These days, it seems like folks on the internet can turn just about anything into a controversy. Case in point: During Tyla’s acceptance speech at last night’s MTV VMAs, she made a simple, relatable request that commenters on Twitter (never calling it “X”) twisted into a case of… bullying(?) one of the two presenters, fellow singer Halle Bailey. While being presented the moon person for Best Afrobeats, she expressed surprise at the weight of the statuette, joking, “I’m not strong enough!”
Offering the moon person to Lil Nas X, who was presenting alongside Halle, Tyla asked, “Can you hold it for me?” Twitter promptly lit up with accusations that she wanted Halle to hold it for her (although Nas was the one who ended up taking it). “Halle said baby I am NOT the help,” wrote one commentewrote one commenter Hold your own award boo. Tyla tried it.” Another added, “Halle tried handing her the cards & she brushed her off but expected her to hold her award.”
Tyla herself, though, wasn’t having any of it, shutting down such speculation with an astute observation: “Y’all make everything weird… I was not asking my girl Halle… We just girls.” She also offered those detractors some friendly advice: “STFU I WON A VMAAAA.”
Ever since her single “Water” became a ubiquitous hit, Tyla has become something of a lightning rod for manufactured controversy. In a recent interview with the Breakfast Club, she was asked a question about her coloured identity — which she had specifically asked them not to do — and before that, she was criticized for taking a photo with Representative Nancy Pelosi by fans who disagreed with Pelosi’s policies (if they even know what those polices are).
For all these folks, here’s some more advice, free of charge: Seek therapy.
The official Hip-Hop 50 celebration may have wrapped up last year, but LL kept the hip-hop history lesson going at the 2024 MTV VMAs. His medley performance not only included songs from his newly released fourteenth studio album, The FORCE, but also encompassed many of his signature hits going back to his glory days in hip-hop’s Golden Age. Opening with “Headsprung” (remixed with the now-familiar Mohawks sample, “The Champ,” rather than its original Timbaland-produced beat) then transforming into Public Enemy’s “Bring The Noise” (with a surprise appearance from Chuck D himself), the veteran performer also went through “Rock The Bells” before hitting newer songs like “Passion” and “Proclivities” before returning to another classic: “Doin’ It.” You can watch the full performance above.
Ironically, LL’s performance was nearly upstaged during a shot of the audience featuring a woman standing motionless, staring at the stage, and grinning in such an eerie way, that it seems almost certain that she was an actor planted to promote the upcoming horror thriller Smile 2. Unfortunately, though, LL didn’t perform “Murdergram Deux,” his collaboration with Eminem, who also performed tonight to open the VMAs, but probably did leave before LL’s performance.
You can still check out a full list of VMA winners here.
The crowd at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards was left yelling, “Yeah, Glo!” after GloRilla’s performance of that song, decked out in a black-and-white suit, which turned into a skimpy bikini as she performed “TGIF” atop a conference table, replete with the flames that seemed like a prerequisite for pretty much every other performance of the night.
She and Meg also apparently have plans to drop a joint album in the near future, with Meg saying, “I ain’t gon’ say too much, but it feels like it’s going to get done.” Not bad for a pair of rappers who say they weren’t sure about each other when they first met.
You can check out GloRilla’s performance video above, and keep up with the full list of VMAs winners here.
In addition to hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs, Megan Thee Stallion was also booked as a performer. She absolutely killed both roles, pulling out some iconic looks from the show’s past during her hosting duties, and then burning the house down with her performance, which included hits “Boa,” “B.A.S.,” “Hiss,” and “Mamushi,” for which she was joined by guest rapper Yuki Chiba in his first US performance. The Houston hottie is also nominated for five awards, with Best Hip-Hop, Best Direction, and Best Visual Effects among them.
Meg’s had a busy 2024, dropping her new album Megan while completing her Hot Girl Summer Tour with GloRilla, during which she became one of the WNBA’s biggest supporters by bringing players like Natasha Cloud and Angel Reese on stage with her. Then, she joined Kamala Harris’ campaign, declaring that the Vice President is “for the Hotties” during a performance at one of the Presidential hopeful’s rallies.
And just when it seemed like she’d delivered all the new music she had to offer this year, she teamed up once again with BTS’s RM for another cross-cultural collaboration, “Neva Play.” Oh, and she seemingly hard-launched her relationship with NBA player Torrey Craig, so it looks like she’s having her fair share of play along with all that work.
You can watch Megan Thee Stallion’s medley performance here, and check out all of the night’s winners here.
The 2024 MTV VMAs’ opening was Olympics-coded. Host Megan Thee Stallion delivered her opening monologue in a gymnastics-adjacent leotard because, as she said, she is “repping Team VMA.” Meg also clarified that “VMA” stands for the Voluptuous Megan Awards” and declared that she deserves “a gold medal for being a bad b*tch!” Megan Thee Stallion kicked it over to Flavor Flav and USA Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles to present the night’s first category, Best Collaboration.
But before announcing the winner, Flavor Flav had more important business to take care of. The iconic rapper, pop cultural icon, and newly minted Team USA mascot gifted Chiles a bedazzled pink clock necklace to replace her Olympic bronze medal that she was controversially (and wrongfully, but that’s a discussion for another day) stripped of.
“I know they tried to take your medal away from you,” Flav said, as captured by Deadline, and briefly paused to account for the audience booing. “I got you something that they can’t take away from you.”
Flavor Flav put the gigantic clock around Chiles’ neck, and Chiles thanked Flavor Flav while the crowd applauded.
Chiles won the women’s team gold medal alongside her teammates, and she had been awarded the bronze medal for individual floor, but days later, the Romanian team filed a petition to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The CAS ruled to reinstate the initial scoring, awarding the bronze to Romanian Ana Barbosu and ordering Chiles return hers. See the full timeline of the controversy here.
Oh, and Post Malone and Taylor Swift won Best Collaboration for “Fortnight.”
Eminem opened the 2024 MTV VMAs in nostalgic fashion, hearkening back to his first-ever VMAs performance in 2000. Back then, he was a new artist nominee and stormed the stage with dozens of duplicates to perform his then-new hit, “The Real Slim Shady.” Tonight, he did the same thing, bringing out a fleet of anachronistic fellow Slims to perform his Death Of Slim Shady cuts “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me.” While he was not joined on stage by Jelly Roll, the Tennessee crooner did make an appearance via video screen. The performance set the tone for what to expect throughout the show, which has already included a number of references to VMAs past — perhaps to shut down skeptics who wondered why the VMAs would still be considered a big deal, 40 years later.
Eminem is one of the most nominated artists of the evening with eight nominations — which gives him plenty of opportunities to break the record for most MTV Video Music Awards won by a single act. He’s nominated for Artist Of The Year, Video Of The Year, Best Hip-Hop, Best Direction, and Best Visual Effects for “Houdini.” That debut performance of “The Real Slim Shady”/”The Way I Am” is also up for an award for VMAs Most Iconic Performance.
The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards are here, led by Taylor Swift with 10 nominations. Other nominees include Post Malone with nine nominations, Sabrina Carpenter, Eminem, and Ariana Grande with six nominations, and SZA and Megan Thee Stallion with five nominations each.
You can find a full list of winners below, updated throughout the night.
Video Of The Year
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Republic Records
Billie Eilish – “Lunch” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Artist Of The Year
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Eminem – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
SZA – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song Of The Year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – “Lovin On Me” – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records
Best New Artist
Benson Boone – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Chappell Roan – Island
Gracie Abrams – Interscope Records
Shaboozey – American Dogwood / EMPIRE
Teddy Swims – Warner Records
Tyla – Epic Records
MTV Push Performance Of The Year
August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes” – Atlantic Records
September 2023: GloRilla – “Lick or Sum” – CMG / Interscope Records
October 2023: Benson Boone – “In the Stars” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU” – Def Jam
December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records
January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records
February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records
March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova” – Island
April 2024: Flyana Boss – “Yeaaa” – Vnclm_/ Atlantic Records
May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess” – Laufey / AWAL
June 2024: Le Sserafim – “Easy” – Source Music / Geffen Records
July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun” – Lava / Republic Records
Best Collaboration
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Drake Feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy ” – OVO / Republic Records
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be” – CMG / Interscope Records
Jessie Murph Feat. Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records
Jung Kook Feat. Latto – “Seven” – Bighit Music / Geffen Records
Post Malone Feat. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help” – Mercury / Republic / Big Loud
Best Pop
Camila Cabello – Geffen / Interscope Records
Dua Lipa – Warner Records
Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Tate McRae – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Best Hip-Hop
Drake Feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy ” – OVO / Republic Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
GloRilla – “Yeah Glo!” – CMG / Interscope Records
Gunna – “Fukumean” – Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott Feat. Playboi Carti – “FE!N” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “Lifeline” – AK Records / Gamma
Muni Long – “Made For Me” – Def Jam
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Tyla – “Water” – Fax Records / Epic Records
Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good” – Mega / Gamma
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records
Best Alternative
Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit
Hozier – “Too Sweet” – Columbia Records
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed” – KIDinaKorner / Interscope Records
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire” – This Compilation / Warner Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)” – Warner Records
Best Rock
Bon Jovi – “Legendary” – Island
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records
Green Day – “Dilemma” – Reprise Records / Warner Records
Kings of Leon – “Mustang” – Capitol Records
Lenny Kravitz – “Human” – Roxie Records Inc. / BMG Rights Management
U2 – “Atomic City” – Interscope Records
Best Latin
Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Bad Bunny – “Monaco” – Rimas Entertainment
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” – Bichota / Interscope Records
Myke Towers – “Lala” – Warner Music Latina
Peso Pluma & Anitta – “Bellakeo” – Double P Records
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment
Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería” – Sony Music US Latin
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr Feat. Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin / Republic
Burna Boy – “City Boys” – Spaceship / Bad Habit / Atlantic Records
Chris Brown Feat. Davido & Lojay – “Sensational” – Chris Brown Entertainment / RCA Records
Tems – “Love Me JeJe” – Since ’93 / RCA Records
Tyla – “Water” – Fax Records / Epic Records
Usher, Pheelz – “Ruin” – mega / gamma.
Best K-Pop
Jung Kook Feat. Latto – “Seven” – Bighit Music / Geffen Records
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records
NCT Dream – “Smoothie” – SM Entertainment / Virgin Music Group
NewJeans – “Super Shy” – ADOR / Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “Lalalala” – JYP Entertainment / Imperial / Republic Records
Tomorrow X Together – “Deja vu” – Bighit Music / Imperial / Republic Records
Video For Good
Alexander Stewart – “If Only You Knew” – FAE Grp
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For (From the Motion Picture “Barbie”)” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best for Me” – Twenty Nine Music Group
Raye – “Genesis” – Human Re Sources
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love” – Hickman Holler Records / RCA Records
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Republic Records – Directed by
Christian Breslauer
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit – Directed by Alex Lockett & Margaret Qualley
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Directed by Rich Lee
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions – Directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Island – Directed by Bardia Zeinali
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Directed by Taylor Swift
Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Republic Records – Cinematography
by Anatol Trofimov
Charli XCX – “Von Dutch” – Atlantic Records – Cinematography by Jeff Bierman
Dua Lipa – “Illusion” – Warner Records – Cinematography by Nikita Kuzmenko
Olivia Rodrigo – “Obsessed” – Geffen Records – Cinematography by Marz Miller
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment – Cinematography by Camilo Monsalve
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Cinematography by Rodrigo
Prieto
Best Editing
Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment – Editing by Nick Yumul
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Republic Records – Editing by Luis
Caraza Peimbert
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Editing by David Checel
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records – Editing by Nik Kohler
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island – Editing by Jai Shukla
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Editing by Chancler Haynes
Best Choreography
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit – Choreography by Margaret Qualley
Dua Lipa – “Houdini” – Warner Records – Choreography by Charm La’Donna
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment – Choreography
by Felix ‘Fefe’ Burgos
Tate McRae – “Greedy” – RCA Records – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Troye Sivan – “Rush” – Capitol Records – Choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkhof
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “The Boy is Mine” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Digital Axis
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Visual Effects by Synapse Virtual
Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post
Justin Timberlake – “Selfish” – RCA Records – “Selfish” – RCA Records – Visual Effects by Candice Dragonas
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions – Visual Effects by Mathematic
Olivia Rodrigo – “Get Him Back!” – Geffen Records – Visual Effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston
Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Parliament
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – “360” – Atlantic Records – Art Direction by Grace Surnow
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Lloyd Co. / RCA Records – Art Direction by Pongsan Thawatwichian
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions – Art Direction by Brittany Porter
Olivia Rodrigo – “Bad Idea Right?” – Geffen Records – Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Island – Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Art Direction by Ethan Tobman
The ceremony starts at 8 p.m. ET, and a re-run will begin at 11 p.m ET. The show will air live on various Paramount channels, including BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1, and Univision. It will also be streaming on Paramount+. Furthermore, there will be a simultaneous broadcast on Univision.
A lot is at stake for some artists: Those with the most nominations this year are Taylor Swift (12), Post Malone (11), Eminem (8), Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA (7 each), Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, GloRilla, Lisa, Olivia Rodrigo, and Teddy Swims (4 each).
First-time nominees include Alexander Stewart, Benson Boone, Burna Boy, Chappell Roan, Coco Jones, Flyana Boss, Gracie Abrams, Gunna, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Joyner Lucas, Laufey, LE SSERAFIM, Lojay, Morgan Wallen, Myke Towers, NCT Dream, Pheelz, Playboi Carti, Rauw Alejandro, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Tyla, Tyler Childers and The Warning, and Victoria Monét.
It turns out that in addition to hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs, Megan Thee Stallion will also be performing.
Meg revealed the news today (September 3), writing on social media, “Hotties not Onlyyyy am I your lovely host for the evening at the 2024 @vmas IM ALSOOO PERFORMINGGGG.”
This news comes just days after Meg announced a new collaborative single with BTS member RM coming out soon, so perhaps that tune will make her VMAs setlist. She said of the song, “This is one of my favorite RM verses I’ve heard. I’ve never heard him rap in this style before.” “Mamushi,” for which Megan just released a surreal new video, would also seemingly be a candidate for the performance slot.
Megan is nominated in five categories: Best Collaboration (“Wanna Be” with GloRilla), and Best Hip Hop, Best Visual Effects, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction (all for “Boa”). She’s behind nominations leader Taylor Swift, who has 10 nods, as well as Post Malone with nine and Sabrina Carpenter, Eminem, and Ariana Grande with six each.
The list of performers this year also includes Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla, Rauw Alejandro, Lisa, Halsey, Benson Boone, Lenny Kravitz, and Katy Perry (who is also receiving the Video Vanguard Award).
The 2024 VMAs are set to air on MTV on September 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
The MTV Video Music Awards have been hosted by some of the biggest names in pop culture, including Eddie Murphy, Miley Cyrus, and Jamie Foxx. Now Megan Thee Stallion will join the fun. The “Mamushi” rapper was announced as the host of the 2024 MTV VMAs. A promo for the ceremony promises that she’ll bring “thee heat,” “thee body,” and “thee savagery.”
This is Megan Thee Stallion’s first time hosting an awards show, but she has related prior experience: she previously hosted SNL and co-hosted The Tonight Show.
Along with her hosting duties, Megan Thee Stallion is also nominated in five categories: Best Collaboration (“Wanna Be” with GloRilla), and Best Hip Hop, Best Visual Effects, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction, all for “Boa.” Taylor Swift has the most nominations among all artists, with 10 nods, followed by Post Malone with nine and Sabrina Carpenter, Eminem, and Ariana Grande with six each.
The list of performers at the 2024 ceremony includes Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla, Rauw Alejandro, Lisa, Halsey, Benson Boone, Lenny Kravitz, and Katy Perry, who is receiving the Video Vanguard Award. Will Megan Thee Stallion join them? We’ll find out soon enough.
The 2024 MTV VMAs air on MTV on September 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
