Tonight (August 20) the 2018 VMAs took place in New York City, and a lot went down. Some of music’s biggest names traveled to Radio City Music Hall for the evening. And it should come as no surprise that this resulted in some truly iconic moments. From well-deserved awards and incredible performances to adorable photoshoots and a healthy dose of drama, this was easily one of the busiest nights in music this year. So we decided to put together a gallery of some of the most important moments from the evening to recap anything you may have missed.
Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello and Cardi B were some of the night’s biggest winners. The “Dinero” diva came away with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. But before she could collect her Moon Person (from Shawn Mendes), she lit the stage on fire with one of the VMAs best performances in recent memory. Serving choreography, costume changes and strong vocals, she more than earned her award. Cardi, who went into the evening with 12 nods, picked up Song Of Summer as well as the coveted Best New Artist. However, she also opened the show by referring to herself as the Empress. If you were looking for drama, there it is.
Meanwhile, the “Havana” breakout star picked up some of the night’s biggest honors including Artist Of The Year and Video Of The Year. However impressive the wins, though, the best part of the night was watching her interact with her peers. The 21-year-old posed for countless pics with the likes of Maluma, J.Lo, Bebe Rexha and Ariana Grande (her “wifey.”) Speaking of the Sweetener siren, she capped off a slinky rendition of “God Is A Woman” by bringing her mom, nonna and aunt onstage. It was a sweet tribute and the perfect move for the empowering anthem.
Shawn Mendes delivered the first performance of the evening, and it was an absolute high point. Working his way through “In My Blood,” he soaked the stage with rain. It made for a striking site and definitely left a lasting impression. Breakout global star Maluma had similar luck with his debut performance at the VMAs. Between dancing with Camila and her mom and making out with a dancer onstage, it was a fun, sexy and powerful moment. How powerful?
It turns out it was so great that it earned the “Mala Mia” crooner Madonna’s blessing. The Queen of Pop was in the building to deliver a tribute to the Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and to present the award for Video Of The Year. She did both of the above and delivered a slightly meandering speech about her career and Aretha’s impact on it.
Awards shows are never complete without a bit of drama, and the 2018 VMAs were no exception. Nicki Minaj got that ball rolling before the show even began. Taking to Twitter to air her grievances about where Queen placed on the charts, she apparently spurred a last minute change in the seating chart. However, while picking up the trophy for Best Rap, she paid tribute to the girls of Fifth Harmony, particularly Normani. Hopefully there is a collaboration in the works there.
Closing out the list is one of my favorites, Hayley Kiyoko, who had a particularly good day. The “Curious” siren picked up a Moon Person during the pre-show, performed during the main show and came in second place for the title of Best New Artist. She also delivered an excited speech when picking up her first award. Hopefully next year Lesbian Jesus can add to her growing collection.
Scroll through a gallery of the biggest moments from the 2018 VMAs up top and let us know if we missed anything truly iconic. After that, check out the full list of winners here, the best looks here and watch all the performances here!
What was your favorite moment at the 2018 VMAs? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
