Kanye West outburst upstages VMA winners
Beyonce took home Video of the Year last night (9/13) at MTV’s Video Music Awards ceremonies, an event marred by Kanye West’s disruption of another winner’s acceptance speech.
Moments after accepting the VMA trophy for Best Female Video, teenage country star and first-time VMA winner Taylor Swift was interrupted by West, who took the microphone from the singer’s hands to complain that the statuette should have gone to Beyonce.
“Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time,” West said, as the audience at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall began to boo and a shocked Swift stood clutching her trophy. West, who did not win an award, was booed whenever his name was mentioned for the remainder of the night.
Later, during her own acceptance speech for Video of the Year (for “Single Ladies,”) Beyonce called Swift to the stage to complete her own interrupted speech.
Swift praised Beyonce to reporters backstage. “I thought that I couldn’t love Beyonce more and then tonight happened and it was just wonderful.” She also said she had never met West and had never been a fan of his music. “I don’t know him and I don’t want to start anything,” the singer told reporters.
For his own part, West–who has disrupted several award shows with similar antics in the past after not receiving trophies, including the Grammy Awards and the American Music Awards–later apologized on his blog, while continuing to maintain that Beyonce should have won the award. “I’M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD’VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED! “BEYONCE’S VIDEO WAS THE BEST OF THIS DECADE!!!! … EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I’M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!!,” he added.
Aside from Swift’s and Beyonce’s awards, currently imprisoned rapper T.I. took home the prize for Best Male Video for “Live Your Life,” featuring Rihanna, and Eminem continued his comeback by taking the award for Best Hip-Hop Video for “We Made You.”
The awards show also featured several nods to the late Michael Jackson, including a musical and dancing tribute from sister Janet Jackson, and a moving speech by Madonna, who recounted her twin rise to superstardom with Jackson in the ’80s.
“Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them,” said Madonna, who was dressed all in black. “Yes, Michael Jackson was a human being, but yes, he was a king. Long live the king.”
Other winners on the night included Britney Spears, who received Best Pop Video for “Womanizer,” and Green Day, which took home the award for Best Rock Video for “21 Guns.” Lady GaGa was named Best New Artist, while Matt & Kim won Best Breakthrough Video for the duo’s “Lessons Learned.”
“Sabotage,” a 1994 video from Beastie Boys, won in the Best Video That Should Have Won a Moonman category, which refers to the VMA’s iconic astronaut-styled statuette.
Here is a complete list of winners:
Video of the Year
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Beyonce
Best Female Video
“You Belong With Me”
Taylor Swift
Best Male Video
“Live Your Life”
T.I. featuring Rihanna
Best Rock Video
“21 Guns”
Green Day
Best Pop Video
“Womanizer”
Britney Spears
Best Hip-Hop Video
“We Made You”
Eminem
Best Brekthrough Video
“Lessons Learned”
Matt and Kim
Best Video That Should Have Won a Moonman
“Sabotage”
Beastie Boys
Best New Artist
Lady Gaga
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