The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards aired Sunday night and despite the pandemic, an (outdoor) show still went on with some of the biggest names in music.
Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga led in nominations going into the event. Gaga took the stage multiple times, winning the first award of the broadcast for best collaboration for her hit single with Grande, “Rain On Me.”
Two more of the top awards of the night, artist of the year and song of the year, went to Gaga as well.K-pop supergroup BTS also won multiple VMAs.
Machine Gun Kelly won the best alternative for his single “Bloody Valentine,” starring his girlfriend Megan Fox. Doja Cat won for the best new artist. Taylor Swift won for best direction and sent in an acceptance video message from home.
Video of the year, the top VMA, went to The Weeknd for his hit “Blinding Lights.” He opened the show with a performance of the single. A full list of nominees and winners follows.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish — “everything i wanted”Eminem ft. Juice WRLD — “Godzilla”Future ft. Drake — “Life Is Good”Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me”Taylor Swift — “The Man”The Weeknd — “Blinding Lights” *WINNER
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
DaBabyJustin BieberLady Gaga *WINNERMegan Thee StallionPost MaloneThe Weeknd
SONG OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish — “everything i wanted”Doja Cat — “Say So”Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me” *WINNER Megan Thee Stallion — “Savage”Post Malone — “Circles”Roddy Ricch — “The Box”
BEST COLLABORATION
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber — “Stuck with U”Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin — “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid — “Beautiful People”Future ft. Drake — “Life Is Good”Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj — “Tusa”Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me” *WINNER
PUSH BEST NEW ARTIST
Doja Cat *WINNERJack HarlowLewis CapaldiRoddy RicchTate McRaeYUNGBLUD
BEST POP
BTS — “On” *WINNERHalsey — “You should be sad”Jonas Brothers — “What a Man Gotta Do”Justin Bieber ft. Quavo — “Intentions”Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me”Taylor Swift — “Lover”
BEST HIP-HOP
DaBaby — “BOP”Eminem ft. Juice WRLD — “Godzilla”Future ft. Drake — “Life Is Good”Megan Thee Stallion — “Savage” *WINNERRoddy Ricch — “The Box”Travis Scott — “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM”
BEST ROCK
blink-182 — “Happy Days”Coldplay — “Orphans” *WINNEREvanescence — “Wasted On You”Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean — “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”Green Day — “Oh Yeah!”The Killers — “Caution”
BEST ALTERNATIVE
The 1975 — “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”All Time Low — “Some Kind Of Disaster”FINNEAS — “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”Lana Del Rey — “Doin’ Time”Machine Gun Kelly — “Bloody Valentine” *WINNERtwenty one pilots — “Level of Concern”
BEST LATIN
Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin — “China”Bad Bunny — “Yo Perreo Sola”Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul — “MAMACITA”J Balvin — “Amarillo”Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj — “Tusa”Maluma ft. J Balvin — “Qué Pena” *WINNER
BEST R&B
Alicia Keys — “Underdog”Chloe x Halle — “Do It”H.E.R. ft. YG — “Slide”Khalid ft. Summer Walker — “Eleven”Lizzo — “Cuz I Love You”The Weeknd — “Blinding Lights” *WINNER
BEST K-POP
(G)I-DLE — “Oh My God”BTS — “On” *WINNEREXO — “Obsession”Monsta X — “SOMEONE’S SOMEONE”Tomorrow X Together — “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”Red Velvet — “Psycho”
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Anderson .Paak — “Lockdown”Billie Eilish — “all the good girls go to hell”Demi Lovato — “I Love Me”H.E.R. – “I Can’t Breathe” *WINNERLil Baby — “The Bigger Picture”Taylor Swift — “The Man”
BEST MUSIC VIDEO FROM HOME
5 Seconds of Summer — “Wildflower”Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber — “Stuck with U” *WINNERblink-182 — “Happy Days”Drake — “Toosie Slide”John Legend — “Bigger Love”twenty one pilots — “Level of Concern”
BEST GROUP
BTS *WINNER5 Seconds of SummerThe 1975BLACKPINKChloe x HalleCNCOLittle MixMONSTA XNow Unitedtwenty one pilots
BEST QUARANTINE PERFORMANCE
Chloe x Halle — “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-AthonCNCO — MTV Unplugged At Home *WINNERDJ D-Nice — Club MTV Presents: #DanceTogetherJohn Legend — #TogetherAtHome Concert SeriesLady Gaga — “Smile” from One World: Together At HomePost Malone — Nirvana Tribute
BEST DIRECTION
Billie Eilish — “xanny” — Directed by Billie EilishDoja Cat — “Say So” — Directed by Hannah Lux DavisDua Lipa — “Don’t Start Now” — Directed by NabilHarry Styles — “Adore You” — Directed by Dave MeyersTaylor Swift — “The Man” — Directed by Taylor Swift *WINNERThe Weeknd — “Blinding Lights” — Directed by Anton Tammi
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
5 Seconds of Summer — “Old Me” — Cinematography by Kieran FowlerCamila Cabello ft. DaBaby — “My Oh My” — Cinematography by Scott CunninghamBillie Eilish — “all the good girls go to hell” — Cinematography by Christopher ProbstKaty Perry — “Harleys In Hawaii” — Cinematography by Arnau VallsLady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me” — Cinematography by Thomas Kloss *WINNERThe Weeknd — “Blinding Lights” — Cinematography by Oliver Millar
BEST ART DIRECTION
A$AP Rocky — “Babushka Boi” — Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee CohenDua Lipa — “Physical” — Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogu ́Harry Styles — “Adore You” — Art Direction by Laura Ellis CricksMiley Cyrus — “Mother’s Daughter” — Art Direction by Christian Stone *WINNERSelena Gomez — “Boyfriend” — Art Direction by Tatiana Van SauterTaylor Swift — “Lover” — Art Direction by Ethan Tobman
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish — “all the good girls go to hell” — Darkroom / Interscope Records — Visual Effects by Drive StudiosDemi Lovato — “I Love Me” — Island Records — Visual Effects by Hoody FXDua Lipa — “Physical” — Warner Records — Visual Effects by EIGHTY4 *WINNERHarry Styles — “Adore You” — Columbia Records — Visual Effects by MathematicLady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me” — Streamline / Interscope Records — Visual Effects by Ingenuity StudiosTravis Scott — “Higest in the Room” — Epic Records / Cactus Jack — Visual Effects by ArtJail, Scissor Films & Frender
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
BTS — “On” — Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun *WINNERCNCO & Natti Natasha — “Honey Boo” — Choreography by Kyle HanagamiDaBaby — “BOP” — Choreography by Dani Leigh and CherryDua Lipa — “Physical” — Choreography by Charm La’DonnaLady Gaga with Ariana Grande — “Rain On Me” — Choreography by Richy JacksonNormani — “Motivation” — Choreography by Sean Bankhead
BEST EDITING
Halsey — “Graveyard” — Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim MontanaJames Blake — “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow” — Edited by Frank LebonLizzo — “Good As Hell” — Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia KerpanMiley Cyrus — “Mother’s Daughter” — Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico *WINNERROSALÍA — “A Palé” — Edited by Andre JonesThe Weeknd — “Blinding Lights” — Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
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