There's an award for best picture. Best album. Best chef. Best real estate agent (probably several, honestly).
But best small business owner who figured out Instagram Reels while also writing proposals, following up on invoices, and somehow remembering to eat lunch? Yeah, we haven't had that one. Until now.
The Reelies is the first-ever Instagram Reels award show created specifically for small entrepreneurs and creators, and Enji is proud to be a sponsor of the 2026 ceremony happening September 13th in Atlanta.
Why The Reelies Exists
Manu Muraro, founder of Your Social Team, spent 15 years at Cartoon Network in creative and marketing—entering, attending, and winning industry awards, and even producing for the Oscars and Golden Globes broadcasts. She knew what it felt like to be in a room where your work was recognized.
She wanted to build that room for small business owners.
"I had been hosting conferences for years. In 2023 I decided I would change it up. A lot of other experts were hosting conferences and doing it well. At that point, I thought small business owners and small creators needed something different. A place to be celebrated, expose their businesses to new people and make them feel rewarded for the hard work they do...I thought nothing could be more perfect than an award show, where we would dress up, meet our biz friends in real life and recharge our creative batteries together."
So, The Reelies were born. And this September marks the third annual ceremony.
Marketing yourself as a small business owner is a challenge
We all know this is true.
But not hard like "this task is complicated." Hard like you built a skill, got good at it, started a business around it, and then discovered you also have to become a marketer. Who, on top of everything else, needs to do it consistently and for as long as you want to be in business. With no team, no budget, and no guarantee it'll work.
And still, small business owners show up. They film Reels in their car. They write captions at 10pm. They learn the algorithm, get pissed when it changes, and learn it again. They post through slow seasons and personal set backs and weeks where it feels like no one is watching.
That's not a small thing. That's a lot of quiet, consistent work that mostly goes unnoticed—except by the bookings, clients, and sales it eventually brings in.
The Reelies are a chance to make it noticed.
And the scope of this thing reflects how real the need is: over 1,000 Reels submitted annually, 300+ attendees at the live ceremony, and an audience of 140K+ professionals across Manu's platforms. This is not a niche corner of the internet. This is a whole community of people who are doing the work and showing up for each other.
One of Enji's Own is a Finalist
We'd be remiss not to mention: Sheena Kalso of Behind Your Scenes (who uses Enji to manage her marketing) is tied for the most nominations of any creator this year with 9. Nine.
If you know Sheena's work, you're not surprised. If you don't, now's a great time to get acquainted. Head to The Reelies website to see the full finalist list and vote!
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What the Night Actually Looks LikeWhen You go to the Reelies
The 2026 ceremony is at The Plaza Theater in Atlanta on Saturday,September 13th. And yes, the dress code is "come like you're going to the Oscars."
The evening kicks off with a red carpet and mingling at 4:30pm, followed by the awards show at 6:00pm hosted by Manu and comedian Davi Crimmins. Then an after party at Supermarket ATL.
There are 30+ award categories—everything from Best Educational Reel and Best Transformational Reel to Funniest Reel and Most Unhinged Reel. No massive following required. No big production budget. Just consistency, creativity, and heart.
Which is exactly why we’re sponsoring. At Enji, we build tools for exactly this person—the small business owner who's doing their own marketing and wants to do it well. We see how much effort goes into showing up consistently, and we know how much it matters.
We're not sponsoring The Reelies because it's a smart marketing move for us (though it is). We're sponsoring it because Manu built something that genuinely celebrates the people we built Enji for. That felt more than worth being a part of.
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