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AI influencer awards season is upon us

The Verge / 3/23/2026

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Key Points

  • The AI influencer awards season expands with a new AI Personality of the Year award, signaling the AI influencer economy's shift from novelty to a serious, lucrative industry.
  • The contest is a collaboration between generative AI studio OpenArt and AI-powered creator platform Fanvue, with backing from ElevenLabs, and opens on Monday for a one-month run.
  • Organizers say the award will celebrate the creative talent behind AI influencers and recognize their growing commercial and cultural clout.
  • The Verge coverage notes that contestants will compete for a total prize, highlighting ongoing commercialization and visibility of AI-generated personas.

First came the AI beauty pageant. Then the AI music contests. Now, there is an award for AI Personality of the Year - perhaps the inevitable next step for the AI influencer economy as it transforms from quirky novelty into a serious and lucrative industry.

The contest, a joint venture between generative AI studio OpenArt and AI-powered creator platform Fanvue, with backing from AI voice company ElevenLabs, opens on Monday and runs for a month. The organizers said it is intended to "celebrate the creative talent 'behind' AI Influencers" and recognize their growing commercial and cultural clout.

Contestants will compete for a total prize f …

Read the full story at The Verge.