The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category), the annual MTV Video Music Awards ceremony has often been called the "Super Bowl for youth", an acknowledgment of the VMA ceremony's ability to draw millions of youth from teens to 20-somethings each year. By 2001, the VMA had become a coveted award. The statue given to winners is an astronaut on the moon, one of the earliest representations of MTV, and was colloquially called a "moonman". However, in 2017, Chris McCarthy, the president of MTV, stated that the statue would be called a "Moon Person" from then on. The statue was conceived by Manhattan Design—also designers of the original MTV logo—based on the 1981 "Top of the Hour" animation created by Fred Seibert, produced by Alan Goodman, and produced by Buzz Potamkin at Buzzco Associates. The statue is now made by New York firm Society Awards. Since the 2006 ceremony, viewers are able to vote for their favorite videos in all general categories by visiting MTV's website.
The annual VMA ceremony occurs before the end of summer and held either in late August or mid-September, and broadcast live on MTV, along with a "roadblock" simulcast across MTV's sister networks since 2014, which is utilized to maximize the ceremony's ratings. The first VMA ceremony was held in 1984 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The ceremonies are normally held in either New York City or Los Angeles. However, the ceremonies have also been hosted in Miami and Las Vegas. The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 26, 2019, in Newark for the first time.
The Washington Post and HuffPost stated that the stature of the ceremony had declined by 2019. HuffPost cited reasons such as a lack of interest (declining attendances and viewership: in 2019 ratings hit an all-time low for the third straight year), lack of musical diversity, lack of celebrity, lack of credibility, and access to music online. The Washington Post states, "The moment the VMAs ceased to matter might have happened in 2014, when Drake didn't bother appearing to receive his award. Or maybe it was even earlier than that: The Associated Press compared the energy of the VMAs to the scripted reality-TV show Cribs all the way back in 2006". MTV has also faced criticism for devoting most of its airtime outside the VMAs to reality shows and dramas, with music videos mainly airing in off-peak graveyard slots to suffice the minimum amount of music programming in the network's carriage agreements.
Ceremonies[]
| Year | Date | Venue(s) | Host(s) | Video of the Year winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | September 14 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler | "You Might Think" by The Cars |
| 1985 | September 13 | Eddie Murphy | "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley | |
| 1986 | September 5 | The Palladium, New York City, New York Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California |
MTV VJs: "Downtown" Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn and Dweezil Zappa | "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits |
| 1987 | September 11 | Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California | MTV VJs: "Downtown" Julie Brown, Carolyne Heldman, Dweezil Zappa and Kevin Seal | "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel |
| 1988 | September 7 | Arsenio Hall | "Need You Tonight" / "Mediate" by INXS | |
| 1989 | September 6 | "This Note's for You" by Neil Young | ||
| 1990 | "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor | |||
| 1991 | September 5 | "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. | ||
| 1992 | September 9 | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California | Dana Carvey | "Right Now" by Van Halen |
| 1993 | September 2 | Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California | Christian Slater | "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam |
| 1994 | September 8 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | Roseanne Barr | "Cryin'" by Aerosmith |
| 1995 | September 7 | Dennis Miller | "Waterfalls" by TLC | |
| 1996 | September 4 | "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins | ||
| 1997 | Chris Rock | "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai | ||
| 1998 | September 10 | Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California | Ben Stiller | "Ray of Light" by Madonna |
| 1999 | September 9 | Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, New York | Chris Rock | "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill |
| 2000 | September 7 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans | "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem |
| 2001 | September 6 | Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, New York | Jamie Foxx | "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and P!nk featuring Missy Elliott |
| 2002 | August 29 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | Jimmy Fallon | "Without Me" by Eminem |
| 2003 | August 28 | Chris Rock | "Work It" by Missy Elliott | |
| 2004 | August 29 | American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida | none | "Hey Ya!" by OutKast |
| 2005 | August 28 | Sean "Diddy" Combs | "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day | |
| 2006 | August 31 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | Jack Black | "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At The Disco |
| 2007 | September 9 | Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada | none | "Umbrella" by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z |
| 2008 | September 7 | Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California | Russell Brand | "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears |
| 2009 | September 13 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé | |
| 2010 | September 12 | Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California | Chelsea Handler | "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga |
| 2011 | August 28 | none | "Firework" by Katy Perry | |
| 2012 | September 6 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California | Kevin Hart | "We Found Love" by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris |
| 2013 | August 25 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | none | "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake |
| 2014 | August 24 | The Forum, Inglewood, California | "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus | |
| 2015 | August 30 | Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California | Miley Cyrus | "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar |
| 2016 | August 28 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | none | "Formation" by Beyoncé |
| 2017 | August 27 | The Forum, Inglewood, California | Katy Perry | "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar |
| 2018 | August 20 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York | none | "Havana" by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug |
| 2019 | August 26 | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey | Sebastian Maniscalco | "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift |
| 2020 | August 30 | One Astor Plaza, New York City, New York | Keke Palmer | "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd |
| 2021 | September 12 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | Doja Cat | "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X |
| 2022 | August 28 | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey | Jack Harlow, LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj | All Too Well: The Short Film by Taylor Swift |
| 2023 | September 12 | Nicki Minaj | "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift | |
| 2024 | September 11 | UBS Arena, Elmont, New York | Megan Thee Stallion | "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone |
Awards[]
Voted categories[]
| Award category | Years active | Inaugural recipient | Current recipient (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video of the Year | 1984-present | "You Might Think" by The Cars | "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone |
| Song of the Year | 2018-present | "Rockstar" by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage | "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter |
| Artist of the Year | 2017-present | Ed Sheeran | Taylor Swift |
| Best New Artist | 1984-present | Eurythmics (for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") | Chappell Roan |
| Push Performance of the Year | 2021-present | "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo | "Easy" by Le Sserafim (June 2024) |
| Best Collaboration | 2007-present | "Beautiful Liar" by Beyoncé and Shakira | "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone |
| Best Pop | 1999-present | "Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin | Taylor Swift |
| Best Hip-Hop | 1999-present | "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys | "Houdini" by Eminem |
| Best R&B | 1993-present | "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue | "Snooze" by SZA |
| Best K-Pop | 2019-present | "Boy with Luv" by BTS featuring Halsey | "Rockstar" by Lisa |
| Best Latin | 2010-present | Aventura | "Mil Veces" by Anitta |
| Best Rock | 1989-present | "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses | "Human" by Lenny Kravitz |
| Best Alternative | 1991-present | "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction | "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone |
| Best Afrobeats | 2023-present | "Calm Down" by Rema and Selena Gomez | "Water" by Tyla |
| Video for Good | 2011-present | "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga | "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish |
| Best Group | 1984-present | ZZ Top (for "Legs") | Seventeen |
| Song of Summer | 2013-present | "Best Song Ever" by One Direction | "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone |
| Best Trending Video | 2024-present | "Mamushi" by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Yuki Chiba | |
| VMAs Most Iconic Performance | 2024-present | "Roar" by Katy Perry (2013, from Empire-Fulton Ferry Park) | |
Professional categories[]
| Award category | Years active | Inaugural recipient | Current recipient (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Visual Effects | 1984-present | Godley & Creme (for "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock) | Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic and Flawless Post (for "Houdini" by Eminem) |
| Best Editing | 1984-present | Roo Aiken and Godley & Creme (for "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock) | Chancler Haynes (for "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone) |
| Best Direction | 1984-present | Tim Newman (for "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top) | Taylor Swift (for "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone) |
| Best Art Direction | 1984-present | Jim Whiting and Godley & Creme (for "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock) | Brittany Porter (for "Boa" by Megan Thee Stallion) |
| Best Choreography | 1984-present | Michael Jackson and Michael Peters (for "Thriller" by Michael Jackson) | Charm La'Donna (for "Houdini" by Dua Lipa) |
| Best Cinematography | 1984-present | Daniel Pearl (for "Every Breath You Take" by The Police) | Anatol Trofimov (for "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" by Ariana Grande) |
Special awards[]
| Award category | Inaugural recipient | Current recipient (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award | The Beatles, Richard Lester and David Bowie (awarded in 1984) | Katy Perry |
Networks[]
United States[]
| Network(s) | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| MTV | 1984-2024 |
| VH1 | 2009-2011, 2014-2024 |
| MTV2, Logo TV | 2014-2024 |
| VH1 Classic/MTV Classic | 2015-2019 |
| BET, Comedy Central, TV Land, CMT | 2015-2024 |
| Centric/BET Her | 2015-2016, 2018-2024 |
| Spike/Paramount Network | 2016-2024 |
| Nick at Nite | 2019-2024 |
| Pop TV | 2020-2024 |
| The CW | 2020-2022 |
| UniMás | 2023 |
| Univision | 2024 |
International[]
| Country/Region | Network(s) | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| International | MTV Global | 1987-2024 |
| Australia | 10 Peach/10 Peach Comedy | 2020, 2023-2024 |
| 10 Shake | 2021-2022 | |
| Canada | Much | 1984-2024 |
| MTV | 2013-2024 | |
| Chile | Chilevisión | 2021-2023 |
| United Kingdom | Channel 5 | 2021-2024 |