Davao Conyo Wins TikTok Creator of the Year and Thanks God, “the Original Creator”
Davao Conyo, whose real name is Phillip Te Hernandez, won Creator of the Year at the TikTok Awards Philippines 2026. The ceremony was held in Makati on Thursday, November 5. He was one of three nominees in the category, along with Ayn Bernos and Fujicko.
In his acceptance remarks, he said, “I would like to thank God, the original creator.”
The Trophy He Kept Missing
Hernandez said this is his first major award. He told the audience he is always nominated but never really wins. He also joked that since the award came in November, he only has two months left in 2026 to brag about it.
It Started With Borrowed Voices
In January 2018, Sun.Star Davao reported that his Davao Conyo-dubbed clips from Filipino and foreign films had gone viral starting in late November 2017. His first Facebook video imitated a viral clip of a Cebuano woman being interviewed. By the time of that report, four of his dubbed videos had passed a million views.
He said he wanted to use the conyo label in a positive way, since people often judge a conyo as maarte, feeling rich or a social climber. The name itself came from his viewers. Per a 2022 Philstar interview, commenters kept describing his humor as “Davao Conyo,” and he decided the name was easy to remember.
A One-Man Team
In that 2022 interview, Philstar reported that his videos were still produced by one person. He was the scriptwriter, actor, director and editor, while a separate team handled clients. That same year, ABS-CBN reported that he had 3.8 million collective followers on Facebook and TikTok.
Relatable on Purpose
Hernandez has said a story has to be relatable, which means it has to be truthful. Metroscene Magazine described his skits as a reflection of everyday life, including the sad parts, turned into entertainment.
Bali Is Next
The win also makes him the Philippine representative for Creator of the Year at the first TikTok Awards Southeast Asia. That ceremony is scheduled for November 27, 2026, in Bali, Indonesia. Ten other Filipino creators were also named country representatives.
Among the other national winners, Aeriel Jan Tolentino took TikTok Shop Creator of the Year, Ryssi Avila took TikTok LIVE Creator of the Year, Jomar Yee won Popular Video of the Year for “Running,” and Jericho Mark Asis was named Rising Creator of the Year.
Angga Anugrah Putra of TikTok said the selection reflects the influence local creators have in their communities. He noted that TikTok’s Southeast Asian community has more than 460 million people.
