(Screenshot via YouTube)
NEW YORK | The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were presented Sept. 12 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City with musical artists Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber and first-time nominee Olivia Rodrigo, winning the top awards. This year’s ceremony marked the 40th anniversary of MTV since its inaugural broadcast in 1981.
Out artist Lil Nas X took home the top prize of the evening with Video of the Year for “Montero: Call Me By Your Name.” He also won an award for Best Direction for “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” which he co-directed with Tanu Muino.
Canadian transplant Justin Bieber received a trophy for MTV Artist of the Year and also won an award for Best Pop Video for his collaboration with Daniel Caesar and Giveon for the song “Peaches.”
Olivia Rodrigo won three awards for Song of the Year for her song, “drivers license,” Best New Artist and also an award for Push Performance of the Year.
CBS News reported during his acceptance speech Lil Nas X shouted; “First I wanna say thank you to the gay agenda. Let’s go gay agenda!”
The openly out artist has been at the receiving end of harsh critiques and extreme backlash after the release of “Montero,” including from anti-LGBTQ groups such as the Washington D.C.-based Family Research Council, Colorado-based Focus on the Family and the Mississippi-based American Family Association who have all labeled the song and the video demonic.
The song debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and according to CBS Entertainment, the music video made headlines after its premiere for its depiction of Lil Nas X sliding on a stripper pole to hell, where he proceeds to give Satan a lap dance.
The altered Nike Air Max 97 shoes accompanying the song’s release were dubbed the Satan Shoes and caused Nike to file a lawsuit against the company that produced them.
Going to spend the rest of the night re-watching @LilNasX‘s reaction to winning Video of the Year at the #VMAs 🥺 pic.twitter.com/qbcbCDaKUy
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) September 13, 2021
