TEVIN BYRD | STAFF WRITER 
On Sunday night, some of music’s biggest stars gathered in Los Angeles, California for the 2011 Video Music Awards, which aired on MTV. In past years at the VMAs, some of the most iconic performances and outrageous moments have occurred. From Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking medley of hits performance in 1995 to Lady Gaga’s blood-gushing rendition of ‘Paparazzi’ in 2009, the award show celebrates and basks in the flair, craziness, and flash that other shows heavily avoid. After a slew of crazy moments from the past such as the Britney Spears and Madonna kiss or the Kanye West and Taylor Swift incident that no one can forget (“I don‘t mean to interrupt you, but Beyoncé had the best video of all time!”), there is no way that this years VMAs could entertain like in the past, right? Think again.
What immediately set this years VMAs apart from the past shows was that for the very first time there was no host. After receiving mixed reviews about last year’s host Chelsea Handler, MTV decided to let the stars take over and they wasted no time. Lady Gaga opened the show with an eye-twisting performance of her latest single “You and I” that had people saying, “Wait, who is that?” In ordinary Lady Gaga fashion, she pushed the boundaries and dressed/performed as her alter-ego, Jo Calderone. Other performances included Chris Brown, who flied high in the air during his intricate dance ensemble, Adele who beautifully moved the crowd by singing her song ‘Someone Like You’ and The Throne (Jay Z and Kanye West) who blasted onto the stage by performing their song ‘Otis’. Other performances included ’How To Love/John’ by Lil Wayne and ‘Give Me Everything’ by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo.
Also during the award show, MTV had a tribute set up for the late Amy Winehouse, who was found dead on July 23rd. The soulful and talented singer was paid homage to by singer Tony Bennett and Bruno Mars, who performed Amy‘s song ‘Valerie’. There was also a tribute to Britney Spears by a group of talented young dancers. She received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her iconic videos and performances over the years and was introduced by one of her peers, Lady Gaga. Together, they introduced the next performer who provided the most shocking and memorable moment at the VMAs. Beyoncé took to the stage and before performing ‘Love on Top’ said, “I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside of me.” At the end of her sensational performance she threw her mic down and revealed a baby bump, letting the world know that her and her husband Jay Z were expecting. After years of pregnancy rumors, Beyoncé is finally having a baby which caused her to make history on Twitter, when almost 9000 tweets per second were made about her and her pregnancy.
The big winners of the night were Katy Perry, who won 3 VMAs including Video Of The Year for her song ‘Firework’ and Adele who also won 3 VMAs. Tyler The Creator won Best New Artist and other winners included Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Foo Fighters. The stars weren’t the only winners of the night however. The 2011 VMAs took over television, bringing in 12.4 million viewers, making it MTV’s most watched telecast ever! The night was full of talent, fun, and entertainment but now that the VMAs are over, the wait for the Grammys begins!
What immediately set this years VMAs apart from the past shows was that for the very first time there was no host. After receiving mixed reviews about last year’s host Chelsea Handler, MTV decided to let the stars take over and they wasted no time. Lady Gaga opened the show with an eye-twisting performance of her latest single “You and I” that had people saying, “Wait, who is that?” In ordinary Lady Gaga fashion, she pushed the boundaries and dressed/performed as her alter-ego, Jo Calderone. Other performances included Chris Brown, who flied high in the air during his intricate dance ensemble, Adele who beautifully moved the crowd by singing her song ‘Someone Like You’ and The Throne (Jay Z and Kanye West) who blasted onto the stage by performing their song ‘Otis’. Other performances included ’How To Love/John’ by Lil Wayne and ‘Give Me Everything’ by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo.
Also during the award show, MTV had a tribute set up for the late Amy Winehouse, who was found dead on July 23rd. The soulful and talented singer was paid homage to by singer Tony Bennett and Bruno Mars, who performed Amy‘s song ‘Valerie’. There was also a tribute to Britney Spears by a group of talented young dancers. She received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her iconic videos and performances over the years and was introduced by one of her peers, Lady Gaga. Together, they introduced the next performer who provided the most shocking and memorable moment at the VMAs. Beyoncé took to the stage and before performing ‘Love on Top’ said, “I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside of me.” At the end of her sensational performance she threw her mic down and revealed a baby bump, letting the world know that her and her husband Jay Z were expecting. After years of pregnancy rumors, Beyoncé is finally having a baby which caused her to make history on Twitter, when almost 9000 tweets per second were made about her and her pregnancy.
The big winners of the night were Katy Perry, who won 3 VMAs including Video Of The Year for her song ‘Firework’ and Adele who also won 3 VMAs. Tyler The Creator won Best New Artist and other winners included Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Foo Fighters. The stars weren’t the only winners of the night however. The 2011 VMAs took over television, bringing in 12.4 million viewers, making it MTV’s most watched telecast ever! The night was full of talent, fun, and entertainment but now that the VMAs are over, the wait for the Grammys begins!
Photo: Courtesy of MTV/PictureGroup
