The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) took place on September 12th at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, where many high-profile celebrities attended. Award shows are a vital part of pop culture and are viewed by much of the world. While we all watch and admire the red carpets and the awards handed out to our favorite artists and actors, have you ever wondered how these elaborate shows are put together? Each performance and speech are carefully curated and designed. There is a fascinating history and process behind such exclusive events, especially the VMAs.
The VMAs were first hosted by MTV in 1984. According to Billboard, it was the first award show to be based primarily on “recognizing artistic achievement in music videos.” The award given out to the winning artist is an astronaut on the moon, as a way to embody one of the first representations of MTV. One of the most unique things about the VMAs is that each award is chosen solely by fan votes after the nominees are chosen by the producers and executives at MTV. There are many awards given throughout the show although a few of them are video of the year, song of the year, artist of the year, best new artist, best collaboration, etc.
This year’s show was especially exciting because it celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Artists like D.M.C, Nicky Minaj, Lil Wayne and LL Cool J performed. The Cut magazine described the performance as “Legends only” and highlighted the importance of hip hop as a whole genre. We often hear about how the early days of hip-hop have shaped pop music and its culture. Being able to hear a compilation of hip hop throughout the years is helpful in understanding the foundations of the music we hear on a daily basis. One really interesting aspect of the performance is that it embodies female rappers and performers. The emphasis on recognizing female rappers in the music industry allows us to see the growth in our society regarding gender. Billboard wrote,“ Minaj was owning the stage with ‘Itty Bitty Piggy,’ demonstrating the evolution of the art form within a single performance.” The feedback from this performance was extremely positive and celebrated the history of hip-hop.
At this year’s VMA’s we saw some of our favorite artists receive and give awards, perform and learn a bit about music history. We can take this into our everyday lives as we make music and appreciate the artists around us. We should not only think about the musician who made the song itself but what inspired them to write it. What part of history did this song come from? The VMAs are a culmination of the hard work that artists put into not only songs but a visual representation of songs as well.
