Phenomenal hit “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, and Nigeria’s Wizkid won the Best Cinematography category in the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards aired live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Monday morning. Hosted by Doja Cat, the program featured performances from Video of the Year award winner Lil Nas X, Normani, Kacey Musgraves and more.
Wizkid and SAINt JHN joined Beyoncé in the 2019 record for her 2019 soundtrack album, The Lion King: The Gift.
The collaboration has since earned Wizkid his first Grammy Award in March, #72 spot in the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, two Soul Train Music Awards, the BET Awards, and a NAACP Image Award.
Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo were among the night’s biggest winners—the former took home three awards, including Video of the Year, for his controversial, eye-poppingly popular (with a whopping 347 million views to date) “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” video, while the latter won Song of the Year and Push Performance of the Year for “drivers license,” as well as Best New Artist. She also performed her hit “Good 4 U”.
Justin Bieber, who was up for the most awards with seven nominations for “Holy,” “Peaches,” and his appearance in DJ Khaled’s “Popstar” video - won two awards: Artist of the Year and Best Pop. Megan Thee Stallion had six nominations, including four for her Cardi B collaboration “WAP,” but did not take home any awards. Olivia Rodrigo performed “Good 4 U” at the VMAs and won three awards: Best New Artist, Push Performance of the Year, and Song of the Year (for “Drivers License”).
Returning to a live audience format, the 40th anniversary edition of the awards show features a new Moon Person designed by Kehinde Wiley.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
Video of the Year
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] DJ Khaled / Drake: “Popstar” (Starring Justin Bieber) Doja Cat: “Kiss Me More” [ft. SZA] Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” The Weeknd: “Save Your Tears”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande Doja Cat WINNER: Justin Bieber Megan Thee Stallion Olivia Rodrigo Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
24kGoldn: “Mood” [ft. Iann Dior] BTS: “Dynamite” Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] Dua Lipa: “Levitating” WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License” Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
Best New Artist, Presented by Facebook
24kGoldn Giveon The Kid Laroi WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo Polo G Saweetie
Group of the Year
Blackpink WINNER: BTS CNCO Foo Fighters Jonas Brothers Maroon 5 Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic Twenty One Pilots
Push Performance of the Year
September 2020: Wallows – “Are You Bored Yet?” October 2020: Ashnikko – “Daisy” November 2020: Saint Jhn – “Gorgeous” December 2020: 24kGoldn – “Coco” January 2021: JC Stewart – “Break My Heart” February 2021: Latto – “Sex Lies” March 2021: Madison Beer – “Selfish” April 2021: The Kid Laroi – “Without You” WINNER: May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo – “Drivers License” June 2021: Girl in Red – “Serotonin” July 2021: Fousheé – “my slime” August 2021: Jxdn – “Think About Me”
Best Collaboration
24kGoldn: “Mood” [ft. Iann dior] Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] WINNER: Doja Cat: “Kiss Me More” [ft. SZA] Drake: “Laugh Now Cry Later” [ft. Lil Durk] Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon] Miley Cyrus: “Prisoner” [ft. Dua Lipa]
Best Pop
Ariana Grande: “Positions” Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” BTS: “Butter” Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” WINNER: Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon] Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U” Shawn Mendes: “Wonder” Taylor Swift: “Willow”
Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] Drake: “Laugh Now Cry Later” [ft. Lil Durk] Lil Baby: “On Me (Remix)” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] Moneybagg Yo: “Said Sum” Polo G: “Rapstar” WINNER: Travis Scott: “Franchise” [ft. Young Thug and M.I.A.]
Best Rock
Evanescence: “Use My Voice” Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” WINNER: John Mayer: “Last Train Home” The Killers: “My Own Soul’s Warning” Kings of Leon: “The Bandit” Lenny Kravitz: “Raise Vibration”
Best Alternative
Bleachers: “Stop Making This Hurt” Glass Animals: “Heat Waves” Imagine Dragons: “Follow You” WINNER: Machine Gun Kelly: “My Ex’s Best Friend” [ft. Blackbear] Twenty One Pilots: “Shy Away” Willow: “Transparent Soul” [ft. Travis Barker]
Best Latin
Bad Bunny / Jhay Cortez: “Dákiti” WINNER: Billie Eilish / Rosalía: “Lo Vas a Olvidar” Black Eyed Peas / Shakira: “Girl Like Me” J Balvin / Dua Lipa / Bad Bunny / Tainy: “Un Dia (One Day)” Karol G: “Bichota” Maluma: “Hawái”
Best R&B
Beyoncé / Blue Ivy / Saint Jhn / WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” Chris Brown / Young Thug: “Go Crazy” Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary” H.E.R.: “Come Through” [ft. Chris Brown] WINNER: Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” SZA: “Good Days”
Best K-Pop
(G)I-dle: “Dumdi Dumdi” Blbackpink / Selena Gomez: “Ice Cream” WINNER: BTS: “Butter” Monsta X: “Gambler” Seventeen: “Ready to Love” Twice: “Alcohol-Free”
Song of Summer
Billie Eilish: “Happier Than Ever” WINNER: BTS: “Butter” Camila Cabello: “Don’t Go Yet” DJ Khaled: “Every Chance I Get” [ft. Lil Baby and Lil Durk] Doja Cat: “Need to Know” Dua Lipa: “Levitating” Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary” Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon] The Kid Laroi / Justin Bieber: “Stay” Lil Nas X / Jack Harlow: “Industry Baby” Lizzo: “Rumors” [ft. Cardi B] Megan Thee Stallion: “Thot Shit” Normani: “Wild Side” [ft. Cardi B] Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U” Shawn Mendes / Tainy: “Summer of Love”
Video for Good
WINNER: Billie Eilish: “Your Power” Demi Lovato: “Dancing With the Devil” H.E.R.: “Fight for You” Kane Brown: “Worldwide Beautiful” Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” Pharrell Williams: “Entrepreneur” [ft. Jay-Z]
Best Direction
Billie Eilish: “Your Power” (dir. Billie Eilish) DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar” (dir. Director X) WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (dir. Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino) Taylor Swift: “Willow” (dir. Taylor Swift) Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A: “Franchise” (dir. Travis Scott) Tyler, the Creator: “Lumberjack” (dir. Wolf Haley)
Best Cinematography
WINNER: Beyoncé / Blue Ivy / Saint Jhn / WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” (cinematography: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, MOHAMMAED ATTA AHMED, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant) Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” (cinematography: Rob Witt) Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” (cinematography: Santiago Gonzalez) Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper: “Holy” (cinematography: Elias Talbot) Lady Gaga: “911” (cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth) Lorde: “Solar Power” (cinematography: Andrew Stroud)
Best Art Direction
Beyoncé / Shatta Wale / Major Lazer: “Already” (art direction: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos) Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” (art direction: Alison Dominitz) Lady Gaga: “911” (art direction: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus) Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (art direction: John Richoux) WINNER: Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: “Best Friend” (art direction: Art Haynes) Taylor Swift: “Willow” (art direction: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez)
Best Visual Effects
Bella Poarch: “Build a Bitch” (visual effects: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova) Coldplay: “Higher Power” (visual effects: Mathematic) Doja Cat / The Weeknd: “You Right” (visual effects: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel) Glass Animals: “Tangerine” (visual effects: Ronan Fourreau) WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (visual effects: Mathematic) P!nk: “All I Know So Far” (visual effects: Dave Meyers, Freenjoy Inc)
Best Choreography
Ariana Grande: “34+35” (choreography: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson) BTS: “Butter” (choreography: SON SUNG DEUK With BHM PERFORMANCE DIRECTING TEAM) Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” (choreography: Natricia Bernard) Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” (choreography: Nina McNeely) WINNER: Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” (choreography: Paul Roberts) Marshmello / Halsey: “Be Kind” (choreography: Dani Vitale)
Best Editing
BTS: “Butter” (editing: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens) Drake: “What’s Next” (editing: Noah Kendal) Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” (editing: Claudia Wass) Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” (editing: Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs) Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” (editing: William Town at Modern Post) WINNER: Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” (editing: Troy Charbonnet)
U.S. Global Icon Award
Foo Fighters
Best Breakthrough Song
Masked Wolf: “Astronaut in the Ocean” WINNER: Claire Rosinkranz: “Backyard Boy” Bella Poarch: “Build a B*tch” Yung Baby Tate: “I Am” [ft. Flo Milli] Whoheem: “Let’s Link”
Best Comeback Song
WINNER: Aly & AJ: “Potential Breakup Song” Destiny’s Child: “Bills, Bills, Bills” Fleetwood Mac: “Dreams” Simple Plan: “I’m Just a Kid” Boney M.: “Rasputin” Missy Elliott: “Work It”
Best Artist x Creator Collab
WINNER: Mustard Watermelon by @Lizzo x @yayayayummy “Blackbird” Duet by @joejonas x @itsbenhorsburgh Fan Duet by @charlieputh x @jvke Soup Song by @johnmayer x @itsjamiebiotch Mom It Was Never a Phase by @alltimelow x @yungricepatty “Unwritten” Dance by @natashabedingfield x @rony_boyy
Best Audio Mashup
WINNER: “Shaxicula” (“Toxic” x “Love Shack” x “Dragula”) by Britney Spears / The B-52’s / Rob Zombie x @djcummerbund “Baby One More Time x Levitating" by Britney Spears / Dua Lipa x @adamusic_ “Castaways x Dilemma" by The Backyardigans / Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland x @djbabyq "Good 4 U x Misery Business" by Olivia Rodrigo / Paramore x @nikjaay "Watermelon Sugar x Seaside" by Harry Styles / SEB x @SEBS_LOVESONGS
Best Viral Dance
WINNER: “Twerkulator” by City Girls x @layzchipz “Adderall (Corvette Corvette)” by Popp Hunna x @yvnggprince “Gimme More” by Britney Spears x @jaedengomezz & @karaleighcannella “Ooowwweee” by Peewee Longway & Money Man x @thats.so.bre “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion x @keke.janajah “Up” by Cardi B x @theemyanicole and @cchrvs
