by Google
YouTube Creator Awards, also known as YouTube Play Buttons, are awards that the YouTube platform gives to creators for reaching significant milestones in the number of subscribers. These awards serve not only as recognition for hard work and creativity, but also as a symbol of prestige and success within the YouTube community. Each award represents a specific level of growth achieved - from Silver to the rare Red Diamond Play Button. These Buttons are a great motivation for many YouTubers to build their audience.
How to get a YouTube Play Button?
The process of obtaining this award includes automatic review by YouTube and meeting specific conditions. Once you reach a certain number of subscribers (e.g. 100,000), YouTube will automatically start a review process for your channel. The goal is to verify that the channel meets all the criteria for the award. If your channel is approved, you should receive a notification in YouTube Studio within a week with a unique code to redeem your award.
Award requirements
To be eligible for the YouTube Play Button, your channel must meet the following criteria:
No serious violations - your channel should not have any active copyright or community guidelines strikes.
Quality content and organic growth - subscribers should be acquired naturally, without using unethical practices to artificially increase the number of subscribers.
Address and account verification - after approval of eligibility, you will receive a notification in YouTube Studio with a unique code to redeem the award. Use this code in the rewards redemption portal, where you enter your channel name and shipping address.
How do I request a Play Button if I don't get it automatically?
If you've reached the required number of subscribers but haven't received a notification in YouTube Studio, make sure your channel meets all of the requirements listed above. If you do meet the requirements and haven't received a notification within a reasonable amount of time, contact YouTube Support via the YouTube Help Center. There have been a few times when our partners haven't received their Play Button after reaching a milestone, but we managed to resolve it and they subsequently received their award.
What types of YouTube buttons are there?
Each award is visually different and reflects a level of success, with some being more common and others truly rare. While the silver and gold button are owned by thousands of creators, the higher levels are only available to a handful of YouTube's biggest stars. Below you will find an overview of all existing Play Buttons and the conditions for obtaining them.
1. Silver YouTube Button (Silver Play Button)
The Silver YouTube Button is the first award that creators can earn on the platform. It is awarded to channels that reach 100,000 subscribers, while their content must comply with YouTube's Community Guidelines. This award was introduced in 2012 and has become a symbol of success for emerging creators. Since it is the first official Play Button that many receive, they often use it to strengthen their reputation and motivate them for further growth. The design has changed over the years and we currently have the sixth version of the Silver YouTube Button. 
2. Gold YouTube Button (Gold Play Button)
Gold YouTube Button is the next level of the award and is awarded to creators who reach 1,000,000 subscribers. The material of this award is metal with a gold-plated surface, which gives it a luxurious look and prestige. This award is among the most coveted, but only a small percentage of YouTubers actually get it. Winning the Golden Play Button is often accompanied by special celebration videos in which creators share their joy and thank fans for their support.
There are also several creators on our Czechoslovak scene who own this award, such as Gogo, Moon, and now Asimister.
3. Diamond YouTube Button (Diamond Play Button)
The Diamond YouTube Button is an exclusive award that is awarded to channels that exceed 10 million subscribers. It has a unique design, it is made of acrylic glass with a metal YouTube logo placed in its center. YouTube first introduced it at VidCon in 2015, and since then, only a few hundred channels have earned it. Its holders include celebrities like PewDiePie, MrBeast, Markiplier, and others. 
4. Red Diamond YouTube Button (Red Diamond Play Button)
This is one of the most rare awards that YouTube gives to channels with 100 million subscribers. Its design is based on the Diamond Play Button, but in its center there is a red crystal, which gives it a unique look. This award was first presented in 2019 to PewDiePie and T-Series. It is a special award that YouTube does not award automatically, but to individually selected creators. Currently, there are only a few such awards, and their total number is limited.
5. Special Awards and Custom Play Buttons
YouTube also occasionally awards unique awards to creators who have achieved exceptional achievements. These awards do not have a fixed number of subscribers, as they are awarded on an individual basis.
20 Million Subscriber Award - so far there have been only two versions of this award. The first channel to receive this prestigious award was America’s Got Talent, and their Play Button had a red triangular design. The second recipient was Marvel in 2023, and their award was designed in the shape of Stark Tower. 
Ruby/Custom Play Button for 50 Million Subscribers - is a special award that YouTube gave to channels that reached 50 million subscribers. It was first introduced in 2016, with each awardee receiving a unique design tailored to their brand.
The first creator to win this award was PewDiePie in 2016. His Play Button was shaped like the "Brofist" logo, a nod to his brand. T-Series also won the award in 2018, with its version featuring a 3D diamond design with the T-Series logo in the center. A year later, in 2019, the Play Button was awarded to Canal KondZilla, which received a black circular design with a ruby element in the center.
In 2020, BLACKPINK also received the award, but this time YouTube presented four separate awards, one for each member of the group. However, Society Awards confirmed on their website that BLACKPINK's award is not the 50M Play Button, but a specially crafted award for their online concert "The Show."
A year later, in 2021, the award was presented to the Pinkfong channel, with its design being blue with a shark fin shape, referencing their megahit "Baby Shark". The same year, Aaj Tak, an Indian news channel, also won the award, with its Play Button designed as a large marble pillar with a pattern of triangles and the channel's logo.
Is MrBeast's 50 millionth YouTube Play Button real?
MrBeast once posted a photo of the award on Twitter with his logo and the caption "Presented to MrBeast for surpassing 50 million subscribers". However, this award was not given to him by YouTube, but by his friend, so technically, MrBeast does not have an official 50 millionth YouTube Play Button.
On the other hand, although it was not given to him by YouTube, it was made by Society Awards, the company behind all official YouTube awards. On their website, it is listed among the custom awards with his iconic logo. This means that although it is not officially approved by YouTube, it comes from the same manufacturer as the other Play Buttons. 
6. Custom 200M Award
The 200M Award was introduced in 2023 and there have been two versions of this award so far. The first channel to receive it was T-Series, the first to reach this milestone. Later, in 2024, MrBeast also received the same award, making him the first individual creator to surpass the 200 million subscriber mark.
What to do if you don't get a YouTube button?
Reaching the required number of subscribers and meeting all the conditions does not guarantee that YouTube will automatically send you a Play Button. If you've reached the milestone but haven't received the award, there could be a number of reasons.
YouTube manually approves each award, so submissions may be delayed or rejected. There can be several reasons - if the channel has community guidelines or copyright violations, an inactive or low-quality channel, or artificial subscriber acquisition through bots or paid services. However, in some cases, there may be a technical error or delay. 
Interesting facts about YouTube Play Buttons
YouTube Play Buttons are not only awards, but also a source of various curious stories. Some creators, like PewDiePie or MrBeast, celebrated them in big videos, while others lost or rejected them. PewDiePie gave his Ruby Play Button to a fan, MKBHD got a damaged Diamond Button, and Ludwig's Gold Button ended up in a swimming pool.
There have also been more bizarre cases - the channel "What's Inside?" cut a Silver Play Button, while some YouTubers have had their awards made for them. For example, MrBeast had his own 50M Play Button made, which was made by the same company as the official awards. Play Buttons not only have value, but also a number of fascinating stories.
