Creator Cup terms
The short version: enter thumbnails you actually made or actually used, play with one account, don't manipulate votes, and the monthly winner gets $100. The long version follows. Last updated July 18, 2026.
1. The competition
The Creator Cup is a recurring competition run on thumbsmash (thumbnails.bellum.studio) by Bellum Studio ("we", "us"). By participating you accept these terms. Participation means holding an account and uploading at least one thumbnail during a competition period.
2. Competition period
Each cup runs one calendar month, starting at 00:00 UTC on the first day and ending at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day. Standings shown during the month are provisional. Final standings are confirmed within 48 hours after the period ends, once we have reviewed the top entries for compliance with these terms.
3. Prize
The participant ranked first in the confirmed final standings wins 100 US dollars. We contact the winner at their account email within 7 days of confirmation, and pay by PayPal or bank transfer within 14 days of agreeing the method. If the winner does not respond within 14 days of our first message, or cannot accept the prize, we may award it to the next eligible participant or roll it into the next cup. The prize is not transferable and has no alternative form.
4. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority where you live, whichever is higher. One account per person. People who work for or with Bellum Studio on Thumbsmash, and members of their household, can play but cannot win the prize. The competition is void where this kind of promotion is prohibited by local law; it is your responsibility to check.
5. Original work
Every thumbnail you upload must either be made by you, or have run on your own videos or your own channel. Uploading someone else's thumbnail, a screenshot of another creator's work, or an image you do not hold rights to is grounds for disqualification from the current cup, and for repeat cases a permanent ban from future cups. If we ask, you must be able to show reasonable evidence that an entry is yours, such as source files, the original video, or your channel.
6. Content standards
Entries pass through moderation before entering the arena. Anything rejected by moderation is not an entry. Do not upload content that is sexually explicit, hateful, violent, or that targets private individuals. We may remove any entry at our discretion.
7. Scoring
Your score combines the thumbnails you entered during the period, how well they rate against other entries, and your voting activity. The components multiply, so ignoring any one of them keeps your score low. The exact formula is not published, and we may adjust it during a period to close abuse, rebalance, or correct errors. Scores, ranks, and all scoring decisions are final and at our discretion.
8. Fair play
The following get you disqualified: operating more than one account, automated or scripted voting, buying or trading votes, coordinating groups to vote for your entries or against others, uploading throwaway entries to farm score components, or any other scheme whose purpose is to manipulate ratings or standings rather than make good thumbnails. We may recalculate standings, void affected votes, or remove participants at any time based on our fraud signals, and we do not owe anyone an explanation of those signals.
9. License to display
You keep ownership of everything you upload. By entering, you grant us a non-exclusive license to host and display your thumbnails on Thumbsmash (in matchups, leaderboards, and previews) and to name you as a winner, with your account handle and avatar, in connection with the competition.
10. Changes and cancellation
We can change these terms, pause, or cancel a cup at any time, including mid-period, if something breaks, if the competition is being abused at a scale we cannot fairly correct, or for legal reasons. If we cancel mid-period we will say so on the competition page. Material changes apply from the next period unless they are needed to stop ongoing abuse.
11. Taxes and costs
Any tax owed on the prize is the winner's responsibility. Payment-provider fees on our side are covered by us; currency conversion and receiving fees on your side are yours.
12. Privacy
Standings are public and show your account handle, avatar, and score. Your email is used only to contact you about the prize. Deleting your account removes you from the current standings.
13. Not affiliated with YouTube
Thumbsmash and the Creator Cup are not sponsored by, endorsed by, or associated with YouTube or Google. YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC; we imitate the feed layout so thumbnails can be judged in a realistic frame, nothing more.
14. Contact
Questions about the competition or these terms: contact@bellum.studio.
Back to the competition page or the arena.