Ukrainian-Born Influencer Max Klymenko Takes Home TikTok UK’s Creator of the Year Title

In the United Kingdom, the TikTok Awards ceremony took place, where British creator Max Klymenko—originally from Mykolaiv—won the Creator of the Year title. Klymenko is widely recognized on TikTok for his series Career Ladder.

This was reported by BBC on November on November 13.

Although Klymenko later moved to the UK for his studies, much of his family, including his grandmother, still lives in Ukraine. Accepting the award, he thanked her, mentioning that ongoing power outages meant she couldn’t watch the ceremony live.

Read more

Category

Culture

Can Photojournalism Survive the Age of TikTok Wars?

Oct 16, 2025 16:25

He also recalled how his grandmother used to open TikTok from multiple accounts so it would seem like his videos were getting more views.

“I’m an immigrant in this country, I feel like right now getting this award is super special to me. For your own individual career ladders, nothing is out of reach. Slava Ukraini,” Klymenko added.

Maksym Klymenko is a British creator who makes short TikTok and YouTube videos focused on career advice, business topics, and social issues.

His signature format, Career Ladder, is what brought him the most recognition. In these clips, he stands on a ladder beside a stranger and has two minutes to figure out what they do for a living.

Earlier, it was reported that for the first time, Ukraine will be represented at the Guatemala Biennale of Contemporary Art with a project by artist Alevtina Kakhidze, whose work addresses the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Support our frontline reporters

We report from the front lines to show the reality of war. Your support helps us stay there and tell the stories that matter.

DONATE NOW