The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Monday evening. The star-studded ceremony featured appearances and performances from some of the biggest names in the business. It also featured a few mic-drop moments that are sure to get people talking.
Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande began the night tied for the most nominations. Swift opened the show with a medley of her two latest hits, “Lover” and “You Need to Calm Down.” She went on to take home the awards for Best Visual Effects (“ME!”), Video for Good (“You Need to Calm Down”), and Video of the Year (“You Need to Calm Down”).
Ariana, who couldn’t be there due to performing in the UK, won Artist of the Year. Her video for “7 Rings” won Best Art Direction. Her latest single, “Boyfriend,” was deemed Song of Summer in a vote by fans.
After a brief monologue from the show’s host, Sebastian Maniscalco, a slew of memorable performances wowed viewers.
Normani showed off her epic dance moves with a performance of her latest single, “Motivation.” Lizzo proved that she’s one of the most exciting artists out there with her medley of “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell.” She commanded the stage in a yellow leotard…with a giant inflatable derriere in the background.
The Jonas Brothers performed live from the legendary Stone Pony — the place where icons like Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi got their starts. They also took home the Best Pop award for “Sucker.”
The biggest performance of the night came from Missy Elliott. The rap artist dominated the stage with a medley of her greatest hits. She blazed through each song, recreating their videos as she went. When Elliott finished, there was no confusion as to why she was receiving the Video Vanguard Award for her contributions to the music industry.
