Statements against police brutality, tributes to the late ‘Black Panther’ actor Chadwick Boseman and messages encouraging viewers at home to wear masks all emerged at the forefront of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Despite the ongoing pandemic, which has slowed down — and in some cases, completely shut — the majority of the entertainment industry, the outdoor award’s show took place throughout New York City, featuring several high profile performances.
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Lady Gaga (pictured), BTS and Ariana Grande lead awards: Lady Gaga, BTS and Ariana Grande all won four awards each. But, Gaga recieved one additional recognition that helped her dominate the evening — the first ever MTV VMA’s Tricon Award. Most fans are still confused about the meaning of ‘Tricon’ — the accolade is given to those who have been exemplary in three different disciplines. For Gaga, this includes her music and acting careers, as well as her philanthropy.
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Chloe x Halle give futuristic pre-show performance — but fans want more: Fans didn’t hold back their disapproval when they found out that Chloe x Halle’s performance was relegated to the award pre-show, rather than the main show. In fact, the young sisterly R’n’B duo trended on Twitter hours later, as loads of users demanded they get more recognition. That didn’t stop the siblings from putting on a dazzling futuristic performance that looked straight out of a dream — dressed in reflective body suits and surrounded by a haze, they performed ‘Ungodly Hour’.
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Host Keke Palmer dedicates the show to Chadwick Boseman: Host Keke Palmer opened the show by paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who died this week of colon cancer at the age of 43. “We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just onscreen, but in everything he did. His impact lives forever,” said Palmer of the ‘Black Panther’ star.
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Palmer also described Boseman as “an actor whose talent and passion is a true inspiration to all the fans he touched and everyone he encountered.” Later, speaking out against recent police brutality cases, including the shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, Palmer said: “We can never tolerate police brutality or any injustice. We must continue the fight to end systemic racism.”
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DaBaby performs with ‘Stop Killing Us’ sign: DaBaby also brought Black Lives Matter to the forefront with his performance on Sunday night. The rapper first performed his hit track ‘Rockstar’ in purple and yellow and a Lakers cap, in what many are calling a tribute to Kobe Bryant. He then performed ‘Blind’ while stomping on top of a police car, with a ‘Stop Killing Us’ protest sign in the background.
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BTS make MTV VMAs debut with record-breaking hit ‘Dynamite’: While most performances happened in New York, Kpop megastars BTS found a way to transport themselves to the Big Apple… green screen. The seven-member group performed their first English single, ‘Dynamite’, in South Korea, but they had several iconic NYC locales as their backdrop, including Times Square and the Brooklyn Bridge. BTS won Best Pop, Best Group, Best K-Pop and Best Choreography.
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CNCO perform debut MTV VMAs set at ‘drive-in’ in Brooklyn: CNCO kicked off a stylish performance of their track ‘Beso’ amidst a bunch of parked cars as part of MTV’s drive-in set up in Brooklyn — and ended it with each of the five members dancing atop a separate car. The Latin American boyband had never performed at the VMAs before.
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Frontline workers are star of show as doctor wins VMA: Singing doctor Nate Wood (pictured) won in a new category at the MTV Video Music Awards — the ‘Everyday Hero: Frontline Medical Workers’ accolade. Wood, who was one of five nominees, went viral this year with his piano rendition of ‘Lean on Me’, which he said he recorded shortly after admitting his first Covid-19 patient in the ICU. Bill Withers, the track’s singer-songwriter, died on March 30 this year.
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Two new categories introduced because of the pandemic: We’re living in strange times — strange enough to warrant two new categories. The MTV VMAs introduced Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance; Ariana Grande (Pictured) and Justin Bieber won the former with ‘Stuck With U’ and CNCO won the latter with ‘Unplugged at Home’. One can only hope that the categories will be obsolete by next year…
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Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande wore masks during ‘Rain on Me’: Pop stars Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande got creative — and a bit whacky — with their face masks during their song ‘Rain on Me’, part of a larger medley of Gaga’s tracks. Gaga and her dancers all wore masks designed by Cecillo Castrillo — and yes, both Gaga and Grande kept their masks on during the whole performance. Gaga’s high-tech LED mask was particularly attention-grabbing as it lit up. The ‘Stupid Love’ singer said: “I might sound like a broken record but wear a mask. It’s a sign of respect.”
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The Weeknd wins final award, gives sobering ode to Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor: Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, on the biggest accolade of the night — Video of the Year — for his track ‘Blinding Lights’. However, Tesfaye’s acceptance speech was sombre and sobering as he chose to use his voice for the greater good. “It’s really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment, so I’m just going to say: justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor,” said Tesfaye.
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Black Eyed Peas close out the night with ‘I’ve Gotta Feeling’: Hip hop group Black Eyed Peas threw it way back. They brought back their 17-year-old classic ‘Where is the Love?’ (2003) for the show’s grand finale. Will.i.am summed up the night, saying: “Wanna send love to the first responders and the freedom fighters. Wakanda forever. Black Lives Matter.”
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