5 Iconic Moments In The History Of The MTV Video Music Awards
The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) will be held tonight, September 11, at New York’s UBS Arena. This years host is Megan Thee Stallion, who is up for five awards and will perform.
The awards show will also include performances by Chappel Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, Rauw Alejandro, Camila Cabello, Benson Boone, GloRilla, and Lisa from Blackpink, according to Rolling Stone.
Nominees include Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Eminem, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, according to Pitchfork.
As the awards show approaches, we’ve compiled some of the most iconic moments for women artists from past VMAs.
Madonna Secures Her Icon Status
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include Madonna’s iconic 1984 “Like A Virgin” performance at the very first VMAs, when she performed on a giant cake in a wedding dress. At the time, the performance, which included suggestively rolling around the stage, was considered very scandalous at the time.
Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade Medley
Attendees at the 2016 VMAs were treated to a 15-minute long performance by Beyoncé, who brought her Formation World Tour to the stage at Madison Square Garden. The performance started off with a rendition of “Pray You Catch Me,” followed by “Hold Up,” “Sorry,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” and “Formation.”
Beyoncé is a record-breaking star when it comes to the VMAs. She’s earned the most awards of all time at 30, which include wins from her time with Destiny’s Child and as part of The Carters with Jay-Z, according to the Washington Post.
Lady Gaga And Ariana Grande’s Mid-Pandemic Chromatica
The 2020 VMAs was a wild experience: deep in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande took to the stage for a 10-minute long performance complete with an electronic face mask. The duo performed their collab “Rain On Me” and a nearly nearly 10-minute performance of songs from her sixth album, Chromatica.
Shakira’s Super Bowl Reprise
Following her high-energy, widely-shared 2020 Super Bowl performance with Jennifer Lopez, Shakira received MTV’s Video Vanguard Award in 2023 and performed a fierce medley of her hits, including “She Wolf,” “TQG,” “Te Felicito,” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” She even invited some fans on stage to serve as backup dancers during “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her collab with Bizarrap.
Nearly 20 years later, the icon herself made headlines again when she and Britney Spears shared a kiss on stage during a performance with Christina Aguilera.
Taylor Swift’s History Making 2023 VMAs
Last year’s VMAs saw Taylor Swift not only dominating the competition by being the night’s top winner, but she also made history in several ways. Her video for “Anti-Hero” was named Video of the Year, the fourth time she has received the award.
No other musician has won the award more than twice, according to Forbes. She is also the first woman to win Best Direction three times for her videos.
