Forbes Slovakia's 2026 Influencer Ranking and How It Was Built

Forbes Slovakia has published its second annual ranking of the country's 32 most responsible influencers, a selection the publisher says became its second most-read feature after last year's debut. Only the magazine's flagship list of Slovakia's richest people drew more reader traffic, according to the editors.

The 2026 edition focuses on new names rather than repeat honorees. Last year's winners keep their status, the magazine explains, but were invited to take part as category jurors. Returning laureates Katarína Koščová, Boris Bajer, Denis Kováč and food blogger Daniel Feranc helped the editorial team and marketing specialists review candidates over two months. Online partner iStyle is listed alongside the selection.

The final roster mixes well-known figures such as actress Kristína Tormová and singer Evelyn with profiles that have less mainstream visibility: teacher Michal Sivák, fitness coach Samuel Inyene Prince, AI educator Kamil Aujeský, poet and rapper Daniel Hevier, autism awareness account Spolu AUT, chef Šimon Kán and dog influencer Pampi, among others. The magazine says the aim is to show that social networks can be constructive spaces when difficult or taboo topics are handled with care.

Why a 'Responsible Influencer' Ranking Resonates in Slovakia

A Ranking Organized Around Values, Not Follower Counts

The editorial framing is deliberate: the list is presented as a set of 'responsible' influencers rather than a conventional popularity chart. That positioning appears to have worked commercially as a media product, since the publisher says the first edition was its second most-read feature of the year. The response from Zuzana Čaputová cited in the text suggests the theme also carried public resonance beyond the influencer marketing bubble.

Advertisement

How the 2026 Selection Refreshes the Franchise

The decision to turn last year's honorees into category jurors solves a practical problem for an annual ranking: it keeps the original winners recognized without making the new list feel repetitive. It also gives the selection a built-in validation mechanism, with past names vouching for newcomers in their fields.

What the New Names Signal About Slovakia's Influencer Economy

The spread of profiles — a teacher, an AI educator, an autism awareness account, urgent-care doctors, a chef and a pet influencer — points to a broadening of influencer culture in Slovakia beyond entertainment and lifestyle content. That is an interpretation based on the roster, not on disclosed commercial data, but it suggests brands looking for credibility-led campaigns have a wider range of niches to choose from. The iStyle partnership also shows the ranking functions as a sponsored media product, not only an editorial project.

What Marketers and Creators Can Take From the New List

For marketers and agencies tracking the Slovak social media landscape, the list offers a rare annual roster organized around trust and values rather than reach alone.

  • Review the 2026 roster for niche campaign partners — such as Michal Sivák in education, Kamil Aujeský in AI, Spolu AUT in autism awareness or Šimon Kán in gastronomy — when a brief demands credibility over raw follower numbers.
  • Note the commercial structure: the ranking is presented with online partner iStyle, signaling that publishers can package values-based influencer lists as sponsored media products.
  • Expect the format to repeat: past honorees keep their status while new names are brought in through category juries, meaning future editions will continue to favor rotation over repetition.