YouTube announces 135 creators in its 2022 Black Voices Fund

Google-owned video streaming giant YouTube has announced 135 creators, who will take part in the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, including a slate of 40 in the US and Canada.

The fund provides one-year of support, including seed funding, for channels, development programmes, workshops and networking opportunities, The Verge reported.

"Black creators have played an important role in shaping the culture on YouTube. From fashion and comedy to politics, learning and wellness, Black creators have propelled our platform forward," the company was quoted as saying by the website.

The grantees of the fund, now in its second year, include creators from a variety of backgrounds like lawyers, athletes, lifestyle vloggers, comedians, dermatologists and pop culture commentators.

YouTube announced the fund in 2020, promising to invest $100 million to "amplify" Black creators on the platform over three years, the report said.

At the launch, YouTube said the fund is an effort to "directly support Black creators and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube".

In addition to individual creators, the fund has also been used to support larger productions, like a documentary series and a charity event.