The 36th annual MTV Video Music Awards were held on Monday at the Prudential Center in Newark and there were a few memorable moments that people are still talking about.
Dominating superstars including Taylor Swift and Cardi B travelled to New Jersey for the ceremony, which also included other types of 2019 pop fandom such as multiple performances in Spanish and the first K-pop award.
Taylor Swift was the winner of the night, opening the show by performing You Need to Calm Down and Lover, both from her recently released seventh LP, and winning three awards, including Video of the Year for You Need to Calm Down.
Ten years after Kanye West famously interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, Swift was able to deliver her speech without any disturbances.
“You voting for the video means that you want a world where we’re all treated equally under god, regardless of who you love, regardless of how we identify,” she said.
Missy Elliot was honoured with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which as been handed out ever since the first VMAs in 1984 but only been the centrepiece of the event for the past six years.
Getting emotional in her speech, saying “I promised I wouldn’t cry this time ‘cause I cry at every awards, but this Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award means so much to me. I have worked diligently for over two decades.
Spanish language pop got airtime with the Spanish hybrid-pop musician Rosalia bringing her avant-electronic twist on flamenco-styled vocals and the presentation of the Latin award, won by Rosalia and Balvin for Con Altura, was televised.
Miley Cyrus brought a dose of classic rock with a performance of Slide Away, which she played like a ballad instead of the studio version’s hip-hop sound.
As this was the first Video Music Awards held in New Jersey, the closing performance was an embrace of the state’s musical heritage.
Below are the full list of nominees and winners: (winners indicated in bold)
Best Hip-Hop
2 Chainz – Rule the World (ft. Ariana Grande)
21 Savage – a lot (ft. J. Cole)
Cardi B – Money
DJ Khaled – Higher (ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend)
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Travis Scott – SICKO MODE (ft. Drake)
Best Latin
ROSALÍA / J Balvin – Con Altura (ft. El Guincho)
Anuel AA / Karol G – Secreto
Bad Bunny – MIA (ft. Drake)
benny blanco / Tainy / Selena Gomez / J Balvin – I Can’t Get Enough
Daddy Yankee – Con Calma (ft. Snow)
Maluma – Mala Mía
Video For Good
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down
Halsey – Nightmare
The Killers – Land of the Free
Jamie N Commons / Skylar Grey – Runaway Train (ft. Gallant)
John Legend – Preach
Lil Dicky – Earth
Video of the Year
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down
21 Savage – a lot (ft. J. Cole)
Billie Eilish – bad guy
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Jonas Brothers – Sucker
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Best K-Pop
BTS – Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey)
BLACKPINK – Kill This Love
Monsta X – Who Do You Love (ft. French Montana)
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Cat & Dog
NCT 127 – Regular
EXO – Tempo
Best Dance
The Chainsmokers – Call You Mine (ft. Bebe Rexha)
Clean Bandit – Solo (ft. Demi Lovato)
DJ Snake – Taki Taki (ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B)
David Guetta / Bebe Rexha / J Balvin – Say My Name
Marshmello / Bastille – Happier
Silk City / Dua Lipa – Electricity
Song of the Year
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Drake – In My Feelings
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Jonas Brothers – Sucker
Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down
Best Pop
Jonas Brothers – Sucker
5 Seconds of Summer – Easier
Cardi B / Bruno Mars – Please Me
Billie Eilish – bad guy
Khalid – Talk
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down
Best Collaboration
Shawn Mendes / Camila Cabello – Señorita
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Taylor Swift – ME! (ft. Brendon Urie)
Ed Sheeran / Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care
BTS – Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey)
Best Direction
Billie Eilish – bad guy (dir. Dave Meyers)
FKA twigs – Cellophane (dir. Andrew Thomas Huang)
Ariana Grande – thank u, next (dir. Hannah Lux Davis)
Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus) (dir. Calmatic)
LSD – No New Friends (dir. Dano Cerny)
Taylor Swift – You Need to Calm Down (dir. Drew Kirsch and Taylor Swift)
Push Artist of the Year
Bazzi
CNCO
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lauv
Lizzo
Best New Artist
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA
Artist of the Year
Cardi B
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes
Best R&B
Anderson .Paak – Make It Better (ft. Smokey Robinson)
Childish Gambino – Feels Like Summer
H.E.R. – Could’ve Been (ft. Bryson Tiller)
Alicia Keys – Raise a Man
Ella Mai – Trip
Normani – Waves (ft. 6LACK)
Best Rock
The 1975 – Love It If We Made It
Fall Out Boy – Bishops Knife Trick
Imagine Dragons – Natural
Lenny Kravitz – Low
Panic! At the Disco – High Hopes
twenty one pilots – My Blood
Are you happy with these winners? Let us know by commenting below.
Written by Rekha Kulen
