VMAs: A BIG OL'
MOON RISE
Olivia Rodrigo took three Moon people at Sunday night’s MTV VMAs (including Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Push Performance), Billie Eilish took two, Lil Nas X earned Video of the Year and Justin Bieber collected Artist of the Year. Host Doja Cat won a Collaboration trophy for “Kiss Me More” f/SZA.
Accepting the Video of the Year prize, Lil Nas (whose hotly anticipated album drops on 9/17) thanked "the gay agenda."
The show was studded with elaborate performances by The Kid LAROI and Bieber, Rodrigo, Doja, a wild segment by Lil Nas, Kacey Musgraves, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Machine Gun Kelly, Normani (pictured below with RCA's Keith Rothschild), Ozuna, Chloe and Global Icon Award recipients Foo Fighters, to name but a few. Check 'em out below.
Nods to MTV’s past at the Barclays Center event, as the net celebrates 40 years on the air, included an opening bit by Madonna and appearances by members of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and 98 Degrees, Busta Rhymes, J-Lo, Avril Lavigne, Tommy Lee, David Lee Roth, Fat Joe, Ashanti and Ja Rule. By our count, 3,056 artists on the show were described as icons.
Several of the star performers were also featured in commercials that aired during the telecast, including Doja for Pepsi, Rodrigo for Apple’s Dolby Atmos-enhanced Apple Music, BTS for Galaxy and, of course, Bruce Gillmer for Tums. We kid because we love. A list of key winners below.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Justin Bieber
SONG OF THE YEAR Olivia Rodrigo, “drivers license”
BEST NEW ARTIST, Presented by Facebook
Olivia Rodrigo
PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Olivia Rodrigo, "drivers license"
BEST COLLABORATION
Doja Cat f/SZA, “Kiss Me More”
BEST POP
Justin Bieber f/Daniel Caesar, GIVĒON, “Peaches”
BEST HIP-HOP
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A., “Franchise”
BEST ROCK
John Mayer, “Last Train Home”
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear, “My Ex’s Best Friend”
BEST LATIN
Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA, “Lo Vas a Olvidar”
BEST R&B
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, “Leave the Door Open”
BEST K-POP
BTS, “Butter”
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Billie Eilish, “Your Power”
