Who’s the next big thing on YouTube? You tell us

Last month, we told you about two new programs to help connect aspiring YouTube Partners and creators with the tools, education, funding and promotion they need to turn their video creation hobbies into careers. The YouTube Creator Institute will send up-and-coming video producers to two of the US’s leading film and television schools for an advanced 4-8 week program to train alongside industry leaders, helping them take their skills to the next level. And YouTube NextUp asked members of the YouTube Partner Program to make a video application outlining the future direction they’d like to take their content, with the strongest submissions receiving $35,000 in funding from YouTube and a spot at a special boot camp for them to learn new skills.

We’re running these programs because we believe that the next superstars of music, film, comedy, animation, and whole new content genres are practicing their craft on YouTube today. Every day we come across extremely talented creators of all ages and from all walks of life, and we want to see them succeed and reach bigger audiences. We’re also aware that you, the YouTube community, are often the best judges of talent! You’ve already made stars of people like MysterGuitarMan, the Annoying Orange, and Dave Days, and we want to ask you to help pick the next generation of leading creators.

The top-scoring eligible entries to the YouTube Creator Institute and YouTube NextUp have moved on to the public voting stage, and we’re inviting you to go to youtube.com/creators to vote for the people you’d like to see advance to the final round.

On the voting site, you’ll be able to review submissions from:

• New types of vloggers
• Claymation storytellers
• Horror film afficianados
• Budding musicians
• Special effects pyromaniacs
• And many more

We encourage you to judge the videos and creators based on their creativity, uniqueness, and potential to become a star. Of course, also think about what you’d like to see more of on YouTube! You can vote up to once a day for the creators you like from now until 5pm PT on April 8.

Top voted videos will move on to the final rounds of judging, and we’ll keep you posted on the winners in the coming weeks.

Austin Lau, Partner Program Specialist, recently watched “The Coolest Extreme Skiing Dudes”.