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BY DC CUEVA
Every year, the traditional and spiritual conclusion to the summer music season has always been the MTV Video Music Awards, which began in 1984 when the channel hired one of the TV industry's most respected executives, Don Ohlmeyer, to produce a sendup of traditional over-the-top award show galas. That night at Radio City Music Hall became well-known for the infamous performance of "Like A Virgin" by the quintessential MTV icon of her time, Madonna... and who two decades later planted a smooch on both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in front of their former Mickey Mouse Club mate Justin Timberlake. It has grown to become one of the biggest nights of the year in the music industry, and it's one of the few times nowadays where the cable channel's original moniker rings true.
Last month marked the thirty-ninth renewal of the VMA's, which took place across the river in Newark, New Jersey... and where the last time the NHL Devils' home arena of the Prudential Center welcomed this summer music gala, the casts of Floribama Shore and Siesta Key walked the red carpet together before they shared the winter 2020 MTV stage. And this time around: no different when it came to those big names who took to the big stage, and those from Team MTV who walked the black carpet.
The 2022 music scene pales quite a bit from the very first VMA's, but 1984 marked the TV debut of Stacie Ferguson, who at age 9 voiced Sally in several of the many annual specials featuring that world famous squad of Snoopy, Charlie & The Peanuts Gang. That same year she joined the cast of Kids Incorporated, but these days as she's getting there up in age towards the magic number of 50 we best know her simply as Fergie. And this summer, she was part of the song of the summer: her 2006 track "Glamorous" was sampled in Jack Harlow's breakthrough track "First Class," which garnered him one of his several moon-persons on the big night... and together they kicked off this year's VMA's.
On the leadup to the big show, Lizzo was the target of some unfounded comments made towards her by a New York City radio host... and she took the opportunity to fire back when she was awarded the VMA for Video for Good for the anthem of this comeback from this tough time in our world, "About Damn Time." Some seven months earlier, Eminem and Snoop Dogg were part of this generation's defining Super Bowl halftime show when hip-hop took center stage in one of the capitals of the genre of Los Angeles... and this time around, they took to the Metaverse for their latest VMA chapter, as did a group who first won VMA's in 2006 but have become huge in recent years, Panic! At The Disco.
The most-coveted honor that's bestowed by MTV is the Video Vanguard Award, the VMA's lifetime achievement award bearing the name of Michael Jackson... and joining a list that also includes Britney, Rihanna, J.Lo, JT, U2, the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J among others, as this year's recipient was Nicki Minaj. Another group of legends who were also honored on this night debuted the year before the first VMA's when the Red Hot Chili Peppers first began making music, and legendary comedy duo Cheech & Chung got together once again to present them with the Global Icon Award.
Anyone who loves watching this annual rite of autumn in the music world knows very well the incident that took place at the 2009 VMA's when Taylor Swift was sabotaged on stage by Kanye West, which cast a shadow on both of their careers. Tay was a surprise late addition to the invitation list of this year's big show, and with good reason: her extended version clip for "All Too Well" won both Video of the Year (her 3rd time winning the night's last award) and the Long-Form category (a new VMA addition adding to it being honored at the Grammy's. But it was when she accepted the former that she announced the release date for her next album, Midnight, slated for October 21st next month.
The VMA performance list also included Dove Cameron, who confirmed her arrival in the big time in winning what's always known as the "Kiss of Death" award in these musical kudos casts, Best New Artist. The one with that big helmet depicting that ingredient we all love in those Rice Krispy Treats, Marshmello took to the stage with 2017 VMA winner Khalid, and Kane Brown made history in being the first male country artist to perform on the big show, capping his full rise to the mainstream... and so did rapper full of "Big Energy," Latto.
The headline of the night was rooted in the very fact that across the river, New York City is both the home of the United Nations and a cultural melting pot that brings people around the world to this very city. Artists from seven different foreign countries took home Moon-persons this year: Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny for Artist of the Year, Brazil's Anitta for Best Latin (first Brazilian to win a VMA), Eurovision stars Maneskin from Italy for Best Rock, a few awards for Harry Styles and The Weeknd, and Spain's Rosalia in a professional category.
But leading the way was South Korea with four international winners: boy band Seventeen taking Push Performance, and BTS adding more to their award case. But the biggest act in K-Pop stole the show in not only its biggest female group, but also the world's biggest girl group of the last few years: Blackpink added Metaverse Performance from their virtual show to their first Moon-person two years ago in "How You Like That" being "Song of the Summer"... but that wasn't all for them.
Member Lisa Manobal's solo debut single "Lalisa" won Best K-pop video, becoming the first soloist from her genre to pick up one of those awards in the music biz that artists aspire to win. And when she accepted her award, Lisa got love from her fellow BP girls.
To be part of what is known affectionally in our world as "Team MTV" entitles you to have the perks of getting to be part of the MTV family... and one of those is getting invited to the VMA's, the Movie & TV Awards, Spring Break and other things. Everyone from the casts of Jersey Shore, Floribama and Siesta Key, to those from The Challenge and other shows have, at one time or another, been invited to go to the big show... it's always a huge honor to have both those tickets and to even walk the red carpet.
Winning a crown on The Challenge entitles that honor, and defending MTV champ Kaycee and All-Stars winners Yes, Jonna and MJ headlined that group, along with those who we'll be seeing in a few weeks from now in Nany and Johnny Middlebrooks, who came to this show along with those from his MTV debut in All-Star Shore on Paramount+. All the visual proof is below...
- I AM DC
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