(MENAFN- Arab Times) NEW YORK Aug 25 (Agencies): Bow down: Beyonce was the reigning queen of Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. The diva closed the awards show with an epic nearly 20-minute performance. Tears streamed down her face as she was joined onstage by her beaming husband and daughter amid the numerous rumors surrounding her marriage. Beyonce sang and danced in a metallic leotard while Blue Ivy and Jay Z watched from their seats as the diva declared: 'MTV welcome to my world.' As Beyonce accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award the VMA's version of a lifetime achievement award at The Forum in Inglewood California she kissed her daughter and husband Jay Z who called her the 'greatest living entertainer.' The duo won best collaboration for the hit 'Drunk In Love.' 'I have nothing to say but I am filled with so much gratitude' she told the cheering crowd as they chanted her name repeatedly. Her performance easily outdid her competition throughout the night though Beyonce lost video of the year which instead went to Miley Cyrus who let a homeless man accept her award. It was in sharp contrast to the 2013 VMAs when Cyrus twerked and danced shockingly onstage. 'Thank y'all my name is Jesse and I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving lost and scared for their lives right now. I know this because I am one of these people' he said as a teary Cyrus looked on. 'Though I may have been invisible to you in the streets I have a lot of the same dreams that brought many of you here tonight.' Cyrus' decision to let someone else accept her award to promote a cause was reminiscent of Marlon Brando's 1973 Academy Awards best actor win when he gave a Native American activist the stage rather than accept his Oscar trophy. The two-hour show was tamer than past VMAs: the most shocking moment was Nicki Minaj's rump-shaking during her performance of 'Anaconda' in the show's first minutes and her wardrobe malfunction when she joined Ariana Grande and Jessie J for 'Bang Bang.' Amazing 'It felt amazing to open the show and we ran out of time getting the dress zipped up' Minaj said backstage. Taylor Swift was a crowd favorite when she performed her new single 'Shake It Off' in shimmery fringed shorts and a crop top. She got to the top of the stage and as her tuxedoed male background dancers stood with their arms wide open waiting for Swift to jump she said 'One second. I don't care if it's the VMAs. I'm not jumping off there.' She continued: 'It's all kinds of people getting bitten by snakes. Dangerous.' Grande who held hands with rapper Big Sean backstage kicked off the show with a performance of her EDM hit 'Break Free' in a Beyonce-inspired leotard. The 21-year-old won best pop video for her smash single 'Problem' but lost best female video to Katy Perry who won for 'Dark Horse.' Perry sported a figure-hugging denim dress and was joined by Riff Raff in a coordinating outfit mirroring Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears at the 2001 American Music Awards. The night also featured a serious social message: Rapper-actor Common held a moment of silence for Michael Brown the unarmed 18-year-old who was fatally shot by a police officer on Aug. 9 before he presented the award for best hip-hop video. 'Hip-hop has always been about truth and has been a powerful instrument of social change from Melle Mel to Public Enemy to Kendrick Lamar' Common said. 'Hip-hop has always been presented a voice for the revolution.' Later a 15-second spot aired alluding to the shooting in Ferguson Missouri urging viewers to take action to eliminate bias. 'Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced' a quote by author James Baldwin read on the screen. Lorde won best rock video for 'Royals' and Ed Sheeran won best male video beating out Pharrell Eminem John Legend and Sam Smith who was a show highlight with his smoldering performance of his hit 'Stay With Me.' Iggy Azalea and Ora appeared onstage as spider women when they performed their hit 'Black Widow' as Swift Lorde and Charli XCX danced and sang along. Pop shock diva Miley Cyrus won Video of the Year for 'Wrecking Ball' at Sunday's 2014 MTV Video Music Awards outside Los Angeles which gave pride of place to the rising generation of pop stars. Erotic The music video for 'Wrecking Ball' was directed by fashion photographer Terry Richardson known for an erotic style and shows the 21-year-old singer in skin-tight white underwear and cropped top swinging suggestively from a wrecking ball. The former idol of tween girls around the world for her role in the television series 'Hanna Montana' shattered her good-girl image when she performed last year at the Video Music Awards in a flesh-toned bikini and bent over and gyrated provocatively with singer Robin Thicke. This year Cyrus again made headlines this time by staying off stage and sending a homeless man to accept her award who spoke out for the 1.6 million homeless and runaway children and teens in the United States as a teary-eyed Cyrus listened. Meanwhile rapper Common asked for a moment of silence in memory of Michael Brown the unarmed black teenager killed by a white policeman in Ferguson Missouri. Cyrus's Video of the Year win bested Beyonce and her husband Jay Z nominated for 'Drunk in Love' as well as Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCV for 'Fancy' and Pharrell Williams for 'Happy' and Sia for 'Chandelier.' Rapper Drake won Best Hip-Hop Video for 'Hold On (We're Going Home)' which had also been contested by Canadian duo Majid Jordan. Pop princess Katy Perry won the trophy for Best Female Video with her song 'Dark Horse' featuring rapper Juicy J. The men's category was won by Ed Sheeran 23 for his 'Sing' a duet which he recorded with Williams. Best Pop Video went to the young Ariana Grande the latest pop sensation for the song 'Problem' which also features Iggy Azalea. And New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde 17 took home Best Rock Video for 'Royals' a song that in January won her the Grammy for Song of the Year and Best Pop Single. The first MTV awards were handed out in 1984. Winners receive a statuette of an astronaut on the moon known as a 'Moonman' award. Earlier on the red carpet Cyrus said she 'retired' her grinding explicit dance moves. But while Cyrus has retired the twerk rapper Nicki Minaj brought her rump-grinding to kick off the show with hip hop song 'Anaconda' scantily-clad and twerking against a jungle-themed backdrop. Since launching in 1984 Viacom-owned MTV's VMAs have become synonymous with irreverence and unscripted moments that have become part of music history and all eyes were on whoever delivered the most outrageous or unplanned stunt. Beyonce delivered the night's most touching moment when accepting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award for her lifetime achievement in music from her husband rapper Jay Z who called her the 'greatest living entertainer.' Pop music's ladies delivered high-octane performances throughout the night. Ariana Grande kicked off the show with 'Break Free' before joining Minaj and Jessie J for 'Bang Bang.' Taylor Swift debuted her upbeat first single 'Shake It Off' from her upcoming pop album '1989' while Azalea and British singer Rita Ora performed their sultry track 'Black Widow.' In stark comparison to the over-the-top performances by the ladies of pop on the VMAs stage British newcomer Sam Smith used a bare set to showcase his voice on his hit 'Stay With Me' while rockers Maroon 5 performed 'Maps' outside of the newly renovated Forum theater in Inglewood with hundreds of fans. The presenters also got in on the fun with Jim Carrey tumbling on stage while announcing best pop video with Jeff Daniels. 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Jay Pharoah impersonated Jay Z and Kanye West. Other top winners of the fan-voted awards included Katy Perry landing the best female video Moonman for the Cleopatra-themed music video for 'Dark Horse.' British singer Ed Sheeran won best male video Moonman 'Sing' Lorde won best rock video for 'Royals' and Grande won best pop video for 'Problem' featuring Azalea. In the tightly contested Artist to Watch category girl group Fifth Harmony's 'Miss Movin' On' beat out Australian boyband 5 Seconds of Summer rapper Schoolboy Q and British singers Sam Smith and Charlie XCX.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.