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Remembering 13 Top Moments from 33 Years of MTV’s Video Music Awards
By Stephan Horbelt
August 23, 2016 :: 4:40 PM
A look back at the infamous awards ceremony, returning to television on Sunday, Aug. 28 The post Remembering 13 Top Moments from 33 Years of MTV’s Video Music Awards appeared first on Fronti…
Come Sunday, Aug. 28, MTV will hearken back to the past, when its focus was on music and music videos. The MTV Video Music Awards will air live from New York’sMadison Square Garden, returning to its roots by coming back to New York. (Though this marks the first time the awards will be held at MSG.) We’ve taken the time to roundup some of the infamous awards show’s top moments. We learned a couple things, and maybe you will, too.
1. The very first VMAs were held at Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 14, 1984, and they were hosted by–of all people–Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler.
2. In 2013, in honor of the VMAs’ first time in Brooklyn, the Moonman statue was redesigned for the first time in 30 years by Brooklyn artist KAWS. The award was redesigned again by Jeremy Scott for the 2015 VMAs, which were held in LA.
3. In 1997, Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear announced he was leaving the band half way through their performance, and then introduced his replacement, Franz Stahl.
4. The 1999 VMAs featured the first-time meeting between the mothers of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
5. At the 2001 VMAs, Britney Spears gave her epic performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U” while dancing in a cage with a live tiger, and soon after wrapped a python around her neck.
6. In 2010, Lady Gaga”˜s gown required 50 pounds of meat. She dubbed it “the most comfortable dress of the night” and told the designer the dress smelled good.
7. N’Sync reunited at the VMAs in 2013, the same year Justin Timberlake was honored with the Video Vanguard Award.
9. Over 150 formal complaints were sent to the FCC over Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s infamous twerk in 2014.
10. “Best Artist Website” and “Ringtone of the Year” are just two forgotten categories you can no longer win a Moonman for.
11. Kanye West was not the only person to interrupt a winner onstage (when he did so to Taylor Swift in 2009). The first incident happened at the 1994 VMAs when Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch interrupted R.E.M.’s acceptance speech for “Breakthrough Video.”
12. P!nk accepted her first Moonman while drunk when she won for “Get the Party Started” in 2002. She fessed up, telling the audience, “I’m too drunk for this.”
13. Justin Bieber became the youngest person to win a VMA for his song “Baby” in 2010. Before that, the honor belonged to Avril Lavigne, who won for “Best New Artist in a Video” in 2002.
