Bad Bunny performed "Tití Me Preguntó" at the award ceremony. Image Source: LA Times
The 2022 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey to honor the best music videos of the year on 28th August 2022. LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj, and Jack Harlow hosted the ceremony.
Here are the winners of the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards:
Video of the Year- Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)- Republic Records
Artist of the Year- Bad Bunny- Rimas Entertainment
Album of the Year- Harry Styles -- Harry's House
Song of the Year- Billie Eilish- Happier Than Ever- Darkroom/ Interscope Records
Best New Artist- Dove Cameron- Disruptor Records/ Columbia Records
Push Performance of the Year- December 2021: SEVENTEEN – "Rock With You" – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
Best Collaboration- Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "INDUSTRY BABY" – Columbia Records
Best Pop- Harry Styles – "As It Was" – Columbia Records
Best Hip-Hop- Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – "Do We Have A Problem?" – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Best Rock- Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Black Summer" – Warner Records
Best Alternative- Måneskin – "I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE" – Arista Records
Best Latin – Anitta – "Envolver" – Warner Records
Best R&B- The Weeknd – "Out Of Time" – XO / Republic Records
Best K-Pop- LISA – "LALISA" – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
Group of the Year- BTS
Song of the Summer- Jack Harlow – "First Class"
Video For Good- Lizzo – "About Damn Time" – Atlantic Records
Best Metaverse Performance- BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
Best Longform Video- Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) – Republic Records
Best Cinematography- Harry Styles – "As It Was" – Columbia Records
Best Direction- Taylor Swift – "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) – Republic Records
Best Visual Effects- Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – "INDUSTRY BABY" – Columbia Records
Best Choreography- Doja Cat – "Woman" – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Best Editing- ROSALÍA – "SAOKO" – Columbia Records
Global Icon Award- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award- Nicki Minaj
Video Music Awards co-host Nicki Minaj appeared on stage to present the award for Artist of the Year to Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez who was at the Yankee Stadium in New York City, where he performed as a part of his "World's Hottest Tour" and gave a nighttime performance of the smash song "Tit Me Preguntó" with a group of backing dancers decked out in garish wedding gowns and flags of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico framing the stage. Along with performing at the ceremony, Bad Bunny became the first non-English performer to win the Artist of the Year award and the second Latino to win as Camila Cabello won it in 2018. Bad Bunny was up against artists including Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow, Drake, Harry Styles, Lizzo and Lil Nas X. NBA veteran and fellow Puerto Rican Carmelo Anthony handed over the Moonman trophy to Bad Bunny after he was announced the winner.
In his acceptance speech, Bad Bunny spoke in Spanish and declared that he is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio from Puerto Rico to the world. He also claimed that he told himself that one day he will be one of the biggest musicians in the world without having to compromise his culture or language. Today seems that day. He said that he has no words to describe what it means to him to receive the award at the Yankee Stadium.
One of the things that everyone noticed was the famous scene where Bad Bunny kissed both a male and a female backup dancer. While some fans defended the artist, claiming that he is just trying to normalize being whatever the hell one wants to be in a machista culture and capitalize on the fact that millions of people were watching it at that moment, others were quick to notice that the Latino artist had pulled Madonna- Britney moment from Video Music Award 2003 and labeled him as bisexual.
Bad Bunny is widely known for challenging the status o by challenging toxic masculinity in the Latinx community. The artist is dating Gabriela Berlingeri had mentioned on the cover story for Playboy in 2020 that he thinks that sex is a giant world and everyone is free to see it the way they want to, with whoever they want to with infinite possibilities. Bad Bunny added that at the end of the day, every human feel falls in love with whoever they are meant to be with.
Congratulations to the winners!!
