Lil Nas X leads MTV VMA winners

It is September and the US awards season has kicked into high gear. Pandemic season or not, award-giving bodies are not going to allow anything to stop them from putting up the annual events. And they really did as things got off to one fantastic start at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

It was fitting that Madonna did the honors. After all, it was MTV’s 40th anniversary. The music television channel was established in 1981 and the MTV Video Music Awards came about in 1984. The Material Girl showed up in black trench coat over a leather body suit that showed off her gorgeous 63-year-old butt to perfection.

With strict anti-COVID-19 protocols in place, the VMAs went live last Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Doja Cat as host. And when I say live, that means strutting on a red carpet like what Lil Nas X did in a half-suit, half-gown lavender outfit with a low decollette and a long train.

And live performances, again Lil Nas X in two dazzling showstoppers that mirrored the songs’ original videos, Industry Baby with Jack Harlow and Montero (Call Me By Your Name). The iconic rockers Foo Fighters did a greatest hits set, as did hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes. And Justin Bieber returned to the VMAs stage for the first time since his infamous breakdown in 2015. He performed his current No. 1 seller Stay with the Kid Laroi and a new solo release Ghost.

Top winner of the evening was Lil Nas X, who went home with three Moonperson trophies for his efforts — Best Direction, Best Visual Effects and the biggest plum of them all, Best Video of the Year for Montero (Call Me by Your Name). Not a surprise really as this kid’s out-of-this-world imagination truly raised the bar as far as making music videos is concerned.

Justin Bieber who topped the nominations with seven nods got two wins, Best Artist of the Year and Best Pop for his single Peaches. He is followed by Olivia Rodrigo who did quite well on her first MTV VMAs exposure with a great live performance and two trophies, Song of the Year and Push of the Year, both of them for her first single Drivers License.

Here now is the honor roll for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards:

Video of the Year: Lil Nas X, Montero (Call Me by Your Name).

Artist of the Year: Justin Bieber.

Best New Artist: Olivia Rodrigo.

Push Performance: April 2021, Olivia Rodrigo, Drivers License.

Song of the Year: Olivia Rodrigo, Drivers License.

Best Collaboration: Doja Cat featuring SZA, Kiss Me More.

Best Pop: Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon, Peaches.

Best Hip-Hop: Polo G, RAPSTAR, Travis Scott featuring Young Thug & M.I.A., Franchise.

Best Rock: John Mayer, Last Train Home.

Best Alternative: Machine Gun Kelly featuring blackbear, my ex’s best friend.

Best R&B: Bruno Mars, Anderson. Paak, Silk Sonic, Leave the Door Open.

Best K-Pop: BTS, Butter.

Video for Good: Billie Eilish, Your Power.

Best Latin: Billie Eilish and Rosalia, Lo Vas A Olvidar.

Best Direction: Lil Nas X & Tanu Murino, Montero (Call Me by Your Name).

Best Cinematography: Beyonce, WizKid, SAINt JHN ft. Blue Ivy Carter, Brown Skin Girl.

Best Editing: Bruno Mars, Anderson. Paak, Leave the Door Open.

Best Choreography: Harry Styles, Treat People with Kindness.

Best Art Direction: Saweetie ft. Doja Cat, Best Friend.

Best Visual Effects: Lil Nas X, Mathematic, Montero (Call Me By Your Name).

Global Icon: Foo Fighters.

One down and now we wait for the American Music Awards and then after that, the most coveted prize of them all, the Grammys.