Every year, the digital news channel What’s Trending teams up with the analysts at Tubular Labs to determine the videos, creators, channels, and brands that made the biggest impact on YouTube. The 2016 edition of that annual round-up is now live, and it’s a nice refresher of the trends that defined the online video industry over the past 12 months.
In the What’s Trending recap video of Tubular’s findings, host Shira Lazar highlights outstanding videos across 23 different categories. Her boyfriend, YouTube star and musician Bart Baker, shows up to offer some comic relief with a few snappy quips about each entry.
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Between the world’s biggest soccer star, a toddler who loves toys, a giggly mom, and (of course) PewDiePie, 2016’s online video tastemakers were an interesting and diverse bunch. Here’s What’s Trending and Tubular’s full list:
Top Videos & Creators of 2016
Sponsored Video of the Year
DIY Dog Bed by Nifty
48.9 Million FB views
Video brand of the year
Overall: UNILAD
4929 videos uploaded in 2016
22.6B views
Most watched video: https://www.facebook.com/video
.php?v=2336637729692606 (168M views) Comedy sketch of the year
SNL’s Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base (1/17/16)
39.9 million views
Movie trailer of the year
Suicide Squad (1/19/16)
78 million cross-platform views
Facebook Live video
It’s the simple joys in life (5/19/2016)
162 Million views
Most popular children’s content on YouTube
Huge Eggs Surprise Toy Challenge (4/13/2016)
392 Million views
Facebook page/star of the year
251 million followers
118 million Facebook followers
In 2016
110 Facebook videos
415 million views
Most watched video: https://www.facebook.com/video
.php?v=10154793974577164 (11.1 M views) Facebook video of the year
Best Friends! (8/28/16)
239 Million views
News moment of the year
Trump Supporters are as DUMB as you think! (9/21/2016)
95.5 Million views
Social impact video
Syrian Town Starving to Death (1/6/16)
65 Million views
Cutest baby video
Baby kitten checkup (5/20/2016)
152.8 million views
Fail of the Year
Bad baby Victoria cut Annabelle hair (7/27/16)
164 million views
Vlogger Video of the Year
Disney Princess Pool Party (4/15/16)
115 million views
Animal video of the year
It’s impossible to resist their cuteness (1/6/16)
89.3 million views
Mannequin challenge
Dogs Win the Mannequin Challenge (11/21/16)
45 million views
YouTube star of the year
79 million cross-platform followers
49 million YT followers
In 2016
3,024 YT videos
14.3 billion views
Most watched video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gRyPjRrjS34 (75M views) Music video of the year
Gnash, I hate you, I love you (4/6/15)
190 million views
International video
Hasta el Amanecer (1/14/16)
878 million views
Prank of the year
Logan Paul – Pokemon Go (7/20/16)
63.1 million views
Music video parody of the year
Love Yourself parody (1/31/16)
18.9 million views
Most discussed YouTube topic of the year
Minecraft
12.2 million videos
43 billion views
2.6 million creators
Cover of the Year
P!nk Covering Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time (1/27/16)
30.1 million views
Wedding proposal of the year
Will you marry me (9/4/16)
5.7 million views