It’s wonderful to be here in Cannes, recognizing the latest in creative storytelling and innovation. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate YouTube’s 20th birthday.

It all began with a 19-second video: “Me at the Zoo.” Then, pioneers like iJustine, Smosh and Philip DeFranco started uploading and solidified “creator” as a dream job for millions around the world.

Video by video, creator by creator, YouTube became a driving force in culture. A place where trends are born, movements are ignited, and creativity is constantly redefined. Anyone with an idea — whether an individual, artist, studio, or brand — can become a creator here.

Today, YouTube is THE epicenter of culture. I’m not talking about forgettable fads or one-hit-wonders we scroll right past. I mean culture with a capital “C.” The place where day after day, year after year, the events, conversations and voices that define the moment break through and leave their mark.

But today isn’t just about celebrating the last 20 years, it’s about casting our vision for the next 20 — and why I believe the next revolution in creativity and brand building will be made on YouTube.

At YouTube, creators have been captivating us since the beginning. In the early days, they uploaded grainy, unscripted videos from their bedrooms. They honed their craft, built communities, and spawned a new creative class.

Today, creators are the startups of Hollywood.

Like most startups, these creators are reimagining the industry that inspired them and creating new jobs for writers, editors, actors and producers. Some are even building state-of-the-art studios.

Take Inoxtag, a creator here in France, who wanted the world to see him climb Mount Everest. He assembled a full crew — screenwriters,, graphic artists, and a lead director.

Last year, his debut documentary, Kaizen, premiered in both cinemas across the country and on YouTube, where it racked up 17 million views in less than 48 hours.

Now these creators  are coming to the biggest screen in the house – the television. Viewers now watch over one billion hours of YouTube on their TVs every day… And for more than half of the top 100 most watched YouTube channels in the world, TV is their most watched screen.

With these audiences in mind, creators are serializing their shows and releasing them in HD, like The Broski Report, a weekly show celebrating pop culture.

Creators are pioneering the new TV… and it doesn’t look like the old TV.

When viewers tune in, they want to watch what matters to them, unconstrained by format, genre or style.

They want to experience the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, then watch past music performances by their favorite artists. They want to livestream the Cannes Film Festival alongside creators’ red carpet reactions and Palme D’or predictions. They want to watch highlights of the U.S. and France Olympic basketball matchup, followed by a two-hour podcast with a breakdown from NBA legends.

And let’s talk about podcasts, one of the most relevant formats driving culture today. On YouTube alone, one billion viewers are watching podcasts every month.

Rotten Mango, hosted by creator Stephanie Soo, gained over 2 million new subscribers in just a year after she began incorporating video. She’s now topping our new weekly YouTube podcast charts.

Creators clearly have huge cultural power… backed by the relationships they build with their communities of ride-or-die fans. These fandoms don’t just follow culture, they shape it.

And rather than just watching a video, fans put their own unique spin on it. Last fall, Glitch dropped the animated dark comedy series, The Amazing Digital Circus. The pilot episode alone racked up over 300 million views. But the response from fans went even more viral. The songs, memes and spinoff content they created about the show collectively generated 25 billion views.

Fandom itself is becoming a form of creative expression — everything from reaction videos to fan art and more. And one of the easiest ways to jump in is through short form video.

At YouTube, we’re seeing a huge uptick in the amount of people creating — and watching — Shorts.

Today, I’m excited to share a new milestone: YouTube Shorts are now averaging over 200 billion daily views!

One last, critical point about these communities of fans: they don’t just exist online. Fandoms that start on YouTube drive culture in the real world.

In 2013, a group of creators came together over a shared love of gaming, calling themselves the Sidemen. Today, they’re one of YouTube’s largest collectives with more than 150 million subscribers across their channels.

They’ve created their own merchandise lines, opened a physical store, established a fast-food chain, and more. Every year, they compete against other creators in the Sidemen Charity Match. This year, they sold out Wembley Stadium — just like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and BTS.

This explosion of creativity—from fan-made content to real-world moments—proves that fandom is no longer just about consumption; it’s a powerful force steering culture.

Now there’s another important way that creators are showing us what the future looks like: AI.

Like startups, creators are among the earliest adopters and fastest movers when it comes to cutting-edge technology.

I am incredibly excited by the potential of AI tools to empower human creativity.

We’re already seeing this on YouTube. Veo is Google Deepmind’s video generation model which lets you create AI-generated backgrounds and video clips for Shorts. We’ve put this model into the hands of creators with Dream Screen. Last month, Google announced the newest model: Veo 3, which vastly improves video quality and incorporates audio.

Today, I’m proud to share that Veo 3 will be coming to YouTube Shorts later this summer.

I believe these tools will open new creative lanes for everyone to explore. But what’s even more exciting than what you see on the screen, is how AI is helping creatives behind the scenes.

Language, for example, is one of the biggest barriers to growing a global audience. Our Auto Dubbing feature already translates videos across 9 different languages with 11 more coming soon, and dramatically increases the potential audiences a creator or brand can reach.

In the six months since creators started using this feature, we’ve already dubbed more than 20 million videos using AI.

The possibilities with AI are limitless.

A lot can change in a generation. Entertainment itself has changed more in the last two decades than any other time in history. Creators led this revolution.

My bet for the next 20 years? Creators will flip formats, blend genres, and push deeper into the mainstream — as brand ambassadors, big business ventures and visionary storytellers. Communities will continue to surprise us with the power of their collective fandom. And cutting-edge AI technology will push the limits of human creativity.

My biggest bet is that YouTube will continue to be the stage where it all happens. Where anyone with a story to share can turn their dream into a career… and anyone with a voice can bring people together and change the world.

Thanks for being a part of this journey with us.

It was another electrifying night on Nigerian Idol Season 10 as fans were treated to a night of powerhouse vocals, dynamic choreography, and emotional highs. With the theme set to bring out the performers’ star power, the show proved once again why it remains the ultimate stage for discovering Nigeria’s next music sensation.

The night kicked off with a stunning performance of Ric Hassani’s “Moving Train (Isokuso)”, accompanied by a vibrant dance ensemble that immediately set the tone. Host IK Osakioduwa, as always, kept the momentum going promising even bigger moments ahead. He  welcomed the all-star judging panel, returning judges Ric Hassani, Iyanya, and Omawumi were joined by iconic dancer and choreographer Dr. Kaffy, who brought a fresh perspective and high expectations as the guest judge for the night.

In true Idol fashion, the elimination segment was full of suspense. IK teased Mikki and Lawrence with the judges’ comments before announcing their safety. Purp also made it through after some playful build-up. Raymu’s last performance had won hearts, and IK confirmed he was safe as well , which left Kristopher and Brammy in the bottom two.

With a recap of the judges’ previous feedback still fresh in everyone’s mind, the tension peaked as IK finally delivered the verdict that Kristopher was the one leaving the competition. In Kristopher’s exit speech, he remained composed and said “I’m grateful for the whole experience, I stayed true to my artistry throughout, and it doesn’t end here for me.”

Here’s How the Top 5 Performed:

Mikki performs “Spirit” by Beyoncé

Opening the night with a bang, Mikki delivered a performance full of soul, movement, and vocal power. His choreography was bold, and his voice carried conviction. Ric was deeply impressed and said “This song is called ‘Spirit,’ and we all felt your spirit, that was fantastic.”

Raymu performs “Titanium” by Sia

With breathtaking vocal control and seamless choreography, Raymu turned in one of his strongest performances yet. His control and emotional delivery added layers to the song that resonated with the audience and got applauded by all four judges.

Lawrence performs “Black or White” by Michael Jackson

Lawrence embraced the legend’s energy with a thrilling stage performance. He sang, danced, and had the crowd completely engaged. The judges applauded his confidence and range.

Purp performs “Respect” by Aretha Franklin

Purp channeled the Queen of Soul with power and poise. Her performance was theatrical and vocally strong, earning her rave reviews. Ric said: “This was absolutely flawless,” while Kaffy added: “I’m proud of you, Purp.”

Brammy performs “Yeah 3x” by Chris Brown

Brammy brought the house down with an explosive, dance-packed performance. From acrobatic stunts to crisp vocals, he gave it his all and left the audience screaming. All four judges loved it and he proved once again why he’s still in the competition.

As the show drew to a close, IK gave special shoutouts to the judges for their consistent guidance, to Dr. Kaffy for her impactful mentorship throughout the week, and to the Top 5 contestants for stepping out of their comfort zones and putting on a truly memorable show.

The judges reflected on the night, praising the contestants for embracing growth, bringing boldness to the stage, and finally coming into their own as full performers and not just singers. To wrap up the night, Kristopher returned to the stage for a farewell performance of “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. It was bold, confident, and a strong reminder of his growth throughout the competition. The judges praised his artistry one final time, commending him for staying true to himself.

The Top 5 are bringing their A-game, but only the audience can decide who moves forward, fans are encouraged to vote on the Africa Magic website at www.dstv.com/africamagic/en-ng/show/nigerian-idol or download the MyDStv or MyGOtv apps from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Catch Nigerian Idol every Sunday at 7 PM on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Ch. 151, GOtv Ch. 8), Africa Magic Family (DStv Ch. 154, GOtv Ch. 7), or stream live on GOtv & DStv Stream apps and also on Showmax. Stay plugged in because GOtv has got you covered from now until July 31st, simply reconnect or renew your subscription and enjoy an automatic upgrade to a higher bouquet at no extra cost.

As the countdown to Big Brother Naija Season 10 begins, the spotlight turns back to the Season 9 housemates, who once moved like a close-knit family, careful not to step on any toes. But as time passed and the cameras stopped rolling, the masks slipped. Since leaving Biggie’s house, cracks have surfaced, friendships have fractured, and so-called family ties have been tested. Now, the drama is making a grand return with the official BBNaija ‘No Loose Guard’ Reunion Show, premiering June 23, 2025.

Hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the king of sleek suits and savage questions, this reunion will not hold back. Ebuka will lead the housemates through a tell-all journey, revisiting the most talked-about highlights from the 2024 edition that crowned Kellyrae as winner.

From spicy situationships, love triangles, silent beefs, and unspoken betrayals to social media shade and post-show glow-ups, the reunion will dive deep into everything that happened during and after their time in Biggie’s house. Whether you’re still rooting for your faves or waiting for long-overdue apologies, this is the TV moment you’ve been waiting for.

The BBNaija Reunion isn’t just about rehashing old fights. It’s about closure, growth, reflection, and unfiltered drama. It’s a chance to get the real story behind the story, straight from the housemates themselves. Think back to the heated fights, the fan-favorite friendships, the wild parties, the unexpected twists, and the moments that made social media explode. Already, the conversation online is heating up based on trending sneak peek videos, as fans speculate about who will clash, who will reconcile, and who will be the most chaotic.

The No Loose Guard housemates are ready to speak their truth. Are you ready to hear it?. Don’t miss the BBNaija Reunion kicking off this Monday at 10pm on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Ch. 151, GOtv Ch. 8) and Africa Magic Family (DStv Ch. 154, GOtv Ch. 7). You can also stream it live on the GOtv and DStv Stream apps or catch all the drama on Showmax.

Now is also the perfect time to stay plugged in, because GOtv has got you covered. From now until July 31st, simply reconnect or renew your subscription and enjoy an automatic upgrade to a higher bouquet at no extra cost.