The 2021 Video Music Awards marks the first major awards show in New York to be held with a full audience of fans and celebrities since the Covid-19 pandemic.
JUSTIN Bieber, Lil Nas X and BTS won the top awards at this year’s Video Music Awards (VMA) held Sunday (September 12).
The 2021 VMA marks the first major awards show in New York to be held with a full audience of fans and celebrities since the Covid-19 pandemic.
VMA 2021 marks the 40th year of MTV launched back in 1981 as a dedicated channel to playing music videos.
Brooklyn’s Barclays Center was full of the hottest names in music who kept the world entertained during these dark times.
The 2021 show displayed a star-studded line up with performances from the likes of Busta Rhymes, Alicia Keys, Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Chlöe of Chloe x Halle, Jack Harlow, Kacey Musgraves, The Kid LAROI, Kim Petras, Lil Nas X, Machine Gun Kelly, Normani, Ozuna, Polo G, Shawn Mendes, Swae Lee, Swedish House Mafia, Tainy and Twenty One Pilots.
The big winner of the night with the Video of the Year goes to Lil Nas X, who saluted “the gay agenda” in his acceptance for “MONTERO (Call Me By your Name).
BTS was named group of the year and won best K-Pop for single "Butter", and sent thanks through video message from South Korea.
It was Justin Bieber who accepted the Artist of the Year award.
The pop star returned to the VMA stage for the first time in six years and performed with Kid Laroi with their hit collaboration ‘Stay.’
Bieber had a total of nine nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Direction and took home two awards with Artist of the Year along with Best Pop for his single "Peaches".
“Music is such an amazing outlet to be able to reach people and to be able to bring us all together," said Bieber, referring to the dark days of the pandemic.
Other winners included 18-year -old Fil-Am Olivia Rodrigo, who won Best New Artist and Song of the Year (for "Drivers License"); Billie Eilish, who won Video for Good for her ballad "Your Power"; and Travis Scott, who won Best Hip-Hop for "Franchise" (featuring Young Thug & M.I.A.).
Pop legends Madonna and Jennifer Lopez made separate cameos at the start of the event, toasting MTV for its 40th anniversary.
Clad in leather, the former shared her story of first coming to New York City at the age of 19 and being dropped off by a cab driver at the "center" of it all: in Times Square, home of MTV headquarters.
After declaring, "We're still here, motherf---ers," the Queen of Pop turned to exit the stage, flaunting a substantial portion of her backside.
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