YouTube explains why there won’t be a Rewind this year

From 2010 onward, YouTube has celebrated its most viral moments and top creators with a special showcase at the end of every year — but it doesn’t look like 2020 will be getting a YouTube Rewind this go around.

Ever since 2018, YouTube Rewind has been met with some controversy; what used to be a recognition of the platform’s best videos and up-and-coming content creators became a popularity contest in the eyes of fans, which left out many important moments of the year (such as the Logan Paul vs KSI boxing match, among others).

That year, YouTube Rewind became the most disliked video on the platform, garnering over 10 million dislikes in the first two weeks — and while YouTube drastically changed its formula for 2019, it seems that 2020 won’t be receiving a Rewind, at all.

No YouTube Rewind 2020

In a tweet on November 12, YouTube revealed that 2020 will be the year without a Rewind, claiming that it doesn’t feel appropriate to celebrate their content after such a difficult time for just about everyone around the world.

“2020 has been different,” the platform stated. “It doesn’t feel right to carry on as if it weren’t. So, we’re taking a break from Rewind this year.”

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“We know that so much of the good that did happen in 2020 was created by all of you. You’ve found ways to lift people up, help them cope, and make them laugh. You made a hard year genuinely better. Thank you for making a difference.”

Although it’s highly probable that YouTube didn’t feel safe gathering a bunch of influencers together for a project, still others suggest the site could have gone with last year’s video compilation route, completely nixing the need for an on-location shoot, altogether.

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Thus far, it seems that YouTube’s announcement has sparked controversy among fans, with many feeling that now is the best time to recognize the site’s positive content and uplift its users.

Despite their wants, it doesn’t look like 2020 is getting the star treatment of other years in the past, leaving many anxious regarding the future of the site’s long-held annual tradition.