▁user - generated ▁videos ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁The ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁YouTube ▁Awards ▁was ▁formally ▁announced ▁via ▁a ▁press ▁release ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 8 . ▁Awards ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁presented ▁in ▁seven ▁categories : ▁Most ▁Creative , ▁Most ▁In sp ir ational , ▁Best ▁Series , ▁Best ▁Com edy ▁Video , ▁Best ▁Music ▁Video , ▁Best ▁Comment ary ▁and ▁Most ▁Ad or able . ▁Ten ▁videos ▁were ▁short list ed ▁in ▁each ▁category , ▁with ▁the ▁short lists ▁having ▁been ▁compiled ▁by ▁the ▁site ' s ▁staff . ▁By r ne ▁explained : ▁" We ▁wanted ▁to ▁call ▁out ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁videos ▁and ▁let ▁the ▁users ▁choose ▁which ▁ones ▁des erve ▁some ▁additional ▁recognition ." ▁YouTube ▁users ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁vote ▁by ▁visit ing ▁a ▁dedicated ▁webpage , ▁which ▁went ▁live ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁March ▁ 1 9 . ▁Users ▁voted ▁by ▁ranking ▁the ▁ten ▁videos ▁in ▁each ▁category ▁in ▁order ▁of ▁preference , ▁and ▁could ▁see ▁what ▁the ▁up - to - date ▁rank ings ▁were ▁in ▁real - time ▁– ▁Ben ▁Fritz ▁of ▁Vari ety ▁said ▁that ▁this ▁made ▁the ▁process ▁transparent . ▁ ▁V oting ▁last ed ▁for ▁five ▁days , ▁closing ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 3 ; ▁w inners ▁were ▁announced ▁two ▁days ▁later . ▁Their ▁prize ▁was ▁a ▁tro phy ▁( a ▁large , ▁glass ▁Play ▁Button ▁on ▁a ▁heavy , ▁metal ▁base ) ▁and ▁prom in ence ▁for ▁their ▁winning ▁video ▁on ▁YouTube . ▁American ▁rock ▁band ▁OK ▁Go ▁won