A new analysis from influencer-marketing platform Heepsy breaks down which Gen Z celebrities currently hold the most cultural power — and why. As Heepsy founder Tabi Vicuña puts it, this generation “isn’t just consuming culture; they’re shaping it.” They’re blending music, film, entrepreneurship, and social media in ways that weren’t possible a decade ago.
To find out who’s actually rising to the top, the report evaluated 50 personalities born from the mid-1990s through the early 2010s. Each celebrity was ranked using a mix of net worth, media coverage, the success of their major projects, and online influence — measured through search volume, journalist mentions, and Instagram hashtags.
Below are the top 10 most influential Gen Z stars at the moment, starting at #10.

10. Sydney Sweeney
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Media coverage: 176K articles
Sydney Sweeney takes the No. 10 spot thanks to a steady stream of high-profile roles, major brand deals, and constant media attention. With 11 million monthly searches, she remains one of Gen Z’s most recognizable acting talents — and a favorite headline for entertainment outlets.

9. Olivia Rodrigo
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Media coverage: 147K articles
Olivia Rodrigo’s breakthrough success hasn’t slowed. Her albums continue to dominate charts, and she maintains strong online momentum with more than 13 million monthly searches. With over two million Instagram hashtags, she’s an undeniable fixture in Gen Z pop culture.

8. Shawn Mendes
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Media coverage: 47K articles
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Instagram hashtags: 10.6M
Shawn Mendes appears slightly lower on the list than some might expect, but his cultural impact is still enormous. He boasts one of the highest hashtag counts in the ranking and continues to command a massive global fanbase.

7. Dixie D’Amelio
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Field: Influencer / Music
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Media coverage: 2.5K articles
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Instagram hashtags: 15.8M
Despite her lower search volume, Dixie’s social footprint is huge. She remains one of the most recognizable influencer-turned-musicians in Gen Z, thanks to millions of fan posts and an audience that built her career from the ground up.

6. Coco Gauff
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Media coverage: 355K articles
Coco Gauff is the only athlete in the top 10 — and she’s earned her place. With a Grand Slam title and a skyrocketing career, she’s also one of the most covered sports figures in the entire ranking, pulling in more journalist attention than many entertainers.

5. Millie Bobby Brown
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Media coverage: 81K articles
Millie Bobby Brown remains one of the biggest acting names in Gen Z. Between Stranger Things, Enola Holmes, and her booming beauty brand, she pulls in huge search traffic and consistent fan engagement.

4. Khalid
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Media coverage: 359K articles
Khalid comes in at No. 4 thanks to extraordinary media attention — more than any other male Gen Z celebrity on this list. His discography continues to resonate online, and millions of fan posts show just how widely his music connects.

3. Billie Eilish
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Media coverage: 291K articles
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Instagram hashtags: 17.2M
With multiple Grammys, global tours, and blockbuster soundtrack credits, Billie Eilish has become one of the defining musical voices of her generation. She also ranks among the most searched and most tagged Gen Z celebrities online.
2. Sabrina Carpenter
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Media coverage: 371K articles
Sabrina Carpenter is having a moment — and then some. She dominates Google with 83 million monthly searches, outpacing every other Gen Z celebrity by a wide margin. Her media coverage is also the highest on the list, proving her global breakout isn’t slowing down.

1. Kylie Jenner
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Field: Reality TV / Business / Influencer
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Media coverage: 157K articles
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Instagram hashtags: 18.5M
Kylie Jenner tops the ranking as the most influential Gen Z star of 2025. With a massive $700 million net worth and an empire spanning beauty, fashion, and reality TV, she maintains some of the strongest media and social traction in the entire report.
If you’re curious how star power is shaping other corners of pop culture, new data also breaks down the most popular celebrity beauty brands Americans are buying right now. And in fashion news, Pamela Anderson unveiled a dramatic red-hair transformation in Paris — a reminder of how much influence legacy stars still hold alongside emerging Gen Z talent.















