This year the company published its annual list of "Creators of Tomorrow," which named a few of the very best emerging creators in the app-there are always some interesting up-and-comers helping shape cultural and usage trends.

And while some of the categories and descriptions feel a little trite, perhaps a check-in to see what it is they're doing right, and whether you can learn anything from their success.

Instagram is presenting 25 creators in five categories this year. These categories focus on five key emerging trends that are gaining traction on the app.

There are five 2024 categories:

 "The Creator's Inspo"- Extremely creative users who are tapping into the latest editing tools and tricks 
 "AI Accelerators"- Creators who are using the latest AI tools to great effect
"IG Besties" – Creators that make you think "you're so real for this" whenever they share content.
"DM-Worthy Icons" – Creators who post some of the most shareable content
"The Vibe Curators" – Creators who "set the vibe, take you on a journey and spark emotion.".
Yeah, personally I'm not into those sorts of terms like "vibe curators," but I'm also older than the median IG user, so I'm probably not the target audience.

Instagram said it will work with the selected creators during the next year to celebrate their work and enable them to grow even more with extra prospects within the app.

It's pretty interesting how these creators make the most of available space on IG within such narrow parameters.

The category of "AI Accelerators" will probably be of particular interest because the industry at large is fighting to get any gen AI tools into play however they can.  Here, the artists are using the latest AI tools to come up with artistic works which sometimes sound a little but also show what is possible with the apps.
There are interesting artistic creations here, which might get you thinking more broadly about your own AI use and creativity.

If you're looking for ways to step up your IG game, it's worth a look through the different creators and seeing for yourself what they're doing that made IG want to give them some recognition.