Relive the night below!
The VMA’s took over New York City today to celebrate another year of music and incredible visuals. Hosted by Jack Harlow, Nicki Minaj and LL Cool J, the star-studded event brought together some of the best global talent, with Taylor Swift, BLACKPINK, Måneskin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anitta and more in attendance.
Full of massive moments, the night was led by three key moments: Taylor Swift announcing her 10th studio album is set to drop this October whilst taking home a bevy of awards for her short film All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version), Nicki Minaj's high-octane video vanguard performance, and the censoring of Italian supergroup, and Eurovision winners, Måneskin's performance of Supermodel.
No stranger to bringing home an award or two, Swift's short film for All Too Well, which stars Stranger Things' Sadie Sink and Teen Wolf's Dylan O' Brien, took out three of its nominations, including Video Of The Year, Best Longform Video and Best Direction. The visual marks the global superstars second directorial effort, following The Man. During her acceptance speech for Video Of The Year, the singer noted, “For the first time in VMA history four directors nominated in the Video of the Year category are women,” sharing her honour to be nominated alongside her fellow nominees.
Of course, that wasn't all there was to take away from her speech. Swift announced her hotly-anticipated 10th studio album will arrive on October 21st, with more details to arrive at midnight eastern time. “I had made up my mind that if you were going to be this generous and give us this [award], I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes October 21st... I’ll tell you more at midnight.”
Italian rockers Måneskin's performed their latest single Supermodel, with frontman Damiano David getting cheeky in a G-string and chaps before a trove of models joined them on stage. Throughout the performance, the broadcast cut to a looped angle of the arena prior to the show commencing, suggesting the network deemed parts of the performance too steamy for television. The band were awarded Best Alternative for I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE.
Kicking off the night with his hit First Class, Harlow was joined by Fergie, marking the singer and former Black Eyed Peas members first performance in four years. The rapper went on to take home four Moonman awards, including best collaboration, best art direction and best visual effects for his feature on Lil Nas X's hit song, Industry Baby, whilst First Class was awarded Song Of The Summer.
We crossed to Artist of the Year winner Bad Bunny who performed Titi Me Pregunto, which also received a swift camera angle change when the musician locked lips with a back up dancer. Actor Johnny Depp took on the role of the events iconic Moonman statue, joking he was “available for birthdays, bar mitzvahs, weddings, wakes... Any old thing you need.”, before Snoop Dogg and Eminem joined forces for an animated-meets-real life performance of From the D 2 the LBC.
Co-host Nicki Minaj treated us a to a medley of her hits, performing Monster, Super Bass, Anaconda and Super Freaky Girl. Bringing her signature pink hair and Barbie world-esque stage presence, the rapper went on to thank family, collaborators, her devoted "Barbz" and all those who have supported her throughout her career whilst accepting the Video Vanguard award, an esteemed honour. Elsewhere in the show, Red Hot Chili Peppers were the recipients of the MTV Global Icon Award, and also performed Black Summer and Can't Stop. Cheech & Chong even made an appearance to bestow the award upon the band.
Brazilian artist Anitta made history, becoming the first ever Brazlian artist to take home the Best Latin award for her track, Envolver, a song she performed earlier in the show. Whilst he was unable. to attend the award show, Harry Styles sent a message to fans upon winning Best Pop for As It Was and Album Of The Year for Harry's House, whilst Billie Eilish took out Song Of The Year for Happier Than Ever. BLACKPINK made their VMA's debut, performing Pink Venom, with band member LISA awarded Best K-POP for her solo single, LALISA.
Other performers included Lizzo, Marshmello and Khalid, Flo Milli, JID, J Balvin and Ryan Castro, Lauren Spencer Smith, Kane Brown, Panic! At The Disco and Latto.
SONG OF THE YEAR
Adele – “Easy on Me” – Columbia Records WINNER: Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay” – Columbia Records
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele – 30 Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever Drake – Certified Lover Boy WINNER: Harry Styles – Harry’s House
BEST NEW ARTIST
WINNER: Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records Måneskin – Arista Records Seventeen – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
GROUP OF THE YEAR
BLACKPINK WINNER: BTS City Girls Foo Fighters Imagine Dragons Måneskin Red Hot Chili Peppers Silk Sonic
SONG OF THE SUMMER
Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito” Beyoncé – “Break My Soul” Charlie Puth – “Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)” Doja Cat – “Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)” Future ft. Drake, Tems – “Wait For U” Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking” WINNER: Jack Harlow – “First Class” Kane Brown – “Grand” Latto x Mariah Carey – “Big Energy (Remix) ft. DJ Khaled” Lizzo – “About Damn Time” Marshmello x Khalid – “Numb” Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” Nicky Youre, dazy – “Sunroof” Post Malone with Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)” Rosalía – “Bizcochito” Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
September 2021: Griff – “One Night” – Warner Records October 2021: Remi Wolf – “Sexy Villain” – Island Records November 2021: Nessa Barrett – “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – Warner Records WINNER: December 2021: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records January 2021: Mae Muller – “Better Days” – Capitol Records UK February 2022: GAYLE – “abcdefu” – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records March 2022: Sheneesa – “R U That” – Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records April 2022: Omar Apollo – “Tamagotchi” – Warner Records May 2022: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Domino Recording Company June 2022: Muni Long – “Baby Boo” – Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording July 2022: Doechii – “Persuasive” – Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
BEST COLLABORATION
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment Post Malone & The Weeknd – “One Right Now” – Mercury Records / Republic Records ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd – “LA FAMA” – Columbia Records The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
BEST POP
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor” – Geffen Records
BEST HIP-HOP
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U” – Freebandz / Epic Records Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records Latto – “Big Energy” – Streamcut / RCA Records WINNER: Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records Pusha T – “Diet Coke” – G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
BEST ROCK
Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young” – RCA Records Jack White – “Taking Me Back” – Third Man Records Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” – Warner Records WINNER: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records Shinedown – “Planet Zero” – Elektra Music Group Three Days Grace – “So Called Life” – RCA Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – “Love It When You Hate Me” – Elektra Music Group / DTA Records Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – “emo girl” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records WINNER: Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records Panic! At The Disco – “Viva Las Vengeance” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group Twenty One Pilots – “Saturday” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – “G R O W” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
BEST LATIN
WINNER: Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó” – Rimas Entertainment Becky G X KAROL G – “MAMIII” – Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records Daddy Yankee – “REMIX” – Republic Records Farruko – “Pepas” – Sony Music US Latin J Balvin & Skrillex – “In Da Getto” – Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
BEST R&B
Alicia Keys – “City of Gods (Part II)” – AKW Chlöe – “Have Mercy” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records H.E.R. – “For Anyone” – RCA Records Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool/RCA Records Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – “No Love (Extended Version)” – LVRN / Interscope Records WINNER: The Weeknd – “Out of Time” – XO / Republic Records
BEST K-POP
BTS – “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records ITZY – “LOCO” – JYP Entertainment WINNER: LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records SEVENTEEN – “HOT” – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records Stray Kids – “MANIAC” – JYP Entertainment TWICE – “The Feels” – JYP Entertainment
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records Latto – “P*ssy” – Streamcut / RCA Records WINNER: Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records Rina Sawayama – “This Hell” – Dirty Hit Stromae – ”Fils de joie” – Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE
WINNER: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records BTS | Minecraft – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records Charli XCX | Roblox – Atlantic Records Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave – Def Jam Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite – Republic Records Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
BEST LONGFORM VIDEO
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles – Darkroom / Interscope Records Foo Fighters – Studio 666 – RCA Records Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville Madonna – Madame X – Interscope Records Olivia Rodrigo – driving home 2 u – Geffen Records WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam” – Epic Records WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
BEST DIRECTION
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
BEST ART DIRECTION
Adele – “Oh My God” – Columbia Records Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO / Republic Records Kacey Musgraves – “simple times” – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records Coldplay X BTS – “My Universe” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
BTS – “Permission to Dance” – BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records WINNER: Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – “Tears In The Club” – Atlantic Records Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
BEST EDITING
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records WINNER: ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records