MTV and the Video Music Awards may not be as vibrant or dramatic or… necessary as they once were, but the thing about longstanding institutions is that they must continue to survive for as long as possible—or at least for as long as there are still teenagers for Clearasil to make money off of. Anyway, the VMAs were tonight, marking the 10-year anniversary of the time Kanye West foreshadowed his entire next decade by rushing the stage to interrupt Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. In an odd turn of events (though it’s only odd in the sense that it’s not odd at all), Swift has a new album out now and opened the show with a performance of “You Need To Calm Down,” giving everyone a chance to continue talking about the time Kanye West interrupted her speech.
As for this year’s winners, Missy Elliott took home the very well-deserved Video Vanguard trophy (an award that’s not named after anyone in particular), with Cardi B taking home Best Hip-Hop, BTS’s Halsey collaboration getting Best K-Pop, Taylor Swift winning Video For Good, and TKTKTK winning Best New Artist Presented By Taco Bell. And yes, as we seem to point out ever year, all of the categories have weird names like that. Swift also won Video Of The Year, but rather than dedicating her speech to the time Kanye West interrupted her (remember that?), Swift spent her time onstage talking about how the positive response to her video was indicative of a larger desire for more tolerance and acceptance.
She even did a good thing by plugging the Equality Act—which would help protect the rights of LGBTQ people—and by pointing out the White House’s lack of response to the proposed legislation. Donald Trump couldn’t give less of a shit about what anyone at the VMAs has to say (or what anyone in general has to say), but who knows, getting shamed by a big celebrity on TV might get his attention. We’re pretty sure it won’t, but whatever.
Anyway, “Old Town Road” won Song Of The Year, which only makes sense since it is the best song of all time, and the full list of winners and nominees is below.
2019 MTV Video Music Awards
Video Of The Year
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
Artist Of The Year
Cardi B
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes
Song Of The Year
Drake – “In My Feelings”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
Best New Artist, Presented By Taco Bell
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA
Best Collaboration
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco – “ME!”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – “I Don’t Care”
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv”
Best Pop
5 Seconds of Summer – “Easier”
Cardi B & Bruno Mars – “Please Me”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Khalid – “Talk”
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
Best Hip-Hop
2 Chainz ft. Ariana Grande – “Rule the World”
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot”
Cardi B – “Money”
DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend – “Higher”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Travis Scott ft. Drake – “SICKO MODE”
Best R&B
Anderson .Paak ft. Smokey Robinson – “Make It Better”
Childish Gambino – “Feels Like Summer”
H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller – “Could’ve Been”
Alicia Keys – “Raise A Man”
Ella Mai – “Trip”
Normani ft. 6lack – “Waves”
Best K-Pop
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv”
BLACKPINK – “Kill This Love”
Monsta X ft. French Montana – “Who Do You Love”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Cat & Dog”
NCT 127 – “Regular”
EXO – “Tempo”
Best Latin
Anuel AA, Karol G – “Secreto”
Bad Bunny ft. Drake – “MIA”
benny blanco, Tainy, Selena Gomez, J Balvin – “I Can’t Get Enough”
Daddy Yankee ft. Snow – “Con Calma”
Maluma – “Mala Mía”
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura”
Best Dance
The Chainsmokers ft. Bebe Rexha – “Call You Mine”
Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato – “Solo”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B – “Taki Taki”
David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin – “Say My Name”
Marshmello & Bastille – “Happier”
Silk City & Dua Lipa – “Electricity”
Best Rock
The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
Fall Out Boy – “Bishops Knife Trick”
Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
Lenny Kravitz – “Low”
Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes”
twenty one pilots – “My Blood”
Video For Good
Halsey – “Nightmare”
The Killers – “Land of the Free”
Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey ft. Gallant – “Runaway Train”
John Legend – “Preach”
Lil Dicky – “Earth”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
Best Editing
Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints” – Editing by Elias Talbot
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Editing by Calmatic
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy” – Editing by Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” – Editing by Hannah Lux Davis & Taylor Walsh
Solange – “Almeda” – Editing by Solange Knowles, Vinnie Hobbs, Jonathon Proctor
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Editing by Jarrett Fijal
Best Art Direction
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” – Art Direction by JinSil Park, BoNa Kim (MU:E)
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” – Art Direction by John Richoux
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Art Direction by Itaru Dela Vegas
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Art Direction by Brittany Porter
Kanye West and Lil’ Pump ft. Adele Givens – “I Love It” – Art Direction by Tino Schaedler
Best Group
5 Seconds of Summer
Backstreet Boys
BLACKPINK
BTS
CNCO
Jonas Brothers
PRETTYMUCH
Why Don’t We
Song Of Summer Presented By Samsung:
Ariana Grande & Social House – “boyfriend”
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
DaBaby – “Suge”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – “I Don’t Care”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Khalid – “Talk”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Lil Tecca – “Ransom”
Lizzo – “Truth Hurts”
Miley Cyrus- “Mother’s Daughter”
Post Malone ft. Young Thug – “Goodbyes”
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Taylor Swift – “You Need To Calm Down”
The Chainsmokers & Bebe Rexha – “Call You Mine”
Young Thug ft. J. Cole & Travis Scott – “The London”