Who’s Next? TikTok Picks Australia’s Rising Stars in 2025 Discover List

Australia’s creator economy just got a spotlight moment. TikTok has released its 2025 Discover List, naming 50 global “creators to watch” spread across categories like Educators, Foodies, Icons, Innovators, and Originators. Among them, two Australian names stand tall: Lily Huynh (@biteswithlily) and Aslan Pahari (@aslanpahari). Mediaweek+1

That inclusion is more than a badge of prestige. It signals something deeper: the rising confidence of Australia’s creators to compete globally, and the growing weight of authenticity in the currents of influence.

Meet the Aussies on the List

Lily Huynh is one of Australia’s most compelling Foodies. Her channel thrives on discovery: street food finds, recreations of local flavors, and immersive storytelling through plating and setting. TikTok praised her ability to “bring food to life through storytelling, captivating visuals, and a genuine passion for exploring different cuisines.” Mediaweek+1

In an era when food content is saturated, Lily’s edge is narrative sensibility: each video feels like a trip more than a recipe drop. She told Mediaweek that being recognized by TikTok is “a reflection of the passion and creativity I’ve poured into my content and community.” Mediaweek

Aslan Pahari enters the list through the Educator lane. Based in Sydney, he combines mythology, language, cultural insight, and storytelling to wrestle meaning from inherited narratives. His videos often pivot on uncovering overlooked or misunderstood stories. TikTok positions him as someone who “inspires curiosity” and debunks myths—and uses history not as a relic but as active anchor in identity. TikTok Newsroom

He stands at a junction creators must navigate: how to be educational without didactic, how to teach while entertaining, how to inhabit both cultural depth and content speed.

What Their Selection Reveals About Content Trends in Australia

1. Local Creativity Can Reach Global Scales

In a world where algorithmic distribution often privileges volume or novelty, Lily and Aslan show that rooted, high-intention content can still break through. Their selection demonstrates that Australian creators need not echo U.S. or European trends. The world is open to voices that speak with specificity and integrity.

2. The Power of Hybrid Genres

These creators defy tight niches. Food is narrative. Education is culture. The hybrid form is becoming the norm. TikTok’s categories (Foodies, Educators, Originators) themselves admit this. Influence is no longer a straight path—it is cross-genre, interwoven.

3. Brands Must Value Depth Over Reach

For brands and agencies, this shift means that “influencer” budgets must tilt toward creators who bring purpose, voice, context—not just followers. Aligning with creators who carry resonance in their content amplifies brand authenticity.

4. The Gatekeeper Role of Platforms Evolves

TikTok through Discover List is curating visibility. Entry to that list becomes a new vector for opportunity—sponsorships, media coverage, collaborator interest. That “stamp” is no small thing. It shifts creators from platform actors to recognized talent.

Three Moves for Creators and Stakeholders to Make Now

• Invest in voice before volume. Don’t chase follower growth at the cost of depth. Start with a point of view. Let content build around that.

• Tell stories, not just posts. Whether in food, culture or micro-teaching, human interest, structure, journey matter. Create arcs. Don’t just drop clips.

• Forge partnerships beyond reach. The real wins lie in meaningful brand alignment, cross-media exposure, mentorship, and leveraging “Discover” selection as a platform for larger work (publishing, speaking, licensing).

As TikTok opens its lens toward Australia’s next generation of creators, Lily Huynh and Aslan Pahari remind us what real opportunity feels like: not mimicry, but invention; not mass scale first, but resonance first. At TMFS, we see this selection not as a surprise, but as confirmation: Australia’s creator era is entering phase two—where culture, craft, and commerce entwine more richly than ever.

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