LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow hosted the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Music’s biggest and brightest stars were honored, and some even won a Moon Person trophy. However, the party was milder than any previous year of the ceremony.
The crowd was graced with performances from Anitta, Blackpink, Lizzo, Maneskin, Jack Harlow, J Balvin, Marchmello x Khalid, Panic! at the Disco, and Kane Brown – who set records as the first male country singer to perform at the VMAs.
A mega trippy and fierce team-up between Eminem and Snoop Dogg, who went all out in performing their track, “From the D 2 and the LBC,” graced the stage.
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the coveted Video Vanguard Award to Minaj. The musician, who has garnered 17 VMA nominations over her career, began with a medley of her hits that included everything from “Super Bass” to her latest song, “Super Freaky Girl.”
After accepting the award, she made a heartwarming comment about how she wished Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson would be there to celebrate her.
“I wish people took mental health seriously, even for those who seem to have perfect lives,” she stated of the late music icons.
The most talked-about moment of the ceremony came at the end of the show, when Taylor Swift won the Video of the Year award.
Following her Moon Person trophy acceptance, she announced her newest album dropping on October 21 and said she would give out more information at midnight.
Read also: Nicki Minaj Bags First Solo Top Spot in Hot 100 Single with ‘Super Freaky Girl’
MTV VMAs of the Year
Here is the complete list of winners below:
GLOBAL ICON AWARD
Honoree: Red Hot Chili Peppers
VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD
Honoree: Nicki Minaj
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10-minute version) (Taylor’s version)
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bad Bunny
SONG OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
BEST NEW ARTIST
Dove Cameron
PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
December 2021: Seventeen – “Rock With You”
BEST COLLABORATION
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby”
BEST POP
Harry Styles – “As It Was”
BEST HIP-HOP
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have a Problem?”
BEST ROCK
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer”
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Måneskin – “I Wanna Be Your Slave”
BEST LATIN
Anitta – “Envolver”
BEST R&B
The Weeknd – “Out of Time”
BEST K-POP
Lisa – “Lalisa”
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE
Blackpink The Virtual | PUBG
BEST LONGFORM VIDEO
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10-minute version) (Taylor’s version)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Harry Styles – “As It Was”
BEST DIRECTION
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10-minute version) (Taylor’s version)
BEST ART DIRECTION
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby”
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Doja Cat – “Woman”
BEST EDITING
Rosalía – “Saoko”
SOCIAL CATEGORIES
GROUP OF THE YEAR
BTS
SONG OF THE SUMMER
Jack Harlow – “First Class”
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Harry Styles – Harry’s Ho
Read also: The University of Texas Grants Literary Undergrad on Taylor Swift Songs
