The 2007 YouTube Awards used seven categories. YouTube created the promotion to recognize notable user-generated videos from the site’s rapidly growing early period.
The seven categories were Most Creative, Most Inspirational, Best Series, Best Comedy Video, Best Music Video, Best Commentary, and Most Adorable. YouTube staff selected ten videos for each category, after which users ranked the nominees through a dedicated voting page.
Voting opened on March 19, 2007, lasted five days, and the winners were announced on March 25. The winners received a glass Play Button trophy on a metal base, along with prominent exposure for their videos on YouTube. The format reflected the platform’s early community-driven culture: staff created the shortlists, but users chose the winners.
The number seven applies specifically to the first, 2007 awards. The event returned in 2008 with twelve categories, which is the source of a frequent mix-up. The 2008 ceremony recognized videos from 2007, but it was a separate awards cycle with an expanded category list.