Indian model Bhavitha Mandava and Kerala-based freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan have been named among the 25 global recipients of the Instagram Rings Awards 2026. This annual recognition program, launched in 2025, honors creators who demonstrate exceptional creativity, experiment with content, and achieve significant cultural impact through their work on the platform.
Global Recognition for Diverse Talents
The 2026 Instagram Rings Awards, announced on October 29, celebrate creators from a wide array of fields including fashion, sports, music, comedy, photography, and food. Alongside Mandava and Riswan, other notable winners include Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland, rapper Little Simz, comedian Jordan Firstman, fashion designer Salehe Bembury, and photographer Renell Medrano.
Bhavitha Mandava: A Rising Star in Fashion
Bhavitha Mandava has rapidly emerged as a prominent Indian figure in the international fashion industry. In December 2025, she made history as the first Indian model to open Chanel's Métiers d'Art show. Born in Andhra Pradesh and raised in Hyderabad, Mandava initially pursued architecture before moving to New York for higher studies in integrated design and media.
Her fashion career began unexpectedly when designer Matthieu Blazy discovered her at a New York subway station. She subsequently made her runway debut for Bottega Veneta and has since become a Chanel House Ambassador, also gracing the cover of British Vogue. Her Instagram Rings Award acknowledges her unique creative perspective and ability to offer audiences an intimate view into the fashion world through social media.
Muhammed Riswan: Freestyle Football Phenom
Muhammed Riswan, a freestyle footballer from Kerala, has garnered an international following by showcasing his extraordinary football skills, creative tricks, and unconventional use of locations in his videos. He gained widespread attention in November 2023 after a video of him kicking a football into a waterfall went viral, accumulating over 600 million views and earning Guinness World Records recognition in January 2024.
Riswan continues to leverage Instagram to present freestyle football to a global audience, blending his athletic prowess with compelling storytelling. His journey has not only elevated his personal profile but also brought greater visibility to India's freestyle football community, illustrating how digital platforms empower athletes to reach audiences beyond traditional sporting venues.
About the Instagram Rings Awards
The Instagram Rings Awards were established in 2025 to acknowledge creators who take creative risks and develop distinctive forms of expression. The program prioritizes originality and cultural influence over conventional popularity metrics like follower counts. Winners for the 2026 edition were chosen through a rigorous nomination and voting process involving a distinguished panel of figures from entertainment, fashion, sports, and creative industries.
The judging panel included renowned personalities such as fashion designer Donatella Versace, musician A$AP Rocky, filmmaker Chloé Zhao, musician FINNEAS, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, Indian chef Vikas Khanna, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and fashion partnerships executive Eva Chen. Awardees receive physical rings, digital recognition, and exclusive profile personalization features to further distinguish their accounts on the platform.
The inclusion of Mandava and Riswan underscores the increasing role of social media in enabling individuals to build international careers and connect with global communities, highlighting the diverse talent emerging from India through digital platforms.