Music is a major part of the YouTube community, so it’s no surprise that musicians are taking a major part in The Streamys.
At the event to honor the year’s best and brightest of digital video, viewers will be wowed with a who’s who of musicians, including new breakout stars like OMI, and legacy acts like Sir Mix-A-Lot. Rapper Future will also perform, marking the television debut of his latest single, “March Madness.”
While last year the musical performances at the event tended toward the homegrown YouTube fare like Pentatonix and Postmodern Jukebox, this year the inclusion of VH1 into the mix and a televised event has drawn in names whose origin stories are not solely from the YouTube community. Other performers include Hailee Steinfeld and A Great Big World featuring Futuristic. However, Assaf Blecher, VP of programming and development for Dick Clark Productions, which puts on The Streamys, told the Daily Dot that each performer would have a connection to the digital world, citing Future’s “March Madness” performance as a clear example.
“It’s based on the events that happened in Ferguson and Baltimore,” Blecher said. “You’ll see it in the show, it’s all based on the people who were on the streets and covered the song on their phones. That made this a topical conversation.It’s going to be a combination of mainstream together with the online community that’s going to be show on the screen. It’s going to be an amazing moment.”
The event will air Sept 17 on VH1, hosted by vloggers Grace Helbig and Tyler Oakley. Ten awards will be televised, with the others awarded at a small event at YouTube Space prior to Thursday.
Photo via The Streamys