New Yorkers Urge Everyone to Wear Masks in New Contest Videos

Right now, protecting the safety of yourself and others is more important than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has hit New York, and while we're on the course of recovery, it's still important to wear a mask while in public to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Governor Cuomo recently launched the Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest, which got New Yorkers' creative quarantine juices flowing. New Yorkers from all over the state submitted a total of over 600 videos, and more than 186,000 votes were cast.

"We launched the Wear A Mask New York contest to help spread the word about the importance of wearing a mask, and frankly this contest generated much more energy and excitement than I even anticipated," Governor Cuomo said. "The tremendous level of participation demonstrates that people understand that a mask can be the difference between life and death. This is about their lives and this is about their community, and they're engaged -- because they are New York tough, smart, united, disciplined and loving."

Cuomo announced the winner during his daily briefing Tuesday.

Here's the winning ad, called We ❤ NY from Bunny Lake Films.

Awesome, right? While the winning video is New York City-centric, the message is one people in all parts of the state can get behind: caring for one another.

Here's the video that came in second place, called "You Can Still Smile" by Natalia Bougadellis and Emory Parker.

The top two videos will be used as public service announcements in the near future.

Voters were able to vote on the top five videos, so if you're curious and love a little inspiration to stay #NewYorkTough, here are the other three videos.

"We Are Compassion. We Are New York" by Skyline99 Studios

"That Guy" by Plastic Tree Productions