Instant messaging giant Telegram has announced its first-ever global contest for content creators, inviting users worldwide to produce short, compelling videos that showcase the platform’s groundbreaking innovations. With a prize pool of up to $50,000, the initiative aims to highlight Telegram’s legacy of redefining the messaging landscape.

The contest is open to individuals and creative teams across the globe. Participants are required to create a video—no longer than 180 seconds—that effectively tells the story of how Telegram has led the charge in messaging innovation, often years ahead of competitors like WhatsApp. The winning entries will be judged on creativity, storytelling, clarity, and their potential to go viral.

This is Telegram’s first official global content competition, marking a major push to engage its over one billion monthly active users in a more interactive way. To aid participants in shaping their narratives, Telegram has shared a curated list of 30 key features the platform introduced before any other messaging service. These include file sharing of up to 2GB, broadcast channels, bot integrations, custom themes, and multi-device logins—several of which have since become industry standards.

The contest, which is now live, has a submission deadline of May 26, 2025. All entries must be in English, and videos should be optimised for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. While creators are allowed to use AI tools to support their storytelling, the platform has emphasised the importance of originality and engagement. The results of the contest will be announced in June 2025.

Entries that best capture Telegram’s spirit of innovation stand to win a share of the $50,000 prize pool and receive spotlight recognition across Telegram’s global channels, giving creators the opportunity to amplify their reach to millions.

With this move, Telegram is not only celebrating its pioneering features but also tapping into the creator economy to build a stronger, community-driven brand narrative.