After adjusting its air date to make room for the presidential debate on Tuesday, the MTV Video Music Awards took place tonight live from UBS Arena in New York—its first time at that particular venue after spending the last two years at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Hosted by Megan Thee Stallion, the VMAs celebrated its 40th(!) anniversary with performances and appearances from a cast of celebrities, many of whom are closely intertwined with MTV’s pop-culture history, from show opener Eminem to Video Vanguard winner Katy Perry, presenter and onetime Total Request Live VJ Carson Daly, and fellow presenter Cyndi Lauper, who won the first-ever Moonman for best female video in 1984. Even Lenny Kravitz performed at the VMAs for the first time in 25 years.
The VMAs likewise rolled out the carpet for newcomers, such as best new artist nominees and first-time performers Chappell Roan and Benson Boone, six-time nominee Sabrina Carpenter (also performing for the first time), and the recently solo BLACKPINK K-pop singer LISA.
Meanwhile, VMAs legend Taylor Swift led the night with 10 nominations, including video of the year for “Fortnight” with Post Malone. No stranger to making VMAs history, Swift won video of the year in 2022 and 2023, for “Anti-Hero” and “All Too Well: The Short Film,” respectively.
Here are the best, worst, and most dramatic moments from the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
Most Underwhelming Entrance: Eminem
Eminem is an indelible part of MTV’s history, sure. But his opening performance of “Houdini”— kicked off with dozens of fake Shadys running up onstage, a callback to his 2000 performance—and “Somebody Save Me” with JellyRoll—intercut with home movies of Em’s kids—was a snore. A schmaltzy snore.
Most Adorably Speechless: Post Malone
Winning the first award of the night for Best Collaboration (“Fortnight”), Taylor Swift and Post Malone walked onstage together as seasoned VMAs champions. After Swift gave a memorial to the victims of 9/11, she joked how Post Malone couldn’t stop calling her “ma’am” as they worked together. Then, she passed the mic to Posty, who had to take a full pause as he searched for words to describe working with Swift. The VMAs don’t have too many off-script, truly genuine moments anymore, but this was a sweet and wholesome way to get the night going.
Most Effortlessly Fun: Karol G
Just one year after making her VMAs debut, Karol G came back to remind everyone why she’s such a masterful performer. Singing her merengue new single “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” the Colombian pop singer made her set an interactive one by dancing all over the venue—that included shaking it with Taylor Swift, Post Malone, and Camilla Cabello.
Most Smoke Inhalation: Shawn Mendes
In a move that felt determined to prove he can be a rockstar, too, Shawn Mendes rolled out a few stage rugs, an acoustic guitar, and some really, really overzealous backing band members to debut a live version of “Isn’t That Enough” (from his forthcoming album Shawn). With plumes of smoke billowing out behind him, Mendes tried his very best to channel actual soulful, sexy crooners like Prince – but ended up barely hanging on to the high notes.
Most Missed No-Show: Britney Spears
Given everything she’s endured, it was unlikely that Britney Spears would actually attend the VMAs, even for the show’s 40th anniversary. But that didn’t stop multiple singers from paying tribute to her historic VMAs outfits (Addison Rae, Tate McRae, host Megan Thee Stallion wearing a snake) and her Y2K-era performances, with Sabrina Carpenter including multiple references to Spears in her VMAs performance and Halsey shouting her out on the red carpet. Spears might never attend another award show (as is her right; protect that mental health), but her performances of “I’m A Slave 4 U” and “Oops!…I Did It Again” live on.
Most Out Of This World: Sabrina Carpenter
Left Shark, who? It’s all about Left Alien now. Sabrina Carpenter made an instant-classic VMAs debut with a medley performance of Short n’ Sweet singles “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” and “Espresso,” which, in a meta move, appeared to reference the award show’s trophy (the Moon Man, since renamed the Moon Person in 2017). Carpenter floated down into a sea of dancers dressed as astronauts and even recalled her “Taste” video by making out with one very lucky blue alien.
Most Mid Video Vanguard: Katy Perry
Katy Perry has been in something of a PR nightmare ever since she released a snippet of the since maligned “Woman’s World” earlier this summer, partially for its cringe, 2016-girlboss-era lyrics (which she later somewhat dubiously explained were meant to be satire) and even more for the fact that it was produced by Dr. Luke, whom Kesha accused of being “sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally” abusive in 2014. (They reached a settlement in 2023.) The remainder of the rollout for her forthcoming album, 143, hasn’t gone much better. If you were hoping that Perry would bring some of the colorful world-building she founded her career on to her Video Vanguard medley performance, you’d end up disappointed, as the entire segment was relatively one-note, with hardly any costume changes (save for when Perry threw on a pair of metallic butterfly wings), set switch-ups, or creativity other than “beige corset top” and “outer space theme.” After a combination of well-delivered, full-throated songs like “E.T.,” new single “I’m His, He’s Mine” with a scene-stealing doechii, “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” and problematic fave “I Kissed A Girl,” Perry gave a semi-loaded thank you speech that seemed to jab back at critics. “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade-long accidents.” True, but some of the shade must have sunken in, as there was nary a mention of “Woman’s World.”
