British trip-hop singer FKA twigs directed the video for her own Glass & Patron, which depicts a pregnant woman pulling a scarf from her womb before the song builds into an abstract dance in the woods.
Other artists who premiered videos included dance music singers Charli XCX and Shamir, Norwegian DJ Kygo and the rising rapper Action Bronson.
The 50 artists who were earlier declared winners - chosen for the growth in interest for their videos on YouTube - included Sheeran as well as a number of massive artists including Beyonce, Drake, One Direction and Nicki Minaj.
While the vast majority of award winners were Western, they also included the South Korean girl group 2NE1, who enjoy an especially large following in Japan.
The inaugural edition in 2013 had faced criticism that the event lacked YouTube's unique flavour, with the show culminating in rapper Eminem - a perpetual winner at award ceremonies - being crowned Artist of the Year.
The awards came as YouTube and Google try to expand their reach in the growing industry of streaming through paid subscription services.
* Warning: some of the videos below contain explicit content.
Five of the best music videos from the YouTube Music Awards