The iconic singer and the wife to Jay Z, Beyonce, was all in joys when she banked not one, but two, not three but four awards during the completed MTV awards, the event at NYC’s Madison Square Garden.
The singer was accompanied to the ceremony by her daughter Blue Ivy and graced the red carpet with the mothers of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, and Trayvon Martin, ran through several cuts from her new LP during her show-stopping performance, which included an introduction from pro-athlete Serena Williams.
Performances throughout the night included Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj (“Side to Side”), Britney Spears and G-Eazy (“Make Me…”), Nick Jonas and Ty Dolla $ign (“Bacon”), and Future (“Fuck Up Some Commas”). Kanye West gave an impassioned speech and premiered his new video for “Fade” featuring Teyana Taylor dancing in peak form.
See the finalist, Winners
Category Winner Song
Video of the Year Beyoncé Formation
MJ Video Vanguard Award Rihanna
Best Female Video Beyoncé Hold Up
Best Male Video Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna This Is What You Came For
Best Collaboration Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign Work From Home
Best Hip Hop Video Drake Hotline Bling
Best Pop Video Beyoncé Formation
Best Rock Video Twenty-one pilot’s Heathens
Best Electronic Video Calvin Harris & Disciples How Deep Is Your Love
Breakthrough Long-Form Video Beyoncé Lemonade
Best New Artist DNCE
Song of the Summer Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap All in My Head (Flex)
“First of all, I’d like to thank my beautiful daughter and my incredible husband for all of their support,” said Beyoncé, who walked the carpet with daughter Blue Ivy and the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, who all appeared in “Lemonade” movie.
But the biggest moment for Rihanna came when Drake — in a tuxedo — presented the award to his former girlfriend. He said he met Rihanna in 2005 on the set of her first music video for “Pon de Replay.”
Rihanna, 28, thanked her family, friends’ and hometown of Saint Michael, Barbados, for helping her succeed in her 11-year-career.
“My success started as my dream, but now my success is not my own. It’s my family, my fans, my country …it’s women, it’s black women,” she said.