Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards 2026: Full List of Irish Winners
Irish Content Creators at the launch of the 2026 Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards
Eric Roberts has been named InstaStar of the Year at the 2026 Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards, as some of Ireland’s biggest social-media personalities gathered in Dublin for one of the country’s main awards nights for digital creators.
The sixth annual awards took place at the five-star Anantara The Marker Hotel in Dublin on Friday, 4 September 2026, recognising creators across fashion, beauty, food, travel, comedy, podcasting, wellness and lifestyle.
The ceremony was hosted by James Patrice, with the winners selected following a public vote.
But the InstaStar Awards are about more than social-media popularity. The involvement of major brands including Hayu, Penneys, Superdrug, Schweppes and Disaronno also provides an interesting snapshot of how Ireland’s influencer and content-creator industry has developed into a significant part of the advertising business.
What are the Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards?
The Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards are an annual celebration of Ireland’s content creators, organised by STELLAR.
First launched in 2021, the awards returned for their sixth year in 2026, bringing together some of Ireland’s best-known and fastest-growing social-media personalities.
The 2026 awards recognised creators across 12 main categories:
• InstaStar of the Year
• Rising InstaStar
• Fashion InstaStar Over 100k
• Fashion InstaStar Under 100k
• Beauty InstaStar Over 50k
• Beauty InstaStar Under 50k
• Wellness InstaStar
• Travel InstaStar
• Home & Lifestyle InstaStar
• Foodie InstaStar
• Comedy InstaStar
• Podcast InstaStar
There was also an InstaLegend Award and a prize for Best Dressed on the Night.
Rather than focusing exclusively on creators with enormous audiences, some categories are divided according to follower numbers.
Fashion, for example, has separate categories for creators above and below 100,000 followers, while beauty is divided at 50,000 followers.
That distinction reflects an important part of modern influencer marketing: bigger does not necessarily mean better.
A smaller creator with a highly engaged and relevant audience can potentially be more commercially valuable to a particular business than an account with hundreds of thousands of less relevant followers.
The 2026 winners were decided through a public vote. Voting closed at 5pm on Thursday, 3 September, with one vote permitted per device and voters required to vote across every category for their ballot to count.
The business behind Ireland’s influencer awards
For an Irish business audience, arguably the most interesting aspect of the InstaStar Awards is the number of established companies willing to put their brands behind Ireland’s creator industry.
Hayu returned as title sponsor for 2026, while companies associated with the awards included Penneys, Superdrug, Schweppes, Disaronno, Kerry Hanaphy Clinic, Perfectil, NYX Hotels, KASH Beauty and John Frieda.
Several brands sponsored categories that closely align with the customers they are trying to reach.
• Hayu — InstaStar of the Year
• KASH Beauty — Rising InstaStar
• Superdrug — Beauty Over 50k
• Kerry Hanaphy Clinic — Beauty Under 50k
• NYX Hotels — Travel InstaStar
• Penneys — Fashion Under 100k
• Schweppes — Foodie InstaStar
• Disaronno — Podcast InstaStar
• Perfectil — Wellness InstaStar
This commercial involvement is important.
Content creators increasingly operate as their own small media businesses.
An established creator can potentially generate income through sponsored content, brand ambassadorships, affiliate marketing, advertising, podcasts, live events, appearances, product collaborations and their own businesses.
For advertisers, creators offer something traditional media cannot always replicate: direct access to a specific online community built around an individual personality.
Brands can also measure views, reach, engagement, clicks and, depending on the campaign, sales or conversions.
That does not mean every creator with a large following is making significant money. Follower counts alone tell us very little about someone's actual income, and verified earnings figures are unavailable for most Irish creators.
However, the level of commercial sponsorship surrounding events such as the InstaStar Awards demonstrates the value major consumer brands now place on the Irish creator market.
Who won at the Hayu InstaStar Awards 2026?
The 2026 awards produced winners across fashion, beauty, travel, food, wellness, comedy and podcasting, with Eric Roberts taking home the biggest award of the evening — InstaStar of the Year.
Here are the winners.
InstaStar of the Year — Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts (@eric.roberts__) took home the biggest award of the evening, being named the 2026 InstaStar of the Year.
The category was sponsored by Hayu.
Rising InstaStar — Seán Fitzgerald
Seán Fitzgerald (@fitzy.007) won the Rising InstaStar award.
The category, designed to recognise emerging online talent, was sponsored by KASH Beauty.
Beauty Over 50k InstaStar — Ciara Ryan
Ciara Ryan (@paintedbyciara) was named Beauty Over 50k InstaStar.
The award was sponsored by Superdrug.
Beauty Under 50k InstaStar — Robyn Gillespie
Robyn Gillespie (@robynsmakeupaccount) won the Beauty Under 50k category.
The award was sponsored by Kerry Hanaphy Clinic.
Travel InstaStar — Robyn Courtney
Robyn Courtney (@itsthelifeofrobyn) took home the Travel InstaStar award.
The category was sponsored by NYX Hotels.
Fashion Over 100k InstaStar — Niamh de Brún Reid
Niamh de Brún Reid (@niamhdebrun) was named Fashion Over 100k InstaStar.
The category recognises established fashion creators with audiences exceeding 100,000 followers.
Fashion Under 100k InstaStar — Kwanele Nomoyi
Kwanele Nomoyi (@kwanelenomoyi) won the Fashion Under 100k InstaStar award.
The category was sponsored by Penneys.
Foodie InstaStar — Gráinne Daly
Gráinne Daly (@heyitsgra_) was named Foodie InstaStar.
The category was sponsored by Schweppes.
Podcast InstaStar — Niamh O’Connor
Niamh O’Connor – Unscripted (@unscriptedgoloud) won Podcast InstaStar.
The award was sponsored by Disaronno.
Home & Lifestyle InstaStar — Kasey Campion
Kasey Campion (@kaseycampion) was named Home & Lifestyle InstaStar.
Wellness InstaStar — Niamh Cullen
Niamh Cullen (@niamhcullenx) took home the Wellness InstaStar award.
The category was sponsored by Perfectil.
Comedy InstaStar — Kyla Cobbler
Kyla Cobbler (@kylacobblercomedy) won the Comedy InstaStar award.
Cobbler has become one of the most recognisable names in Ireland’s online comedy scene.
InstaLegend — Charleen Murphy
Charleen Murphy (@charleenmurphy) received the InstaLegend Award.
The award recognises an established creator who has developed a particularly significant presence in Ireland’s social-media landscape.
Best Dressed — Maureen Moores
Maureen Moores (@maureenmoores_) was named Best Dressed on the night.
The John Frieda-sponsored prize included a stay at Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort.
Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards 2026 — Winners at a Glance
• InstaStar of the Year: Eric Roberts
• Rising InstaStar: Seán Fitzgerald
• Beauty Over 50k: Ciara Ryan
• Beauty Under 50k: Robyn Gillespie
• Travel InstaStar: Robyn Courtney
• Fashion Over 100k: Niamh de Brún Reid
• Fashion Under 100k: Kwanele Nomoyi
• Foodie InstaStar: Gráinne Daly
• Podcast InstaStar: Niamh O’Connor
• Home & Lifestyle InstaStar: Kasey Campion
• Wellness InstaStar: Niamh Cullen
• Comedy InstaStar: Kyla Cobbler
• InstaLegend: Charleen Murphy
• Best Dressed: Maureen Moores
Ireland’s creator economy is becoming a serious business
The popularity of events such as the InstaStar Awards reflects a much wider transformation in the advertising industry.
Traditionally, a consumer brand trying to reach a large Irish audience might have concentrated its marketing budget on television, radio, newspapers, magazines or outdoor advertising.
Social media has created another route.
A creator with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers can give an advertiser direct access to an established audience, while platforms such as Instagram and TikTok allow campaigns to be measured through views, engagement, clicks and conversions.
It has also lowered the barrier to becoming a media business.
Creators no longer necessarily need a television programme, newspaper column or radio show to build a significant Irish audience.
A smartphone and social-media account can theoretically provide the distribution.
The difficult part is building an audience large and engaged enough to turn that distribution into a sustainable business.
From influencer to entrepreneur
The line between being an influencer and running a business has become increasingly blurred.
A successful creator is effectively managing a personal media brand.
Behind the posts and videos can be content production, photography, video editing, advertising negotiations, contracts, public relations, accounting and audience management.
Larger creators may also work with agents, managers, photographers, videographers and editors.
More importantly, an audience can eventually become a platform for building businesses outside social media.
Creators can expand into podcasts, live events, subscription products, merchandise, beauty products, fashion collections, food brands or other businesses.
In that sense, a large and engaged social-media following has become a form of business distribution.
A creator launching a product to an established audience potentially begins with something most new businesses have to spend significant amounts of money acquiring: attention.
It does not guarantee that the business will succeed, but it can provide a considerable head start.
How do the 2026 winners compare with 2025?
There was considerable change at the top of the awards this year.
In 2025, Kayleigh Trappe was named InstaStar of the Year, while Shane McCarthy won Rising InstaStar and James Patrice received the InstaLegend Award.
Other 2025 winners included Holly Carpenter for Fashion Over 100k, Gina Daly for Foodie InstaStar, Laura Nolan for Wellness and Andrea Woods for Comedy.
For 2026, Eric Roberts succeeded Trappe as the overall InstaStar of the Year, while Charleen Murphy became the latest recipient of the InstaLegend Award.
The changing list of winners also illustrates how quickly Ireland’s social-media landscape can evolve.
Unlike more traditional entertainment industries, a creator can potentially grow from a relatively unknown account to a nationally recognisable personality within a short period of time.
Why the InstaStar Awards matter to Irish businesses
For Irish companies considering influencer marketing, the awards provide a useful snapshot of creators currently attracting attention and building engaged audiences.
However, an award or large follower count should never be the only consideration when choosing a creator to work with.
Businesses should also consider audience demographics, engagement, previous partnerships, content quality, reputation and — most importantly — whether the creator’s followers actually overlap with the company's target customers.
A creator with 30,000 highly relevant and engaged followers could potentially deliver more value for a particular business than somebody with several hundred thousand followers whose audience has little interest in the product.
That is particularly relevant to smaller Irish businesses operating in specific industries or geographic markets.
The continued involvement of major brands in events such as the InstaStar Awards nevertheless shows how far influencer marketing has moved into the mainstream of Irish advertising.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won InstaStar of the Year 2026?
Eric Roberts was named InstaStar of the Year at the 2026 Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards.
Who won Rising InstaStar in 2026?
Seán Fitzgerald, known online as @fitzy.007, won Rising InstaStar.
Who won Comedy InstaStar in 2026?
Irish comedian Kyla Cobbler won the Comedy InstaStar category.
Who won the 2026 InstaLegend Award?
Charleen Murphy received the InstaLegend Award.
Where were the Hayu InstaStar Awards held?
The 2026 awards were held at the five-star Anantara The Marker Hotel in Dublin.
When were the 2026 Hayu InstaStar Awards?
The ceremony took place on Friday, 4 September 2026.
How were the InstaStar Awards winners chosen?
The main 2026 awards involved a public vote. Voting closed at 5pm on 3 September, with one vote permitted per device and voters required to complete every category for their ballot to count.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards crowned Eric Roberts as InstaStar of the Year, with Seán Fitzgerald, Kyla Cobbler, Niamh O’Connor, Gráinne Daly, Niamh Cullen and a range of other Irish creators taking home awards.
But from a business perspective, the bigger story is the continued professionalisation of Ireland’s creator economy.
An awards ceremony backed by brands spanning streaming, retail, beauty, hospitality and drinks illustrates how valuable online audiences have become to advertisers.
Ireland’s biggest creators are no longer simply people posting content online.
Increasingly, they are media brands in their own right — and for some, the audience they build online can ultimately become the foundation for a much larger business.
Sources and Further Information
• STELLAR Magazine — “And Your Hayu InstaStar 2026 Winners Are…” — Full official list of the 2026 winners and category sponsors.
• STELLAR Magazine — “EYNTK Ahead Of 2026’s Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards” — Event details, voting process, categories and sponsors.
• STELLAR Magazine — “A Look Back At 2025’s Hayu STELLAR InstaStar Awards” — Previous winners and comparison with the 2025 awards.
• STELLAR — Advertising & InstaStar Awards Information — Background on STELLAR, its commercial offering and the launch of the InstaStar Awards in 2021.