Aussie serial hugger wins YouTube award

A Sydney man on a goodwill mission to hug strangers has picked up an inaugural YouTube Video Award.

Juan Mann's Free Hugs, in which he sets out to brighten strangers' lives on Sydney's streets by hugging them, has nabbed the prize for most inspirational video.

The clip is the 13th-most watched YouTube video of all time. It has been watched more than 12 million times after it was uploaded six months ago.

Mr Mann's video is among the winners of seven YouTube awards, the nominees for which the site put forward a week ago. Users could rank the 10 nominees for each award in order of their preference.

Chicago band OK Go has won the award for most creative video with the clip for its song Here it Goes Again, in which the group's four members dance over eight moving treadmills.

More than 13 million people have watched the video, which has propelled the band to international fame.

Another American creation, Ask a Ninja, has picked up the best series award. (Read More)