NEWARK, NJ (CelebrityAccess) – The 32nd annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) has come and gone. (Do they still play music videos?) The awards show aired Sunday (August 28) live from the Prudential Center in Newark. Hosted by the threesome LL Cool J, Jack Harlow, and Nicki Minaj, the star-studded ceremony didn’t disappoint.
Minaj, who recently received her first solo No. 1 hit with “Super Freaky Girl,” was named the Video Vanguard Award winner alongside past winners like Michael Jackson and Missy Elliott. The Red Hot Chili Peppers received the 2022 VMA Global Icon Award.
But, let’s get real here, the awards MTV gives out don’t really matter … not because the MTV Moon Person is an ugly, useless schotski (like … you know, a Grammy), it’s because the VMA’s aren’t about the awards, it’s about the SHOW itself and what viewers will be talking about the next day on social media. So, in that regard, let’s get to it.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Harlow opened the awards show with “First Class” with a surprise appearance by Fergie, who joined him onstage to perform her hit, “Glamorous,” which Harlow sampled for his award-winning song. She appeared to be one of the few performers who did not lip-sync her time on the stage. Fergie hadn’t performed publicly since her disastrous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
Brazilian superstar Anitta took the stage in a sexy red catsuit and matching red heels to sing “Envolver” and gave the audience exactly what they wanted. “Did you think I wasn’t going to shake my ass tonight?” she said. And shake she did to her song “Vai Malandra,” complete with a professional twerking session that made this writer forget all about “twerkgate” with Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s performance of “Blurred Lines” back in 2015.
Bad Bunny was beamed in via satellite with his performance from a sold-out Yankee Stadium. The Puerto Rican legend performed his hit song, “Titi Me Pregunto,” surrounded by thousands of light-up bracelets the fans were wearing from the audience.
Minaj performed a medley of hits, including “Beez in the Trap,” her verse on Ye’s “Monster,” and “Super Bass.” The high-energy combination had the entire audience on their feet as she gave her all during the performance wearing blue-eyed contacts. She ended the medley with her most current and first No. 1 solo song, “Super Freaky Girl.”
BEST OF THE NIGHT
The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed their new song “Black Summer” and then made their way to “Can’t Stop” from their 2003 album, By the Way. Drummer Chad Smith performed with a TAYLOR decal on his bass drum in tribute to the Foo Fighters’ late drummer, Taylor Hawkins. During the acceptance speech for the VMA Global Icon Award, Smith said,
“There’s another musical icon — global icon — and his name is my brother Taylor Hawkins. And I wanna dedicate this to Taylor and his family. I love them, and I miss him every day. Fly on, Hawk.”
Lizzo, while accepting her Video for Good award, threw some shade at Aries Spears, who had been dogging her in the press. During a recent interview, Spears took a jab at Lizzo after being asked if he thought she was a good songwriter, “I can’t get past the fact that she looks like the shit emoji,” he responded.
Taking a page from Minaj’s book when she called out Cyrus on-stage years ago, Lizzo said, “You know what, I’m not gonna say nothing” before yelling into the mic, “BIG BITCHES BE WINNING, HO! and “BEST REVENGE IS YOUR PAPER, BITCH!” – Epic.
While accepting her Best Direction award, Taylor Swift dropped the knowledge that a new album called Midnights (not a re-released “Taylor Version”) is coming and will hit the store shelves on October 21. It will be her first since 2020’s Evermore. At midnight on TaylorSwift.com, she dropped more, “Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight.” The Swift fandom crashed her website at exactly midnight, to no one’s surprise, so Swift also set that announcement on her official Instagram account.
Speaking of Swift, there she was again, sitting front and center, dancing and singing along with each performance. Every. Single. One. We all should be used to this by now, right? She does it every time she’s at a music-related awards show and knows every word to every song. But after years of this world being in a bit of a crisis, tradition is nice, and watching her do what she always does reminded me of that.
Minaj felt the love during her acceptance speech for the VMA Video Vanguard award, giving shout-outs to all who came before her. She mentioned those who have influenced her over the years naming Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, Madonna, and more.
She also took a moment to reflect on the past mentioned Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. “I wish Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” she said from center stage. “I wish people understood what they meant and were going through. I wish people took mental health seriously.”
WORST OF THE NIGHT
LIP-SYNC CITY – At this year’s ceremony, it was blatantly obvious that most of the performances were lip-synced. Maybe a little less focus on shaking what your mama gave ya to give time for audiences both live and at home to hear you sing the songs we love so much in your live voice. Minaj, Anitta, and BLACKPINK were the worst offenders.
Italian band Måneskin rocked the house with their performance of their grunge-infused song, “Supermodel.” The band was superior; it’s MTV who gets the shame here. Frontman Damiano David, in his assless chaps, and bassist Victoria De Angelis (known for her pasty wearing) performed topless with silver pasties – not that the home viewers saw much of it. MTV pulled away from their performance for a very long time. If we can see Anitta’s asscheecks twerk for 3 minutes and Minaj touch herself on stage, this performance should not have been censored. After all, Christina Aguilera showed us her ass in chaps back in 2002.
Johnny Depp’s superimposed head inside of one of MTV’s Moon Person astronauts was just … wrong, weird, and confusing. Depp’s face was digitally superimposed on a floating Moon Person above the stage in his first “appearance” since winning the trial against his ex, Amber Heard. He quipped, “Hey, you know what? I needed the work.” The “thing” appeared again before Khalid’s performance, saying, “Hey VMAs, let’s get back to the f*cking music, shall we?” Depp’s “head” also said, “I’m available for birthdays … Oh, and I’m a dentist.” Maybe it was too soon? I get where he was trying to go with the “comedy,” but it fell … flat on its Moon Person, fake-assed face. If this was Depp’s “big comeback,” count me out.
Eminem and OG Snoop Dogg performed a hybrid metaverse and in-person performance of their new collaboration, “From the D 2 to the LBC,” as their own Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. Although “in-person” is a stretch since they sat on a couch (smoking a fat joint) initially and only appeared live on-stage at the end of the metaverse performance. These two mega-millionaires showing off the NFTs they “own” was just lame.
RECORD BREAKERS
Swift is the first artist to win Video of the Year three separate times. She took home the trophy for “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version). She previously won for “Bad Blood” (featuring Kendrick Lamar) in 2015 and “You Need to Calm Down” in 2019.
“All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) is the first video to win the award without a credited collaborator.
Bad Bunny, performing to a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium in New York, beat out Drake, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, and more to win Artist of the Year. It’s the first time a Latin artist has taken an all-genre, all-gender award at the VMAs. Interestingly, he lost out to Anitta in the Best Latin category later that night.
Harry Styles is only the second artist in history to take home an award for Best Pop as part of a group and as a solo artist. He won in 2012 for “What Makes You Beautiful” as part of the band One Direction and again in 2022 for “As It Was.” Justin Timberlake is the first to accomplish this feat, winning as a part of the group ‘NSYNC with “Bye, Bye, Bye” in 2000 and took home the solo win for 2003’s “Cry Me a River.”
Harlow and Lil Nas X made history as the first all-male collaboration to take home the award for Best Collaboration for their hit, “Industry Baby.”
Minaj won Best Hip-Hop for her song, “Do We Have a Problem? (featuring Lil Baby). With four wins, she’s now the top winner ever for that category pulling ahead of Drake.
K-pop phenoms BTS won Best Group for the fourth year in a row, pushing ahead of No Doubt with the most wins in this category.
Country superstar Kane Brown made history as the first male country artist to ever perform at the VMAs.
The Italian rock band Måneskin won Best Alternative for “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” making them the first from outside the US to win in that category.
Anitta won best Latin for “Envolver” and is the first Brazilian artist to win a VMA.
View the complete list of nominees and winners below.
2022 MTV VMA NOMINEES and WINNERS
Best Album
Billie Eilish – Happier than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Adele – 30
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Video of the Year
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Doja Cat – Woman
Drake Featuring Future & Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
Ed Sheeran – Shivers
Harry Styles – As It Was
Olivia Rodrigo – Brutal
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Song of the Year
Adele – Easy on Me
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Doja Cat – Woman
Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)
Lizzo – About Damn Time
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – Stay
Best New Artist
Baby Keem
Dove Cameron
Gayle
Latto
Måneskin
Seventeen
Best Longform Video
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
Foo Fighters – Studio 666
Kacey Musgraves – Star-Crossed
Madonna – Madame X
Olivia Rodrigo – Driving Home 2 U
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
Best Collaboration
Drake Featuring Future & Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
Post Malone & The Weeknd – One Right Now
Rosalía Featuring The Weeknd – La Fama
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – Stay
Push Performance of the Year
September 2021: Griff – One Night
October 2021: Remi Wolf – Sexy Villain
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead
December 2021: Seventeen – Rock With You
January 2021: Mae Muller – Better Days
February 2022: Gayle – ABCDEFU
March 2022: Shenseea – R U That
April 2022: Omar Apollo – Tamagotchi
May 2022: Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
June 2022: Muni Long – Baby Boo
July 2022: Doechii – Persuasive
Best Metaverse Performance
Blackpink the Virtual – PUBG
BTS – Minecraft
Charli XCX – Roblox
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience – Wave
Rift Tour Featuring Ariana Grande – Fortnite
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience – Roblox
Best Alternative
Avril Lavigne Featuring Blackbear – Love It When You Hate Me
Imagine Dragons & J.I.D – Enemy
Machine Gun Kelly Featuring Willow – Emo Girl
Måneskin – I Wanna Be Your Slave
Panic! at the Disco – Viva las Vengeance
Twenty One Pilots – Saturday
Willow & Avril Lavigne Featuring Travis Barker – Grow
Best Pop
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Doja Cat – Woman
Ed Sheeran – Shivers
Harry Styles – As It Was
Lizzo – About Damn Time
Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor
Best Hip-Hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – From the D 2 the LBC
Future Featuring Drake & Tems – Wait for U
Kendrick Lamar – N95
Latto – Big Energy
Nicki Minaj Featuring Lil Baby – Do We Have a Problem?
Pusha T – Diet Coke
Best Rock
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Black Summer
Foo Fighters – Love Dies Young
Jack White – Taking Me Back
Muse – Won’t Stand Down
Shinedown – Planet Zero
Three Days Grace – So-Called Life
Best Latin
Anitta – Envolver
Bad Bunny – Tití Me Preguntó
Becky G & Karol G – Mamiii
Daddy Yankee – REMIX
Farruko – Pepas
J Balvin & Skrillex – In da Getto
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – City of Gods (Part II)
Chlöe – Have Mercy
H.E.R. – For Anyone
Normani Featuring Cardi B – Wild Side
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – No Love (Extended Version)
The Weeknd – Out Of Time
Best K-Pop
BTS – Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)
Itzy – Loco
Lisa – Lalisa
Seventeen – Hot
Stray Kids – Maniac
Twice – The Feels
Video for Good
Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
Latto – P*ssy
Lizzo – About Damn Time
Rina Sawayama – This Hell
Stromae – Fils de joie
Best Cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties”
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam”
Harry Styles – “As It Was”
Kendrick Lamar – “N95”
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side”
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
Best Direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – Family Ties
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Ed Sheeran – Shivers
Harry Styles – As It Was
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
Best Art Direction
Adele – Oh My God
Doja Cat – Get Into It (Yuh)
Drake Featuring Future & Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
Kacey Musgraves – Simple Times
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Coldplay & BTS – My Universe
Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – Stay
Best Choreography
BTS – Permission to Dance
Doja Cat – Woman
FKA twigs Featuring The Weeknd – Tears in the Club
Harry Styles – As It Was
Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
Normani Featuring Cardi B – Wild Side
Best Editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – Family Ties
Doja Cat – Get Into It (Yuh)
Olivia Rodrigo – Brutal
Rosalía – Saoko
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
The Weeknd – Take My Breath
Best Song of 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”
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”
