MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet: Stars Share Their Favorite VMA Moments
With another MTV Video Music Awards in the books, stars shared their favorite moments from past shows on a white carpet that stretched an entire city block outside of Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.
This year’s show was not lacking exciting moments, including Beyonce’s 15-minute-long performance of “Lemonade,” Kanye’s “Fade” music video debut, and Drake and Rihanna’s palpable chemistry during the evening’s final minutes.
Nicole Byer, who split hosting duties with Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Jay Pharoah, and DJ Khaled, instantly recalled Lil’ Kim’s outrageous outfit from 1999.
“Was it Lil’ Kim who had her titty out and purple hair?” she asked. “And then Diana Ross grabbed that lil’ titty, tapped it, slapped it around … that was great.”
JoJo agreed that Diana Ross’ impulsive “titty tap” was shocking. “I just love it,” she said. “I just thought it was f—king weird and hilarious.”
Byer also remembered 2013’s “twerkgate” when Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s suggestive dance became the performance that launched a thousand thinkpieces.
“I loved the reaction to Miley Cyrus’ performance that one year because I was there and it was not as scandalous as people made it seem,” she added.
Grace Helbig remembered Beyonce’s unconventional baby announcement at the 2011 awards.
“I love Beyonce’s ‘Love on Top’ when she announced that she was pregnant,” she said. “That gives me chills every time I think about it.”
Her “Dirty 30” co-star Mamrie Hart had more of an unconventional pick.
“I mean, mine, of course, is Howard Stern’s ‘Fartman,'” she joked before adding, “I love any Britney Spears. The ‘Slave for You’ snake-for-you Spears is just so … iconic is overused, but that’s what it was.”
Jeremy Scott remembers feeling nervous about a 2014 performance that drummed up attention before it even aired on television.
“I think a lot to two years back to Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ because it was so wild,” he said. “And we all heard that the snake had bit one of the dancers the night before so we weren’t sure what was going on, and there was a lot of anticipation.”
Tove Lo picked a moment that she didn’t watch live, but loves nonetheless — when Courtney Love commandeered Madonna’s interview in 1995.
“Madonna’s sitting so perfect, just keeping her cool and Courtney’s just going nuts. But they were having fun together,” she said. “It felt very less controlled and just loose and I loved it.”
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