Full List: Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X Win Top Prizes At 2021 MTV Video Music Awards
Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X have won top prizes at 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
Held at Barclays Center in New York City, the ceremony hosted by Doja Cat started off with Madonna and Jennifer Lopez paying tribute to MTV turning 40.
The 2021 VMAs — a show known more for ostentatious performances, made-for-Twitter moments and wild costumes than the actual awards — was back with its signature elaborate performances before a masked full audience after a 2020 show that saw many celebrities accept prizes via video stream.
The show opened with a pre-taped clip from none other than Madonna, who made VMA history at 1984 inaugural show with a show-stopping performance of “Like A Virgin,” which kicked off the show’s reign as a platform for headline-grabbing antics.
The event then saw stunning live performances by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow singing their new song “Industry Baby” and Bieber making a return to the VMAs stage for the first time since his emotional breakdown in 2015.
Recall that Billie Eilish, Drake, Giveon and Olivia Rodrigo each earned five nominations.
Read Also: Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, BTS Lead At 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, See Complete List Of Winners
Returning to a live audience format after a year, the 40th-anniversary edition of the awards show had many surprises up its sleeve.
Justin Bieber took home awards for Artist of the Year and Best Pop while Olivia Rodrigo earned the Song of the Year award.
Lil Nas X received the coveted Video of the Year award for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” not long after a sensual performance just days before his album is set for release September 17.
“Thank you to the gay agenda, let’s go gay agenda!” said the 22-year-old. His winning video had set off social media hype that saw the artist exchange disses with a sitting US governor, who took issue with the seductive clip in which the artist gives the devil a lap dance.
The host herself, Doja Cat performed “Been Like This” and “You Right” while descending from the rafters in an aerial act.
However, it was Normani’s performance of “Wild Side” that stole the night. The R&B pop star stunned with her always-on-lock choreography before grinding on Teyana Taylor, with that performer strapped to a metal platform in an homage to past acts by Janet Jackson.
Also, Billie Eilish introduced a head-banging performance from Foo Fighters, thanking them for “carrying the torch of rock and roll” before they received the show’s Global Icon Award.
In addition to performing pop, sensation Olivia Rodrigo scored three awards, including Song of the Year for “Drivers License” and Best New Artist.
“I just feel so grateful that I get to make music and do stuff that I love and call it my job,” said the 18-year-old whose debut album “Sour” soared to the top of charts.
Korean heavyweight boy band BTS snagged Best K-pop for “Butter,” as the decorated Eilish’s “Your Power” won the award for Video For Good.
The eligibility period for this year’s videos ranged from July 2020 to June 2021.
Sunday’s show kicks off a packed month of cultural events slated to return to New York after the pandemic wreaked havoc on the entertainment calendar.
The glittery Met Gala, a star-studded event that raises money for the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Insitute, is set for Monday evening, with co-hosts to include Eilish. The three-day Governor’s Ball music festival is meanwhile scheduled for the weekend of September 24 in Queens.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Video of the Year
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X, Columbia Records — Winner
“WAP” – Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Atlantic Records
“Popstar” – DJ Khaled ft. Drake (starring Justin Bieber) OVO / We The Best / Epic Records
“Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat ft. SZA, Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
“Bad Habits” – Ed Sheeran, Atlantic Records
“Save Your Tears” – The Weeknd, XO / Republic Records
Artist of the Year
Justin Bieber — Winner
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Megan Thee Stallion
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
“Drivers License” – Olivia Rodrigo, Geffen Records — Winner
“Mood” – 24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior, Records LLC / Columbia Records
“Leave the Door Open” – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records
“Dynamite” – BTS, Bighit Music
“WAP” – Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Atlantic Records
“Levitating” – Dua Lipa, Warner Records
Best New Artist
Olivia Rodrigo — Winner
24kGoldn
Giveon
The Kid Laroi
Polo G
Saweetie
Push Performance of the Year
“Drivers License” – Olivia Rodrigo, Geffen Records — Winner
“Are You Bored Yet?” – Wallows, Atlantic Records
“Daisy” – Ashnikko, Warner Records
“Gorgeous” – Saint Jhn, Godd Complexx / HITCO
“Coco” – 24kGoldn, Records LLC / Columbia Records
“Break My Heart” – JC Stewart, Elektra Music Group
“Sex Lies” – Latto, RCA Records
“Selfish” – Madison Beer, Epic Records / Sing It Loud
“Without You” – The Kid Laroi, Columbia Records
“Serotonin” – Girl in Red, World in Red / AWAL
“My Slime” – Fousheé, RCA Records
“Think About Me” – Jxdn, DTA Records / Elektra Music Group
Best Collaboration
“Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat ft. SZA, Kemosabe Records / RCA Records — Winner
“Mood” – 24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior, Records LLC / Columbia Records
“WAP” – Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Atlantic Records
“Laugh Now Cry Later” – Drake ft. Lil Durk, OVO / Republic Records
“Peaches” – Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon, Def Jam
“Prisoner” – Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa, RCA Records
Best Pop
“Peaches” – Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon, Def Jam — Winner
“Positions” – Ariana Grande, Republic Records
“Therefore I Am” – Billie Eilish, Darkroom / Interscope Records
“Butter” – BTS, Bighit Music
“Treat People With Kindness” – Harry Styles, Columbia Records
“Good 4 U” – Olivia Rodrigo, Geffen Records
“Wonder” – Shawn Mendes, Island Records
“Willow” – Taylor Swift, Republic Records
Best Hip-Hop
“Franchise” – Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A., Cactus Jack / Epic Records — Winner
“WAP” – Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Atlantic Records
“Laugh Now Cry Later” – Drake ft. Lil Durk, OVO / Republic Records
“On Me (remix)” – Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Quality Control / Motown
“Said Sum” – Moneybagg Yo, N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records
“Rapstar” – Polo G, Columbia Records
Best Alternative
“My Ex’s Best Friend” – Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear, Bad Boy / Interscope Records — Winner
“Stop Making This Hurt” – Bleachers, RCA Records
“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals, Republic Records
“Follow You” – Imagine Dragons, Kidinakorner / Interscope Records
“Shy Away” – Twenty One Pilots, Fueled By Ramen
“Transparent Soul” – Willow ft. Travis Barker, MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation
Best R&B
“Leave the Door Open” – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records — Winner
“Brown Skin Girl” – Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, WizKid, Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
“Go Crazy” – Chris Brown and Young Thug, Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records
“Heartbreak Anniversary” – Giveon, Epic Records / Not So Fast
“Come Through” – H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown, MBK Entertainment / RCA Records
“Good Days” – SZA, Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Best K-pop
“Butter” – BTS, Bighit Music — Winner
“Dumdi Dumdi” – G)I-DLE, Republic Records
“Ice Cream” – Blackpink and Selena Gomez, YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
“Gambler” – Monsta X, Starship Entertainment
“Ready to love” – Seventeen, Pledis Entertainment
“Alcohol-Free” – Twice, JYP Entertainment Company
Video For Good
“Your Power” – Billie Eilish, Darkroom / Interscope Records — Winner
“Dancing With the Devil” – Demi Lovato, Island
“Fight For You” – H.E.R., MBK Entertainment / RCA Records
“Worldwide Beautiful” – Kane Brown, Sony Music Nashville / RCA Records
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X, Columbia Records
“Entrepreneur” – Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z, Columbia Records
Best Direction
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino, Columbia Records — Winner
“Your Power” – Billie Eilish, Directed by: Billie Eilish, Darkroom / Interscope Records
“Popstar (starring Justin Bieber)” – DJ Khaled ft. Drake, Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X, OVO / We The Best / Epic Records
“Willow” – Taylor Swift, Directed by: Taylor Swift, Republic Records
“Franchise” – Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A, Directed by: Travis Scott, Cactus Jack / Epic Records
“Lumberjack” – Tyler, The Creator, Directed by: Wolf Haley, Columbia Records
Best Cinematography
“Brown Skin Girl” – Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid, Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, Mohammaed Atta Ahmed, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant, Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records — Winner
“Therefore I Am” – Billie Eilish, Cinematography by: Rob Witt, Darkroom / Interscope Records
“Shame Shame” – Foo Fighters, Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez, Roswell Records / RCA Records
“Holy” – Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper, Cinematography by: Elias Talbot, RBMG / Def Jam
“911” – Lady Gaga, Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth, Interscope Records
“Solar Power” – Lorde, Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud, LAVA/Republic Records
Best Choreography
“Treat People With Kindness” – Harry Styles, Columbia Records — Winner
“34+35” – Ariana Grande, Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson, Republic Records
“Butter” – BTS, Choreography by: Son Sung with BHM Performance Directing Team, Bighit Music
“Bad Habits” – Ed Sheeran, Choreography by: Natricia Bernard, Atlantic Records
“Shame Shame” – Foo Fighters, Choreography by: Nina McNeely, Roswell Records / RCA Records
“Be Kind” – Marshmello & Halsey, Choreography by: Dani Vitale, Astralwerks / Capitol Records.
