Since 1984, MTV has risen the Video Music Awards has become one of the biggest events in the world. Here's why.
There are many monumental moments shown around the world, dedicated to the mainstream music market. From the Billboard Music Awards to the legendary Grammy Awards, music achievements are highlighted all through the year. Have you ever heard of the MTV VMAs?
According to Wikipedia, the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) is a legendary award show presented by the cable channel, Music Television (MTV).
Created and based in New York City, the channel launched in 1981 as a flagship property of MTV Entertainment Group, which is part of a Viacom CBS Domestic Media Networks, a strong division of Viacom CBS.
The award ceremony was created to honor the best in current music video artistry. Originally assembled as being the alternative to the Grammy Awards, focusing solely on the video content, the VMAs have often been referred to as the ‘Super Bowl for Youth’, a chance to understand and appreciate popular trends of music of the current youth generation.
The ceremony can draw millions of young audiences every year. By 2001, the VMAs became the staple of top-tier music acknowledgment. Conceived by Manhattan Design, artists are presented with a unique statue of an astronaut on the moon (one of the earliest mascots of MTV) Currently, the statues have been made by Society Awards.
As popular music has the power to represent current perspectives and trendy musical sounds, viewers can vote for their favorite videos in all categories by visiting MTV’s official website.
The Video Music Awards
The first VMAs ceremony was held in 1984 at New York City’s Radio Music Hall. With notable performances such as Like A Virgin by Madonna and monumental moments such as David Bowie and the Beatles winning the first-ever Video Vanguard Awards for their pioneering efforts in music videos, the award show became a show of riveting speculation and jaw-dropping viral moments. However, the music award show did not always maintain its popularity.
According to The Washington Post and HuffPost, the popularity of the show declined by 2019. Reasons such as lack of interest and declining attendances/viewership made the award show less appealing to the global masses.
Additionally, many artists began not appearing to accept their awards. Further criticism felt that the network in general was not devoting enough airtime to music. Instead, the network gave much of their airtime to drama and reality shows with music videos airing in the graveyard slots.
However, with the advancement of social media and outlets such as YouTube and TikTok continue to flourish, music videos have managed to find a more rapid outlet of success the past year, bringing the VMA’s back on the popular entertainment track!
New Artist Highlights
The MTV VMAs returned to the stage Sunday, September 12th after the socially distanced show the previous year in 2020. The musical night brought out artists such as Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X.
Hosted by pop diva, Doja Cat, she highlighted performances including Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, and Twenty-One Pilots. Magical moments to watch were seeing new coming artists grace the legendary stage.
Brand new artist Musgraves performed Star Crossed, the title track off of her recently released album. Chloe, the singer from the R&B sister duo group, ChloexHalle, performed her debut solo single Have Mercy for the first time!
This performance specifically left audiences stunned and mesmerized. Other firsts came in form of an award as the legendary rock band the Foo Fighters received the VMA’s first-ever Global Icon Award. However, newcomers were not only bringing the music fire! Brooklyn Rap Legend, Busta Rhymes performed a legendary medley for his big hits while Alicia Keys honored the anniversary of 9/11 performing a piano version of Empire State of Mind.
Video Music Award Winners
Lil Nas X took home the top prize for video of the year with Montero (Call Me by Your Name). He also began his acceptance speech thanking the “gay agenda”. The video also won the best direction and best visual effects.
Other artists such as Justin Bieber won the award for artist of the year, while Olivia Rodrigo’s captivating song Driver’s License won song of the year along with best push performance of the year. As this year marked the network’s milestone 40th year, the show opened with a surprise and riveting appearance from Madonna, giving the show the perfect start to a music night!
Music legend Cyndi Lauter also graced the stage as she reminded viewers how much the music world has changed since MTV’s humble 1984 beginnings.
The evening ended with a perfect nod to the past. Video Killed the Radio Star by The Snuggles was the very first video to air on MTV. The song played through the credits!
Which artists will grace the stage in next year’s award ceremony? Who will win Artist of the year? Check out these winners at the next MTV Video Music Awards!
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