EMMANUEL “Big Manny” Wallace has been bringing the laboratory to the street, creating engaging scientific content that appeals to a Gen Z audience.
At the inaugural TikTik Awards, Big Manny took home the gong for Education Creator of the Year.
Who is Emmanuel Wallace aka Big Manny?
Emanuel Wallace, known professionally as Big Manny, is a science-first content creator, author and music artist.
A science-first content creator is someone who prioritises making educational output about scientific concepts, with the aim of making complex theories accessible and engaging to a broader audience.
With a master’s degree in biomedical science, Big Manny uses social media platforms to explain complicated scientific concepts using ‘roadman’ vernacular.
He creates age-friendly content that is both entertaining and informative, with the focus on making science accessible and relatable to younger audiences.
As of December 2024, Big Manny has amassed an impressive following of 1.6million on Instagram.
On TikTok he has even more followers — almost two million.
His videos regularly go viral, with some reaching millions of views.
For instance, a video showing the creation of a sodium-potassium alloy garnered 3.5million views in less than four months.
Content creation career
Big Manny’s journey into creating content began during the Covid-19 lockdowns when he was working at a secondary school.
He told SadeMagazine: “I used to work as a science technician in a secondary school. So I used to set up all the experiments for the students.
“During lockdown, I realised that students were struggling with science. That’s when I started to create some science videos to help students catch up with what they missed out on during a lockdown.
“I wanted to bridge that knowledge gap which occurred during lockdown. That’s how the videos were born!”
His first videos, posted in 2021, were minute-long explainers of chemical theories in practice.
Media appearances and publications
Big Manny’s impact extends far beyond his massive social media following.
He has appeared on Blue Peter and regularly collaborates with BBC Bitesize.
His debut book Science Is Lit: Crazy Chemistry And Epic Experiments, which is illustrated by Subi Bosa, was released by Puffin on August 8, 2024.
Speaking of his book, Big Manny said: “My favourite experiment from the book has to be the red cabbage experiment.
“You can find out different pH solutions.
“I just find it crazy that you can use vegetables to determine whether a liquid is acidic or alkaline.”
He has also partnered with brands including BMW, to explain the science behind their products, and Network Rail, to educate about the dangers of live rails and overhead electricity lines.
TikTok’s Education Creator of the Year
Manny Wallace was honored with the Education Creator of the Year award at the inaugural TikTok Awards on December 3, 2024.
The ceremony, which took place at Exhibition London, celebrated various content creators across numerous categories.
Big Manny was recognised for his engaging home chemistry experiments and science-focused content.
Expressing his gratitude for being seen as a role model, he thanked his teacher who “inspired” him, saying that’s what he “hopes to give back” through his content.
Big Manny added that his favourite video out of the many he’s made is one where he “melted a knife into something else to spread love”.
Full list of TikTok winners 2024
Here is the full list of winners from the TikTok Awards:
Creator of the year – Kyra-Mae Turner
Entertainment creator of the year – Nicholas Flannery
Food creator of the year – Maddi Neye-Swift
Sport creator of the year – John Nellis
Fashion and beauty creator of the year – Uche Natori
Travel creator of the year – Ryan Losasso and Jade Beaty
Education creator of the year – Manny Wallace
Voice for change – Iain Ward
High quality content creator of the year – Miles Laflin
Rising star creator of the year – George Harper
Video of the year award – Jay Foreman
Breakthrough artist of the year – Myles Smith