Kanye West and Taylor Swift Return to the VMA Stage
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$sha 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 Beyoncé
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
Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer for the “2010 MTV Video Music Awards.” Dave Sirulnick is Executive Producer. Garrett English is co-Executive Producer/Executive in Charge of Production. Amy Doyle is Executive Producer. Joanna Bomberg is Executive in Charge of Music and Talent. Jen Jones is co- Executive Producer. Hamish Hamilton is Director. Wendy Plaut is Celebrity Talent Executive.
Official sponsors of the “2010 MTV Video Music Awards” are 5® REACT™ Gum, freecreditscore.com™, Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid, Rhapsody®, Samsung Fascinate a Galaxy S phone, Taco Bell® and Verizon Wireless.
The “2010 MTV Video Music Awards” was available to a potential viewing audience of more than 1.2 billion people via MTV’s global network of 63 channels reaching 605 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming & content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV’s more than 200 digital media properties around the world.
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