By: Roodwill
KOTA KINABALU: Oct 17, 2026 – Social media influencer Adam Shamil, 27, has been confirmed as one of the three finalists in the main Creator of the Year category at the TikTok Awards Southeast Asia 2026, making him the sole representative of Borneo in the most prestigious category.
The Penampang, Sabah native, known for his thick Sabah dialect and comedic antics, will compete against two of the country’s biggest names, namely culinary icon Khairul Aming and visual effects (VFX) expert Sofyank, while big names from Peninsular Malaysia dominate the list of nominees.
Through his social media, Adam said the selection was not merely about winning a trophy for himself, but rather about carrying the name of Sabah, Sarawak and the whole of Borneo to a bigger stage.
“As a son of Borneo, I never imagined that one day I would be able to stand alongside the country’s big content creators in a category as big as this,” he said.
“We in Sabah and Sarawak sometimes feel far from national publicity opportunities. But I believe where we come from should not limit how far we can go.”
“This win is not for me alone. If I win, it means Sabah wins, Sarawak wins, and the whole of Borneo wins!”
Since voting opened on 12 October, public support for Adam has continued to surge, with Sabahans and Sarawakians seen united in helping the Borneo native.
Thus far, the wave of support has been evident as Adam leads the chart with over 912,000 votes, far ahead of his closest rival Khairul Aming, who has garnered 373,000 votes, while Sofyank is in third place with 49,000 votes.
Voting remains open until 26 October 2026.
- TV Sabah
