Last night, the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards took place at Radio Music Hall in New York City to celebrate some of the biggest names in music. Jennifer Lopez was honored with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for lifetime achievement. She later took to the stage to perform a medley of her greatest hits.
In case you missed the show, here’s a look at the best performances and highlights from the 35th annual MTV VMAs. You can also check out the official MTV YouTube channel if you want to watch some of the performances again.
Cardi B did not perform at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, she returned to the stage to open the MTV VMAs with a surprise. The new mom walked on stage holding a pink blanket close to her body and everyone thought she was going to show the world her new baby girl Kulture Kari.
“I’m the empress. The liberals voted for me. It’s a full house, everybody’s here! No wonder my internet is slow, I got no service,” she said as she pulled the VMA statue from under the blanket.
Cardi B took home a VMA for Best New Artist, Best Collaboration (J. Lo’s Diner) and Best Shade award. She was nominated in 12 categories this year.
Nicki Minaj 2018 MTV Video Music Awards performance
Nicki Minaj won a VMA for Best Hip-Hop for “Chun Li” and gave a special performance from New York City’s Oculus in Lower Manhattan.
Logic and Ryan Tedder perform at 2018 MTV VMAs
Rapper Logic and singer Ryan Tedder took the stage to perform his new single “One Day.” During the performance, dozens of immigrant kids, teens and families walked onto the stage wearing t-shirts that read, “We are all human beings,” while holding candles. Logic’s shirt also sent a message to viewers. In bold letters, it read, “F*ck the wall.”
The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards also had amazing performances by Jessie Reyez, Shawn Mendes, the Backstreet Boys, Maluma, Travis Scott and James Blake, Ariana Grande, and Post Malone who performed “Rockstar” with 21 Savage and “Dream On” with legendary rock band Aerosmith.
American-Cuban singer Camila Cabello won the Best Video of the Year Award for “Havana.” Many people were surprised at her win because Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and the Carters’ “Apesh*t” were both nominated in the same category.
Madonna took the stage to deliver a tribute speech for the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Fans and celebrities quickly took to Twitter to criticize her making the tribute all about herself.
Enough‼️ Be mad at me if you want. But, we as a nation … must stop letting #Madonna do the tributes to great black music legends. First there was that Billboard debacle to Prince. And NOW … Madonna babbling about Madonna, in that faux #MTVVMAS “#Aretha tribute”. #nomore ?
— Arsenio Hall (@ArsenioHall) August 21, 2018
2018 MTV Video Music Awards winners
Here’s a look at all the winners from the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande — “No Tears Left to Cry”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)”
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug — “Havana” *WINNER
The Carters — “APES**T”
Childish Gambino — “This Is America”
Drake — “God’s Plan”
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Camila Cabello *WINNER
Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone
SONG OF THE YEAR
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)”
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug — “Havana”
Drake — “God’s Plan”
Dua Lipa — “New Rules”
Ed Sheeran — “Perfect”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage — “rockstar” *WINNER
BEST NEW ARTIST
Bazzi
Cardi B *WINNER
Chloe x Halle
Hayley Kiyoko
Lil Pump
Lil Uzi Vert
BEST COLLABORATION
Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line — “Meant to Be”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)”
The Carters — “APES**T”
Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B — “Dinero” *WINNER
Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid — “1-800-273-8255”
N.E.R.D & Rihanna — “Lemon”
BEST POP
Ariana Grande — “No Tears Left to Cry” *WINNER
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug — “Havana”
Demi Lovato — “Sorry Not Sorry”
Ed Sheeran — “Perfect”
Pink — “What About Us”
Shawn Mendes — “In My Blood”
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B ft. 21 Savage — “Bartier Cardi”
The Carters — “APES**T”
Drake — “God’s Plan”
J. Cole — “ATM”
Migos ft. Drake — “Walk It Talk It”
Nicki Minaj — “Chun-Li” *WINNER
BEST LATIN
Daddy Yankee — “Dura”
J Balvin, Willy William — “Mi Gente” *WINNER
Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B — “Dinero”
Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato — “Échame La Culpa”
Maluma — “Felices los 4”
Shakira ft. Maluma — “Chantaje”
BEST DANCE
Avicii ft. Rita Ora — “Lonely Together” *WINNER
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa — “One Kiss”
The Chainsmokers — “Everybody Hates Me”
David Guetta & Sia — “Flames”
Marshmello ft. Khalid — “Silence”
Zedd & Liam Payne — “Get Low (Street Video)”
BEST ROCK
Fall Out Boy — “Champion”
Foo Fighters — “The Sky Is a Neighborhood”
Imagine Dragons — “Whatever It Takes” *WINNER
Linkin Park — “One More Light”
Panic! at the Disco — “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
Thirty Seconds to Mars — “Walk on Water”
VIDEO WITH A MESSAGE
Childish Gambino — “This Is America” *WINNER
Dej Loaf and Leon Bridges — “Liberated”
Drake — ‘God’s Plan”
Janelle Monáe — “PYNK”
Jessie Reyez — “Gatekeeper”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid — “1-800-273-8255”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Alessia Cara — “Growing Pains” — Cinematography by Pau Castejón
Ariana Grande — “No Tears Left to Cry” — Cinematography by Scott Cunningham
The Carters — “APES**T” — Cinematography by Benoit Debie *WINNER
Childish Gambino — “This Is America” — mcDJ / RCA Records — Cinematography by Larkin Seiple
Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran — “River” — Cinematography by Frank Mobilio & Patrick Meller
Shawn Mendes — “In My Blood” — Cinematography by Jonathan Sela
BEST DIRECTION
The Carters — “APES**T” — Directed by Ricky Saix
Childish Gambino — “This Is America” — Directed by Hiro Murai *WINNER
Drake — “God’s Plan” — Directed by Karena Evans
Ed Sheeran — “Perfect” — Directed by Jason Koenig
Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton — “Say Something” — Directed by Arturo Perez Jr.
Shawn Mendes — “In My Blood” — Directed by Jay Martin
BEST ART DIRECTION
The Carters — “APES**T” — Art Direction by Jan Houlevigue *WINNER
Childish Gambino — “This Is America” — Art Direction by Jason Kisvarday
J. Cole — “ATM” — Art Direction by Miles Mullin
Janelle Monáe — “Make Me Feel” — Art Direction by Pepper Nguyen
SZA — “The Weekend” — Art Direction by SZA and Solange
Taylor Swift — “Look What You Made Me Do” — Art Direction by Brett Hess
WATCH: 2018 MTV Video Music Awards performances
If you want to watch a playlist of performances from the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV has a nifty YouTube playlist where you can check out 11 VMA performances and other video highlights from last night.
