YouTube Announces Music Award Show

YouTube announced Monday the first YouTube Music Awards, which will be live-streamed online. The awards ceremony will take place in New York City and will stream live online on Nov. 3. Director Spike Jonze and actor Jason Schwartzman will host.

“Our point is to celebrate YouTube’s role in the music ecosystem,” says Danielle Tiedt, the San Bruno, Calif.-based company’s vice president of marketing. “If you think about how most of us encounter music, it’s usually on YouTube, whether it’s stars like Miley Cyrus and her VMA performance or her new ‘Wrecking Ball’ video, or musicians like Lindsey (Stirling), who broke thanks to our site.”

With names like Lady Gaga, Eminem and Arcade Fire performing, the show won’t be lacking celebrity power, but the award show is looking to honor the less famous acts that have made YouTube the go-to place for discovering new talent. Some of YouTube’s biggest stars, like Lindsey Stirling and CDZA will also perform.

Nominees will be announced Oct. 17, based on the quantity of video streams and shares over the past year. Users will play a role in determining winners and performers via social media, YouTube said, with judging happening “in full view.”