After the Grammys in April, celebrities and industry insiders alike gathered once again to celebrate the best of music at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
All eyes were on Blackpink, the music sensations standing at the forefront of the global Hallyu wave. The members made a stunning entrance in a series of all-black looks, each flaunting their distinctive styles in a dress from the luxury brands they endorse: Jennie in Chanel, Lisa in Celine, Jisoo in Dior and Rosé in Saint Laurent. The quartet recently made their first return as a group since 2019 with a new single “Pink Venom”, which they performed tonight as the first ever K-pop girl group to set foot on the MTV VMAs stage. As if their performance in person wasn’t impressive enough, the girls also won the Best Metaverse Performance award for their virtual concert “The Virtual” held in collaboration with PUBG Mobile back in July.
Elsewhere on the red carpet, Lil Nas X and Lizzo both showed us what it means to make a statement: Lil Nas X brought the pomp in a black feathered ensemble from Harris Reed, while Lizzo told us to go big or go home in Jean Paul Gaultier couture. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift turned heads in a bejewelled silver mini dress from Oscar de la Renta, a glamourous look that matched the silver trophies she took home for the Video of the Year and Best Longform Video awards for “All Too Well” (yes, the 10-minute version). The 32-year-old singer is the only artist to ever score a triple win for Video of the Year and became the first to win the award for a video she directed by herself.
Video Of The Year
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Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was“ – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Artist Of The Year
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WINNER: Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Drake – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Lil Nas X – Columbia Records
Lizzo – Atlantic Records
Song Of The Year
Adele – “Easy on Me” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay” – Columbia Records
Best New Artist
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WINNER: Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
Måneskin – Arista Records
Seventeen – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Push Performance Of The Year
September 2021: Griff – “One Night” – Warner Records
October 2021: Remi Wolf – “Sexy Villain” – Island Records
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – Warner Records
WINNER: December 2021: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
January 2021: Mae Muller – “Better Days” – Capitol Records UK
February 2022: GAYLE – “abcdefu” – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
March 2022: Sheneesa – “R U That” – Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records
April 2022: Omar Apollo – “Tamagotchi” – Warner Records
May 2022: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Domino Recording Company
June 2022: Muni Long – “Baby Boo” – Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording
July 2022: Doechii – “Persuasive” – Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
Best Collaboration
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Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Post Malone & The Weeknd – “One Right Now” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd – “LA FAMA” – Columbia Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best Pop
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor” – Geffen Records
Best Hip-Hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U” – Freebandz / Epic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “Big Energy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Pusha T – “Diet Coke” – G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
Best Rock
Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young” – RCA Records
Jack White – “Taking Me Back” – Third Man Records
Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” – Warner Records
WINNER: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records
Shinedown – “Planet Zero” – Elektra Music Group
Three Days Grace – “So Called Life” – RCA Records
Best Alternative
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – “Love It When You Hate Me” – Elektra Music Group / DTA Records
Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – “emo girl” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records
WINNER: Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records
Panic! At The Disco – “Viva Las Vengeance” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots – “Saturday” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – “G R O W” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records
Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó” – Rimas Entertainment
Becky G X KAROL G – “MAMIII” – Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records
Daddy Yankee – “REMIX” – Republic Records
Farruko – “Pepas” – Sony Music US Latin
J Balvin & Skrillex – “In Da Getto” – Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “City of Gods (Part II)” – AKW
Chlöe – “Have Mercy” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
H.E.R. – “For Anyone” – RCA Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – “No Love (Extended Version)” – LVRN / Interscope Records
WINNER: The Weeknd – “Out of Time” – XO / Republic Records
Best K-pop
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BTS – “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
ITZY – “LOCO” – JYP Entertainment
WINNER: LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
SEVENTEEN – “HOT” – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “MANIAC” – JYP Entertainment
TWICE – “The Feels” – JYP Entertainment
Video For Good
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Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “P*ssy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Rina Sawayama – “This Hell” – Dirty Hit
Stromae – ”Fils de joie” – Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
Best Metaverse Performance
WINNER: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
BTS | Minecraft – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
Charli XCX | Roblox – Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave – Def Jam
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite – Republic Records
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Best Longform Video
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Foo Fighters – Studio 666 – RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Madonna – Madame X – Interscope Records
Olivia Rodrigo – driving home 2 u – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam” – Epic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Art Direction
Adele – “Oh My God” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO / Republic Records
Kacey Musgraves – “simple times” – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay X BTS – “My Universe” – Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best Choreography
BTS – “Permission to Dance” – BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records
WINNER: Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – “Tears In The Club” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Best Editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records
Group Of The Year
BLACKPINK
WINNER: BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic
Song Of The Summer
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Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
Beyoncé – “Break My Soul”
Charlie Puth – “Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)”
Doja Cat – “Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)”
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “Wait For U”
Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking”
WINNER: Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Kane Brown – “Grand”
Latto x Mariah Carey – “Big Energy (Remix) ft. DJ Khaled”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
Marshmello x Khalid – “Numb”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Nicky Youre, dazy – “Sunroof”
Post Malone with Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Rosalía – “Bizcochito”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
Album Of The Year
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Adele – 30
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
WINNER: Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Editor
Kaitlyn Lai