All the Highlights at the 2022 VMAs

If you've yet to watch this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), allow us to get you up to speed on all of the highlights. The night started with an array of fabulous black carpet looks – our favourites being Måneskin in black Gucci fits, Blackpink representing their luxury houses in matching ensembles, Anitta in dazzling Tiffany & Co. earrings, and more.

This year, it seemed the stars got the memo to turn up in ensembles with intricate detailing. Unlike other years where more outrageous dressing was seen on the black carpet, edgier and classy structured cutouts, mesh tops, beadwork, and such graced the carpet at this year's event. 

Some of the stars even took the time to answer burning fan questions during the pre-show segment of the VMAs, all featured in short videos posted on the award show's official Twitter page. 

Take a look at more of the highlights below: 

After the debut of their comeback single 'Pink Venom' last week, K-pop's biggest girl group is back with a brand new live performance. Decked out in matching black and pink outfits, the girls showed America how it's done with their stellar show. 

Blackpink's Lisa made history by being the first Korean solo artist to win the Best K-Pop category at the VMAs. On the sidelines, her other group members gave the singer their full support by cheering her on and directing hearts hands at her. "Blinks, you're the most important ones," she honours her fans in her speech. "Thank you so much for making this happen. I love you!" 

Talk about a performance with a ton of cameos. Lil Nas X, Avril Lavigne, Chloe Bailey, and more showed up as glorified extras for Harlow, all sat in the seats of a makeshift airline set grooving to the start of his performance. Later on, Harlow surprised the fans by bringing out Fergie for the rest of his show. Glamorous, indeed!

The announcement that sent every Swiftie into a state of frenzy. Whilst accepting her award, Taylor Swift casually dropped the date of her upcoming album. Titled Midnights, the singer's new album will feature a total of thirteen tracks telling "stories of sleepless nights scattered throughout her life".⁠

"This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams," says Swift in an Instagram post. "For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching—hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve … we’ll meet ourselves."⁠

In honour of her iconic career in music over the years, everyone's favourite Barb finally got recognition in the form of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. 

"Nicki has shifted the music industry and cemented her status as a global superstar with her crossover appeal, genre-defying style and continuing to be unapologetically Nicki," says Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming and events at Paramount and chief content officer of music at Paramount+.

The rapper also performed a medley of her most popular songs at the show, gaining cheers from fans around the world.

Of course, no awards show is complete without the many behind-the-scenes photos shared by attendees themselves. Here are a couple of our favourites from the night!

GLOBAL ICON AWARD

Red Hot Chili Peppers

VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD

Nicki Minaj

VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

Doja Cat – "Woman"
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – "Way 2 Sexy"
Ed Sheeran – "Shivers"
Harry Styles – "As It Was"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Olivia Rodrigo – "Brutal"
Taylor Swift – "All Too Well" (10-minute version) (Taylor's version)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Bad Bunny
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Lil Nas X
Lizzo

SONG OF THE YEAR

Adele – "Easy on Me"
Billie Eilish – "Happier Than Ever"
Doja Cat – "Woman"
Elton John & Dua Lipa – "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)"
Lizzo – "About Damn Time"
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – "Stay"

BEST NEW ARTIST

Baby Keem
Dove Cameron
Gayle
Latto
Måneskin
Seventeen

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

September 2021: Griff — "One Night"
October 2021: Remi Wolf – "Sexy Villain"
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – "i hope ur miserable until ur dead"
December 2021: Seventeen – "Rock With You"
January 2021: Mae Muller – "Better Days"
February 2022: Gayle – "abcdefu"
March 2022: Sheneesa – "R U That"
April 2022: Omar Apollo – "Tamagotchi"
May 2022: Wet Leg – "Chaise Longue"
June 2022: Muni Long – "Baby Boo"
July 2022: Doechii – "Persuasive"

BEST COLLABORATION

Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – "Way 2 Sexy"
Elton John & Dua Lipa – "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – "Sweetest Pie"
Post Malone & The Weeknd – "One Right Now"
Rosalía ft. The Weeknd – "La Fama"
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – "Stay"

BEST POP

Billie Eilish – "Happier Than Ever"
Doja Cat – "Woman"
Ed Sheeran – "Shivers"
Harry Styles – "As It Was"
Lizzo – "About Damn Time"
Olivia Rodrigo – "Traitor"

BEST HIP-HOP

Eminem & Snoop Dogg – "From the D 2 the LBC"
Future ft. Drake, Tems – "Wait for U"
Kendrick Lamar – "N95"
Latto – "Big Energy"
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – "Do We Have a Problem?"
Pusha T – "Diet Coke"

BEST ROCK

Foo Fighters – "Love Dies Young"
Jack White – "Taking Me Back"
Muse – "Won't Stand Down"
Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Black Summer"
Shinedown – "Planet Zero"
Three Days Grace – "So Called Life"

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Avril Lavigne ft. Blackbear - "Love It When You Hate Me"
Imagine Dragons x JID – "Enemy"
Machine Gun Kelly ft. Willow – "emo girl"
Måneskin – "I Wanna Be Your Slave"
Panic! at the Disco – "Viva Las Vengeance"
Twenty One Pilots  – "Saturday"
Willow, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – "Grow"

BEST LATIN

Anitta – "Envolver"
Bad Bunny – "Tití Me Preguntó"
Becky G x Karol G – "Mamiii"
Daddy Yankee – "Remix"
Farruko – "Pepas"
J Balvin & Skrillex – "In Da Getto"

BEST R&B

Alicia Keys – "City of Gods (Part II)"
Chlöe – "Have Mercy"
H.E.R. – "For Anyone"
Normani ft. Cardi B – "Wild Side"
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B - "No Love (extended version)"
The Weeknd – "Out of Time"

BEST K-POP

BTS – "Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)"
Itzy – "Loco"
Lisa – "Lalisa"
Seventeen – "Hot"
Stray Kids – "Maniac"
Twice – "The Feels"

VIDEO FOR GOOD

Kendrick Lamar – "The Heart Part 5"
Latto – "P*ssy"
Lizzo – "About Damn Time"
Rina Sawayama – "This Hell"
Stromae – "Fils de joie"

BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE

Blackpink The Virtual | PUBG
BTS | Minecraft/YouTube
Charli XCX | Roblox
Justin Bieber - An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox

BEST LONGFORM VIDEO

Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
Foo Fighters – Studio 666
Kacey Musgraves – Star-Crossed
Madonna – Madame X
Olivia Rodrigo – Driving Home 2 U
Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10-minute version) (Taylor's version)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – "Family Ties"
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – "Bam Bam"
Harry Styles – "As It Was"
Kendrick Lamar – "N95"
Normani ft. Cardi B – "Wild Side"
Taylor Swift – "All Too Well" (10-minute version) (Taylor's version)

BEST DIRECTION

Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – "Family Ties"
Billie Eilish – "Happier Than Ever"
Ed Sheeran – "Shivers"
Harry Styles – "As It Was"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Taylor Swift – "All Too Well" (10-minute version) (Taylor's version)  

BEST ART DIRECTION

Adele – "Oh My God"
Doja Cat – "Get Into It (Yuh)"
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – "Way 2 Sexy"
Kacey Musgraves – "Simple Times"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – "Sweetest Pie"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Billie Eilish – "Happier Than Ever"
Coldplay x BTS – "My Universe"
Kendrick Lamar – "The Heart Part 5"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – "Sweetest Pie"
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber – "Stay"

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

BTS – "Permission to Dance"
Doja Cat – "Woman"
FKA Twigs ft. The Weeknd – "Tears in the Club"
Harry Styles – "As It Was"
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"
Normani ft. Cardi B – "Wild Side"

BEST EDITING 

Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – "Family Ties"
Doja Cat – "Get Into It (Yuh)"
Olivia Rodrigo – "Brutal"
Rosalía – "Saoko"
Taylor Swift – "All Too Well" (10-minute version) (Taylor's version)
The Weeknd – "Take My Breath"

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blackpink
BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic

SONG OF THE SUMMER

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" 
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

Adele – 30
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Harry Styles – Harry's House