What are the Instagram Rings Awards?

Launched in October 2025, Instagram's Rings programme recognises 25 creators from around the world for their originality, creative courage and cultural impact.

The awards are not limited to a particular content category or follower count, with recipients selected from different creative industries.

Each winner receives a physical ring featuring a four-leaf clover carved from Connemara marble, designed by fashion designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla.

They also receive special digital benefits, including the ability to customise their Instagram profile backgrounds and a gold-coloured ring around their Stories.