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Scoot Over, MTV: YouTube Is Launching A Music Awards Show

Scheduled to air live November 3 — on YouTube — the 90-minute show will feature performances from those who gained fame on the video platform as well as those, such as Eminem, who became famous via more old-fashioned routes.
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What’s the Latest Development?


YouTube, home of billions of hours’ worth of video of all kinds, has announced that it will host its first-ever music awards show on November 3 at Pier 36 in New York City. Expected performers include established artists such as Eminem and Lady Gaga as well as those who have gained fame primarily through the video platform, including violinist Lindsey Stirling and comedy group Cdza. Nominees will compete in six categories, and winners will be chosen by popular vote, which means “fans from South Korea or Brazil or anywhere else could choose the victors if they vote in large enough numbers.”

What’s the Big Idea?

The show is unlikely to supplant other “traditional” music awards ceremonies, but its existence offers just one more example of how the Internet continues to transform media. Nominees will be judged not on physical record sales but on data such as “most views” and “most spinoffs.” In addition to the main event — which, naturally, will be live-streamed on YouTube — smaller events will take place in select cities, including Moscow and London.

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Read it at The New York Times

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