2021’s Top YouTube Videos had Canadians laughing, learning, Minecrafting and singing

As Canadians navigated their way through the ongoing pandemic and the country's gradual reopening, they turned to YouTube to connect with the world, gain new skills and share their passions. 

This year's Top Canadian Creators, Top Breakout Creators and Shorts Rising Stars were all about comedy and learning. Breakthrough creators Kallmekris and Jeenie.Weenie found ways to make us laugh, while NileRed brought out our inquisitive side as we learned about all the ways that chemistry is cool. And many Canadians wanted to brush up on their English language skills turning to ENGLISH with James to get them there. Our love for Minecraft became apparent as aCookieGod and MrFudgeMonkeyz dug, built, and crafted their own virtual worlds for millions of viewers.






 Top Canadian Creators

  1. Kallmekris

  2. Linus Tech Tips

  3. MadFit

  4. aCookieGod

  5. NileRed





Top Canadian Breakout Creators

  1. Kallmekris

  2. aCookieGod

  3. Girl With The Dogs

  4. ENGLISH with James - engVid

  5. Jason Fung





Canadian Shorts Creators - Rising Stars

  1. Jeenie.Weenie

  2. Chris Ramsay

  3. NileRed Shorts

  4. Luke davidson

  5. MrFudgeMonkeyz



When it came to Top Trending Videos, we saw viewers were hungry for excitement and a thrill after being cooped up at home, turning to creators like MrBeast who spent 50 hours buried underground in a glass coffin (not for the claustrophobic!) as one of his many elaborate stunts. We laughed together as we categorized our friends into game night stereotypes, sobbed together while rooting for Nightbirde, and collectively spent an afternoon with royalty sipping tea on top of an open bus through LA.



Top Trending Videos in Canada

  1. MrBeast, I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive

  2. Mark Rober, Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who gets arrested) 

  3. Dream, Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters 

  4. Sidemen, SIDEMEN TINDER IN REAL LIFE 3 

  5. NFL, The Weeknd's FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show 

  6. The Late Late Show with James Corden, An Afternoon with Prince Harry & James Corden 

  7. America's Got Talent, Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde's Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional

  8. Forge Labs, I Spent 100 Days in a Zombie Apocalypse in Minecraft ... Here's What Happened 

  9. Dude Perfect, Game Night Stereotypes 

  10. SAD-ist, Hog Hunt | Dream SMP Animation 



In Music, 2021 was the Year of The Weeknd and Justin Bieber, with both homegrown Canadian music superstars releasing top hits ranking high on the list. The Weeknd dropped his darkly comedic new video for Save Your Tears, during which he delivers a performance to a masked audience and we jammed along to Bieber's chart-topping, neon technicolor sensation “ Peaches,” featuring Canadian-talent Daniel Caesar and Giveon . Both songs were part of a soundtrack of swoon-worthy songs that Canadians had on repeat this year. From Bruno Mars to Doja Cat, you could say some of these tracks were smooth as Butter.


Olivia Rodrigo had a breakout year, and brought home the # 4 and # 5 spots as a heartbroken teen who finally gets their drivers license and as a cheerleader exacting revenge in good 4 u.

Top Music Videos in Canada


  1. TheWeekndVEVO, The Weeknd - Save Your Tears (Official Music Video) 

  2. JustinBieberVEVO, Justin Bieber - Peaches ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon 

  3. LilNasXVEVO, Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) (Official Video) 

  4. OliviaRodrigoVEVO, Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Official Video) 

  5. OliviaRodrigoVEVO, Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u (Official Video) 

  6. HYBE LABELS, BTS (방탄 소년단) 'Butter' Official MV 

  7. Bruno Mars, Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open [Official Video] 

  8. Pooh Shiesty, Pooh Shiesty - Back In Blood (feat. Lil Durk) [Official Music Video] 

  9. dojacatVEVO, Doja Cat - Kiss Me More (Official Video) ft. SZA 

  10. PoloGVEVO, Polo G - RAPSTAR (Official Video)



Congratulations and thank you to all the creators that helped bring joy and entertainment to Canadians this year. Want to learn more about the creators and videos that made this year's top lists? Head to the Culture & Trends site, where you can find all the global moments that defined 2021.