2015 was a big year for #TeamInternet. As we near the finish line, it’s time to take a look back at the 365 days behind us…
Last week, we spoke to a few of our favourite YouTubers about their favourite holiday traditions. This week, we ask them to reflect on the year they’ve had, what’s on the horizon for 2016, and to recommend a YouTuber they can’t get enough of.
Beckii Cruel
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
I am loving Charles Gross! He’s this vlogger who lives in New York, and he’s really started blowing up these past few weeks, I’m so happy for him! He’s a great storyteller, and even when our lives and circumstances are so different, he manages to make incredibly funny and relatable content, which I really appreciate.
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
What can we expect from you in 2016?
Sammy Paul
Sammy as Daniel J. Layton
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
Alfie Deyes. Discovering his February hit Trying More American Candy was a real turning point in my life.
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
That a tough one, it’s certainly been a busy year. I released Blue Sushi, Rocks That Bleed, The Fleeting Little Life of Peter Wright and SEPTEM (all of which I had the honour of co-writing and co-directing with Bertie [Gilbert], Tim [Hautekiet] and Hazel [Hayes]).
I completed a number of sketches, a vlog series and a short documentary about childhood. Oh and I got merit on my MA at UCL. But no, overall I think I’d have to say my proudest moment of 2015 was winning first place on TenEighty’s best Halloween costumes for my creepily accurate rendition of Daniel J. Layton (an article that will no doubt be hyper-linked within this very answer).
What can we expect from you in 2016?
Biting sarcasm, healthy scepticism, and possibly a feature film.
Daniel J. Layton
Baking with Layton ft. the Fratocrats
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
I’m gonna cheat a bit with this one – I didn’t technically discover them this year, but the Fratocrats have re-energised their channel, and they deserve so much more attention than they get. They’re hilarious, work fantastically hard and are two of the best people I know. Subscribe to them. Now.
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
I’m just really glad that I decided to give YouTube another go and stick to it. I’d kind of given up on my channel midway through last year. In the last half of 2015, I’ve been uploading a new video every week… I really hate giving myself credit, but I’m quite proud of that, actually!
What can we expect from you in 2016?
I have a plethora of wishes for 2016 (*cough*DanielJForPlaylistLive*cough*) but I’ve got two at the forefront of my mind right now. Music – I want pyro and a Janet Jackson mic at SitC this year. Also a certain set of 12 pretentious roundups throughout the year. Watch this space, I guess!
Jacob and Mike Trueman
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
M: Owyn & Co. He makes a show called Dicktionary that’s always well written and performed.
J: He’s got puppets and everything.
Mike reaching into The Box Of Infinite Unsettling Possibilities on TwinJoke
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
M: Jacob’s is probably when he made me fondle a skinned decapitated lamb’s head on the second episode of TwinJoke.
J: I was gonna say moving into our own flat but yeah that was actually pretty funny.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
J: A new series of TwinJoke with new segments and hopefully better production values.
M: Also sketches, green screen, and collaboration with people way more popular than us.
Lucy Moon
Lucy’s tea announcement!
Ana Marta is HUGELY talented and although her following is growing, I wish it was bigger! Additionally, I always sing the praises of Ellis [Anastasiades] when TenEighty asked me to write about small YouTubers. He’s just so talented!
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
Proudest moment of 2015… Probably when I passed my second year of university. Or maybe when I made the Night Owl tea blend. Or perhaps when a close friend of mine told me I’d be a great mum.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
Well I’m going to graduate, which could mean a wealth of great videos or a struggling view count as I desperately seek employment after June. I’m hoping to make more music, more university videos and more vlogs. And sell the rest of my tea, which is currently sitting in my bedroom at home. Eek!
Riyadh Khalaf
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
It has to be Calum McSwiggan. He is one of the hardest-working creators I know, and manages to do it all with a full-time job and other projects on the go at the same time. Not only do I admire his channel but he has also been a great support and encouragement to me.
We have become quite close friends in the few months we’ve known each other. He deserves a massive following because he manages to make seriously great videos about LGBT rights but also manages to be funny, full of personality and completely ego-free. Love the guy!
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
Riyadh giving a public talk
I have a couple, is that allowed?
My first one was when I used my channel as a platform to campaign for same-sex marriage in Ireland. I made a very personal and raw video telling my story and calling for a ‘yes’ vote. Through my channel I then appeared live on NBC, CNN, and [the] BBC publicly calling for people to vote, and my family became one of the faces of the whole campaign. When the vote passed, and I knew we had been even a tiny part of that change, was the proudest moment of my life.
The other moment was, in six months, growing my channel from 2k subscribers to almost 100k. I had a vision, a goal and a few good ideas. These mixed with good luck and timing have made my dream come true. I am still in shock and so thankful. I love being a creator and all the amazing people it’s brought into my life.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
2016 is going to be a big year for me. I’m leaving Ireland and moving to London with fellow Irish YouTuber Melanie Murphy. We have a huge drive to really hit the ground running and film a load of collabs with the London YouTube crew.
In 2016, I plan to try my hand at comedic dance music and videos. It’s something that makes me shake with excitement even as I write this. I seriously wan to create some hilarious yet banging tracks that I can perform live at events. It may end up being sh*t but I’m definitely going to try.
I also plan to make some really original short documentary-type videos on all sorts of issues using psychology, social experiments and putting myself in danger at times. It’s going to be a great year!
Hannah Witton
Hannah on the red carpet at Buffer Festival
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
I discovered Megan MacKay this year. She’s a Canadian YouTuber and talks politics and feminism, amongst other things, and often does it with a comedic/satirical spin.
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
Oh man. Probably premiering content on the big screen at Buffer Festival. That was pretty spectacular.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
F**k knows. More sex education. More drunk videos. Maybe a TV show. Maybe a book. We’ll see!
Niki and Sammy Albon
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
S: I’m really late to the party, but I’ve just discovered Natalie Tran. She’s hilarious! She needs more of a UK audience o she can come over and visit!
N: I introduced him to her, so…
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
Niki and Sammy At The Movies
N: 2015 has been a roller-coaster year for us and our channel. We’ve crammed so much in without even realising!
S: Apart from attending a bunch of conventions across Europe and the US, and taking the opportunity to meet as many of our amazing subscribers as possible, we’re super proud of our #NikiNSammyAtTheMovies playlist. We’ve had the opportunity to interview some really incredible stars – Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, and James McAvoy to name a few.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
S: We’re very excited for 2016 – you’re going to see a more personal side to NikiNSammy and we’re going to invite our audience into our lives a little bit more.
N: Basically, expect everything because 2016 is our year and we’re going to be flying the flag for #TeamInternet any chance we get.
S: Plus, we’re going to be doing just as much exciting stuff off our channel as we did in 2015!
Melanie Murphy
Melanie’s #bestnine Instagram posts from 2015
Name one YouTuber you discovered this year, and why you think they deserve a bigger reach.
One YouTuber I discovered this year is Connor Manning – he’s fecking wonderful! He’s super consistent, his editing is snappy and he’s got a really great on-camera personality. He’s very intelligent and relatable. I LOVE that he delves into topics that many people are too afraid to touch!
What is your proudest moment of 2015?
That’s tough! So much incredible stuff happened this year. I hosted a chat show in LA, worked on few documentaries, I was heavily involved with charity campaigns… the entire year was a ‘pinch myself’ moment! I think though, the fact that I got the chance to speak on the mental health panel at Summer in the City alongside people who inspire me really meant a lot to me! Probably that. Absolutely that.
What can we expect from you in 2016?
Well the plan right now is for myself and my good YouTuber friend Riyadh [Khalaf] to move overseas to London in January 2016! We’re both loving YouTube and the community so much that we both really want to enjoy this while it lasts. So I’ll be working my arse off on my channel, I’ll be writing my first book full of advice for my viewers, and I’ve got several incredible things in the works that I can’t talk about yet (ugh, I HATE it when YouTubers say that!).
And that’s a wrap!
Still can’t believe Christmas and 2015 are almost over? Why not relive them through some of these articles:
- TenEighty’s Christmas Extravaganza 2015
- Five of the Best: Christmas Videos 2015
- TenEighty Does Christmas Ads
- YouTubers Do Star Wars Premiere
- 11 More Things #YouTubeFandomHonestyHour Taught Us
For updates follow @TenEightyUK on Twitter or like TenEighty UK on Facebook.
