Lady Gaga, outdoing even herself with her adventurous couture, dominated the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, adding eight to her collection of Moonmen with awards including “Video Of The Year,” “Best Dance Video,” “Best Pop Video” and “Best Female Video.” Eminem, who opened this year’s Awards with a triumphant performance, walked away with two statues for “Best Male Video” and “Best Hip Hop Video.” VMA newcomers 30 Seconds To Mars and Florence + The Machine took home their first wins for “Best Rock Video” and “Best Art Direction,” respectively. Justin Bieber was voted “Best New Artist.”
A year after Taylor Swift‘s first VMA win was interrupted by Kanye West, the two returned to musically play out last year’s drama, once again on the VMA stage. For an exclusive live performance, Taylor sang “Innocence,” an emotional song she wrote about how she felt after last year’s incident. Later in the evening and this year as an official performer, Kanye debuted “Runaway” (featuring Pusha T from Clipse), a personal statement on the turbulence of the last year.
MTV aired the 2010 Video Music Awards live on Sunday, September 12 from Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, having transformed the venue into a 1950’s sculptural nod to modernism. The VMA’s kicked off with an epic performance by Eminem backed by an orchestra to present a medley of his comeback anthem “Not Afraid” into a fiery version of “Love The Way You Lie” with surprise guest Rihanna. Host Chelsea Handler brought her edgy comedic flair to the Awards, making a dramatic entrance that riffed on Lady Gaga’s extravagant fashion sense, flying onto the stage wearing a suburban house on her head, complete with a single car garage, and ending her monologue by releasing a dove from her dress. Backstage before taking the stage, Chelsea was shown receiving “encouragement” from well wishers Li’l John, Flo Rida and a score-settling Lindsay Lohan.
Kim Kardashian introduced Justin Bieber, who made his VMA debut performance with an outdoor set of “Baby” into “Somebody to Love” to throngs of adoring fans – including Kim herself who, waving a restraining order, professed she’d nonetheless wait for the young heartthrob in his dressing room.
In another show highlight, the one-and-only Cher presented Lady Gaga with her “Video Of The Year” Award, donning the same outfit (yes, she still fit into it) that she barely wore more than 20 years ago in her own memorable video “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
With an intro by Ke$ha and Trey Songz, Usher’s electric entrance and pounding energy brought down the house with a medley of “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” into “OMG!,” showing off his dance moves against an other-worldly combination of visual effects.
The physicality of Usher’s set contrasted with VMA newcomer Florence + The Machine’s ethereal, breakout performance of “Dog Days Are Over,” featuring a large-scale dance number with scores of dancers and percussionists to create a flowing dream-like sequence.
Representing the rock side of the house, Linkin Park extended the VMA stage to include the first-ever performance at the landmark Griffith Observatory, where they performed their powerful single “The Catalyst” against the stunning backdrop of a spectacular Los Angeles sunset.
Hip-hop artist Drake was joined on onstage by Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz for a performance of his hit single “Fancy,” set against a supper club backdrop. Shortly following Drake’s performance, Chelsea stumbled upon the cast of “Jersey Shore” in, what else, a hot tub. Teasing the cast about how dirty the water is, she finally agreed to jump in fully clothed, only to emerge wet and pregnant.
Additional performances included a medley by “dream team” Bruno Mars, B.o.B and Paramore, marking the first time ever that B.o.B and Hayley Williams of Paramore sang their hit single “Airplanes” together.
Joining this year’s VMA house artist deadmau5 to perform their current hit singles was Travie McCoy, Jason Derulo and Robyn. The night was filled with a long list of musical artists and stars including: Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake, MTV Tr3s Artist of the Year Romeo from Aventura, Sofia Vergara, Jared Leto, Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, cast members from “Glee” and “True Blood,” Ne-Yo, Ellen DeGeneres, the cast of the upcoming film “Jackass 3-D,” Penn Badgley, Selena Gomez, Emma Stone and Ashley Greene.
2010 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS | |
GENERAL CATEGORIES: | |
VIDEO OF THE YEAR | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
BEST NEW ARTIST | |
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris | |
Title: Baby | |
Album: My World Part II | |
Director: Ray Kay | |
Label: Island Def Jam, RBMG | |
Production Company: Rockhard Films | |
Producer: Nicole Acacio | |
BEST MALE VIDEO | |
Eminem | |
Title: Not Afraid | |
Album: Recovery | |
Director: Rich Lee | |
Label: Aftermath, Interscope | |
Production Company: DNA | |
Producer: Justin Diener | |
BEST FEMALE VIDEO | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO | |
Eminem | |
Title: Not Afraid | |
Album: Recovery | |
Director: Rich Lee | |
Label: Aftermath, Interscope | |
Production Company: DNA | |
Producer: Justin Diener | |
BEST POP VIDEO | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
BEST ROCK VIDEO | |
30 Seconds To Mars | |
Title: Kings and Queens | |
Album: This Is War | |
Director: Bartholomew Cubbins | |
Label: Virgin Records | |
Production Company: Hello and Co. | |
Producers: Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, Sheeira Rees-Davies, Melissa Larsen, Dave Robertson | |
BEST DANCE VIDEO | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
BEST COLLABORATION | |
Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce | |
Title: Telephone | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Jonas Akerlund | |
Label: Interscope, Cherry Tree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: Serial Pictures/Anonymous Content | |
Producers: Stephanie Bruni, Violaine Etienne and Nicole Ehrlich | |
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES: | |
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
Choreography: Laurieann Gibson | |
BEST DIRECTION | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
BEST EDITING | |
Lady Gaga | |
Title: Bad Romance | |
Album: The Fame Monster | |
Director: Francis Lawrence | |
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive | |
Production Company: DNA Inc. | |
Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt | |
Editor: Jarrett Fijal | |
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS | |
MUSE | |
Title: Uprising | |
Album: The Resistance | |
Director: Hydra | |
Label: Warner Bros. Records | |
Production Company: Humble | |
Producer: Humble | |
Special Effects: Sam Stevens | |
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY | |
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys | |
Title: Empire State of Mind | |
Album: The Blueprint 3 | |
Director: Hype Williams | |
Label: Roc Nation | |
Production Company: Naaila Entertainment | |
Producer: Abdur Rahman | |
BEST ART DIRECTION | |
Florence + The Machine | |
Title: Dogs Days Are Over | |
Album: Lungs | |
Director: LEGS | |
BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO | |
The Black Keys | |
Title: Tighten Up | |
Album: Brothers | |
Director: Chris Marrs Pillero | |
Label: Nonesuch | |
Production Company: Symphony 9 | |
Producer: John Lathan |
