The You Generation

Last updated
The You Generation
The You Generation.jpg
GenreEntertainment
Created by Simon Cowell
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Production
Production companies YouTube, Base79, Syco Entertainment [1]
Release
Original network YouTube
Original release20 March 2013 (2013-03-20) [2]  
2014 (2014)

The You Generation is an online video-sharing competition launched by Simon Cowell in partnership with YouTube. It comprises a series of themed competitions where contestants can upload videos to win prizes. A new contest runs every two weeks with a grand prize at the end of the year. It was launched in 2013 featuring an interview with British boy band One Direction.

Contents

Creation

According to Cowell, The You Generation was created because "YouTube is the biggest video channel in the world, but real stars can get lost in the mix because there are more than 72 hours of footage uploaded every minute." [3] The channel was started to search for "unconventional" and "original" people with "outstanding skills." [4]

The Competition

The You Generation consists of a series of themed competitions where contestants can compete to win a cash prize. [5] The You Generation is available in 15 languages and 26 countries. [6] A new contest runs every two weeks for a prize of $2000. The grand prize, to be awarded at the end of the year is $75,000. [7] [8] The contests are centred on themes like "male vocalist," "impressionist" or "stylist."

In 2014 Make-up Artist Joseph Harwood won the competition.

The Channel

The You Generation YouTube Channel was launched in 2013 with a livestreamed interview of British boy band One Direction. [9] [10] Since then, celebrities such as Kimberly Wyatt and Demi Lovato have been featured on the channel.

The channel was created as a part of the YouTube Original Channels Initiative. [11] As of August 2013, the channel has over 450,000 subscribers and 8 million all time views. [12]

NÜKO were responsible for the design of the channel. According to NÜKO associate director Emily Torjussen "They wanted something quite different, so it wasn’t to look like the X-Factor, as it isn’t on television, and it also needed to encourage participatory involvement. It’s playing on the idea of the audience building their own world of talent and has an almost home made look – stylish but not too perfect." [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Cowell</span> English reality television judge, television producer and music executive

Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the founder and sole owner of the British entertainment company Syco and is the creator of the The X Factor and Got Talent franchises. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent (2007–present), and the American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013) and America's Got Talent (2016–present).

<i>Pop Idol</i> British music competition television series

Pop Idol is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer in the UK based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast, one in 2001–2002 and a second in 2003. An immense success when it launched in 2001, Maggie Brown in The Guardian wrote, "the show became a seminal reality/entertainment format once on air that autumn". Series judge Simon Cowell became a major public figure in entertainment, and the show produced instant No. 1 chart hits, including for the first series winner Will Young, whose single "Evergreen" was the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history and the best-selling song of 2002. Pop Idol was subsequently put on an indefinite hiatus after Simon Cowell announced the launch of The X Factor in the UK in April 2004.

<i>Idol</i> (franchise) Reality television music competition format

Idol is a reality television singing competition format created by British television producer Simon Fuller and developed by Fremantle. The format began in 2001 with the British television series Pop Idol; its first adaptation was the Polish series Idol in 2002. It has since become the world's most widely watched television franchise, as well as one of the most successful entertainment formats, adapted in over 56 regions around the world, with its various versions broadcast to 150 countries with a worldwide audience of roughly 3.2 billion people. The franchise has generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue.

<i>The X Factor</i> (British series 3) British TV series

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The third series was broadcast on ITV from 19 August 2006 until 16 December 2006. Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell all returned for their third series on the judging panel. Kate Thornton returned to present the main show on ITV, while Ben Shephard returned to present spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2. After the semi-final on 9 December, Cowell became the winning judge even though the series had not yet finished, as two of his acts, Ray Quinn and Leona Lewis, became the two finalists. Lewis won the series on 16 December, with Quinn finishing as runner-up.

<i>Britains Got Talent</i> Televised British talent competition

Britain's Got Talent is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, it is produced by both Thames and Syco Entertainment, distributed by Fremantle, and broadcast on ITV every year in late Spring to early Summer. The show was originally intended for production in 2005, but filming was suspended in the wake of a dispute between ITV and the programme's originally planned host. Following the success of America's Got Talent that year, production resumed and the programme eventually premiered on 9 June 2007.

<i>The X Factor</i> (British series 4) British TV series

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The fourth series was broadcast on ITV from 18 August 2007 and was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007, with Rhydian Roberts finishing as the runner-up and Dannii Minogue emerging as the winning mentor. Dermot O'Leary presented for the first time, replacing Kate Thornton, who had been presenting the show since series 1 in 2004. Fearne Cotton replaced Ben Shephard as presenter on the spin-off show The Xtra Factor. The original judging panel consisted of Simon Cowell, Minogue, Sharon Osbourne and Brian Friedman. Friedman left the panel halfway through the first audition episode and was replaced by former judge Louis Walsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syco Entertainment</span> British entertainment company

Syco Entertainment is a British media entertainment company, headquartered in London, founded and owned by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. The company focuses on TV production. The company was formed in 2005 through Sony Music Entertainment entering a joint venture by purchasing Cowell's shares of his record label S Records and television company Syco Television. In 2009, Sony and Cowell entered a joint venture agreement that covered the joint ownership of Syco's television formats, which include the Got Talent and The X Factor franchises. Until 2020, the company operated high-profile television and music projects with Sony Music labels around the world and television production company Fremantle. It employs a staff of more than 50 in offices in London and Los Angeles, and manages a string of high-profile television and music brands through partnerships with the label Sony Music and the television production company.

<i>The X Factor</i> International television franchise

The X Factor is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol (2001–2003), and has been adapted in various countries. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.

<i>The X Factor</i> (British TV series) British reality television music competition

The X Factor is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Talkback Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulcast on Virgin Media One in Ireland. The programme ran for around 445 episodes across fifteen series, each one primarily broadcast late in the year, until its final episode in December 2018. The majority of episodes were presented by Dermot O'Leary, with some exceptions: the first three series were hosted by Kate Thornton; while Caroline Flack and Olly Murs hosted the show for the twelfth series.

Syco Music, originally S Records, was a division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Founded in 2002, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music releases by Robson & Jerome, Five, Westlife and Teletubbies. A year later, BMG, now named Sony BMG, bought Cowell's share in both Syco Music and Syco Television. Later in 2010, Cowell and Sony Music entered a joint venture agreement that would see Cowell and Sony each own 50% of the new Syco Entertainment company which encompassed both the previous Syco TV and Syco Music divisions. The brand had multiple well-known acts signed such as Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello, One Direction, Little Mix and CNCO. In July 2020, Sony sold the rights to the television formats and assets back to Cowell, effectively divesting all of Syco's non-music divisions. As part of the venture, Syco Music, its current roster and back catalog remains with Sony Music as a wholly owned subsidiary. However, as of September 2020, and according to industry magazine Music Week, the label is now defunct, with staff either leaving or being redeployed elsewhere within the Sony Music group.

<i>Got Talent</i> Television talent show franchise

Got Talent is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantle of the Idol and The X Factor formats. Unlike those shows, Got Talent showcases other artistic disciplines as well as singers.

The second and most recent series of British reality television show Pop Idol aired on ITV on from 13 September to 20 December 2003. Michelle McManus was announced as the winner and received a £1 million recording contract to release her debut album. Ant & Dec returned to present the show on ITV, whilst Simon Cowell, Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman and Pete Waterman all returned as judges.

<i>Red or Black?</i> Television game show broadcast 2011

Red or Black? is a British television game show which was broadcast on ITV between 3 September 2011 and 29 September 2012.

<i>The X Factor</i> (American TV series) American reality television music competition

The X Factor is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on the original UK show, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, the series found new singing talent, drawn from public auditions, and they competed against each other for votes. The winner is determined by the show's viewers via telephone, the Internet, and SMS text voting, and is awarded a recording contract with Cowell's record label Syco Music, worth $5 million in seasons one and two, and $1 million in season three. America voted for the following winners: Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens, and Alex & Sierra, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simone Battle</span> American singer (1989–2014)

Simone Sherise Battle was an American singer, dancer and actress. She was a finalist on The X Factor in 2011 and a member of the girl group G.R.L. from 2012 until her death in 2014. The group was best known for their singles "Vacation", "Ugly Heart" and "Wild Wild Love" with Pitbull. Following her death, the group dedicated their single "Lighthouse" to Battle.

<i>The X Factor</i> (American season 3) Season of television series

The third and final season of the American music competition television show The X Factor premiered on Fox on September 11, 2013, and ended on December 19, 2013. This season was hosted by Mario Lopez. Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato returned to the judging panel, while Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio joined the panel as replacements for the departing judges.

<i>Pakistan Idol</i> Pakistani reality singing competition

Pakistan Idol was a Pakistani reality singing competition that was a part of the Idols franchise created by Simon Fuller and owned by 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It was the 50th adaptation of the familiar reality competition format introduced in the British series Pop Idol in 2001. It is developed for the Pakistani entertainment market by Geo TV.

<i>The X Factor</i> (British series 11) British TV competition

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eleventh series began airing on ITV on 30 August 2014 and finished on 14 December 2014. Dermot O'Leary presented his eighth series of the main show on ITV and Sarah-Jane Crawford presented spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2, replacing Caroline Flack and Matt Richardson. Louis Walsh was the only judge from series 10 to return and was joined by former judges Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Simon Cowell, and new judge Mel B, who replaced Sharon Osbourne, Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger. Former judge Tulisa returned as a guest judge for the final on 13 December due to Mel B being ill. The series also saw the lower age limit decreased from 16 to 14, as it was in series 4 and 5. This was Walsh's final series as a judge before returning in series 13. It was O'Leary's final series as presenter on the main show, as he announced on 27 March 2015 that he was leaving to pursue other projects, before returning in series 13. On 11 May, Crawford also confirmed via Twitter that she would leave her position as The Xtra Factor presenter.

<i>The X Factor: Celebrity</i> 2019 celebrity edition of The X Factor

The X Factor: Celebrity is a British celebrity special edition of The X Factor which premiered on 12 October 2019 on ITV. It is a revamped version of the 2006 celebrity format The X Factor: Battle of the Stars. Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh judged this series, with Dermot O'Leary presenting the series and Vick Hope hosting Xtra Bites on YouTube.

Joseph (Jojo) Harwood is a British model, artist and social media personality, best known for being the first ever transgender person to win a reality based talent competition, Simon Cowell’s the You Generation Competition.

References

  1. Shaw, Lucas. "How Can YouTube Partners Make More Money? Ask Base79". The Wrap. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  2. Busis, Hillary. "Simon Cowell's 'You Generation' launches today -- VIDEO". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  3. Burke, Elaine. "Simon Cowell brings his talent show format to YouTube with The You Generation". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  4. Walker, Louisa. "Simon Cowell Launches The You Generation". 4Music. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  5. "Simon Cowell launches global talent search The You Generation". Metro. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  6. "Simon Cowell, You Tube Launching 'The You Generation' Online Talent Contest". Billboard Biz. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  7. "Simon Cowell, YouTube Launching 'The You Generation' Talent Contest". Hollywood Reporter. March 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  8. "Cowell targets YouTube stars in new talent quest". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  9. BARNES, ANTHONY (28 February 2013). "The You Generation: Simon Cowell launches year-long global talent hunt via YouTube" . Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  10. Welch, Chris (20 March 2013). "Simon Cowell and YouTube launch 'The You Generation' global talent competition". The Verge. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  11. "YouTube Original Channels". YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  12. "You Generation". YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  13. Banks, Tom. "NÜKO creates look for Simon Cowell's The You Generation". Design Week. Retrieved 23 August 2013.