Lady Gaga’s meat dress
Wanting to send the message that she wasn’t “a piece of meat,” Lady Gaga attended the 2010 VMAs while dressed as a piece of meat. The “meat dress” – one of the most infamous outfits in VMA history – was made from over 40 pounds of Argentinian beef. Needless to say, vegan activists were deeply offended, lashing out at Gaga online.
Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic hitting himself with his bass guitar
During a performance of the band’s record Lithium at the 1992 VMAs, Nirvana bassist Kris Novoselic launched his bass guitar a considerable height into the air, a stunt he regularly performed. Unfortunately for Novoselic, he completely missed the catch, with the bass hitting him straight in the face as it plummeted back down.
Courtney Love interrupting Madonna’s interview
During the 1995 VMAs, while MTV’s Kurt Loder was interviewing Madonna, Courtney Love began throwing items from her handbag at the pair. Loder invited Love to join the interview – an offer that was gleefully accepted – resulting in five minutes of tense, awkward and ultimately legendary television as the two singers traded sarcastic barbs while trying to maintain a veneer of friendliness.
Cardi B pretending to bring her baby onstage
In 2018, Cardi B strolled onstage holding what appeared to be her baby daughter in her arms. This prompted widespread alarm – as the VMAs isn’t exactly an ideal environment for an infant – but the rapper eventually revealed that the “baby” was, in fact, a swaddled Moonman trophy.
The members of Van Halen falling out
During the 1996 VMAs, the estranged members of Van Halen reunited onstage to receive an award. Fans’ hopes that this signalled a reunion were dashed before the night was done, when the band’s members nearly came to blows backstage after old tensions flared.
Lil Kim’s outfit
Skimpy outfits are nothing new at the VMAs, but Lil Kim still managed to make headlines when she came onstage with one of her breasts covered with nothing but glitter. Diana Ross, who was co-presenting, couldn’t help cracking some jokes about Kim’s outfit choice, and even gave her breast a joking slap.
Liam Gallagher’s behaviour at the 1996 VMAs
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher isn’t exactly known for moderating his behaviour, but he still managed to cause a stir at the 1996 VMAs. During Oasis’ performance, Gallagher swore incessantly, made rude gestures at the audience and casually tossed his empty can of beer onto the stage before sauntering off.
Madonna kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera
Madonna opened the 2003 VMAs with a rendition of her iconic record Like a Virgin, bringing out Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to join her. At the end of the song, the Queen of Pop capped off what was already a raunchy performance by planting passionate kisses on both of her co-performers.
Nicki Minaj calling Miley Cyrus a “b***h”
In a 2015 interview with the New York Times, Miley Cyrus described Nicki Minaj as “not too kind.” Minaj held her tongue for several weeks, before taking to the stage at the VMAs and describing Cyrus as “this b***h that had a lot to say about me the other day in the press.”
Fiona Apple calling out people’s obsession with celebrities
While accepting her award at the 1997 VMAs, Fiona Apple directly addressed those watching, stating: “You shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool or what we’re wearing or what we’re saying.” The singer also added “this world is bull***t”.
Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift
In 2009, as Taylor Swift was accepting the award for Best Female Video, Kanye West ran onstage, forcibly snatched the mic and told a horrified audience that, in his opinion, Beyoncé should have taken the award. The incident led to a significant backlash against West, with many celebrities publicly calling him out for his appalling behaviour.
Kanye and Taylor reconciling
Six years after Kanye West made VMA history by wrestling the mic from Taylor Swift, the pair publicly reconciled by co-presenting the Vanguard Award. The truce wouldn’t last for long, however, as West once again took shots at Swift in his 2016 record Famous.
Michael Jackson kissing Lisa Presley
In an apparent bid to prove that their relationship wasn’t a sham, Michael Jackson and Lisa Presley made everyone at the 1994 VMAs deeply uncomfortable by passionately kissing onstage. “Nobody thought this would last,” exclaimed Jackson just before the smooch, and two years before he and Presley divorced.
Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke
Miley Cyrus’ campaign to distance herself from her Hannah Montana persona culminated in raunchy fashion at the 2013 VMAs. During her performance, Cyrus stripped down to a skimpy bikini before aggressively twerking on Robin Thicke, raising more than a few eyebrows, including, presumably, those of Thicke’s wife.
Fifth Harmony sending a shot at Camila Cabello
For their performance at the 2017 VMAs, Fifth Harmony walked onstage with five members. Just before they began singing, however, one member was thrown offstage. This was widely assumed to be a shot at Camila Cabello, who quit the group the previous year.
Rihanna swerving Drake
During the 2016 VMAs, Drake and Rihanna gave the world second-hand embarrassment with the cringiest moment in the award-show’s history. While presenting Rihanna with her trophy, Drake went in for a kiss on the lips, which Rihanna quickly dodged, resulting in an extremely awkward peck on the cheek.
Beyoncé’s pregnancy reveal
After performing her song Love on Top at the 2011 VMAs, Beyoncé dramatically popped open her sparkly jacket to reveal a baby bump. Needless to say, everyone in attendance lost their mind, and the moment began trending on social media within a matter of seconds.
Lady Gaga’s gruesome performance
During one of the most dramatic performances in the history of the VMAs, Lady Gaga theatrically collapsed to the floor as fake blood gushed out of her stomach. The singer later explained that she was trying to spark a debate about society’s obsession with the demise of celebrities.
Michael Jackson getting confused about his award
The 2002 VMAs happened to fall on Michael Jackson’s birthday, and MTV created a commemorative award to make the occasion. While presenting the award, Britney Spears described Jackson as the “artist of the millennium,” which the King of Pop thought was the name of the award, leading to some hilarious awkwardness.
Marilyn Manson’s performance of The Dope Show
Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson is rarely far from controversy, and the 1998 VMAs certainly proved no exception. Manson performed his hit record The Dope Show while wearing a prosthetic chest and flanked by a squad of male dancers dressed as cops, who started making out with each other halfway through the act.
Madonna’s botched tribute to Aretha Franklin
While presenting an award at the 2018 VMAs, Madonna briefly paid homage to Aretha Franklin – who has passed away a few months before – before using the tribute to launch into a monologue about herself. The speech was widely panned for being “tone deaf,” with many taking to social media to criticise both Madonna and MTV.
Weird Al Yankovic wooing at the audience
While co-hosting the 1989 VMAs with Jasmine Guy, Weird Al Yankovic began reacting to the audiences cries of “woo” by imitating them in an increasingly mocking tone. While most people took it in good humour, Guy – already looking somewhat nervous – became visibly more tense with each trade of woos.
Sam Kinison at the 1988 VMAs
Tasked with presenting Guns N’ Roses with an award at the 1988 VMAs, Sam Kinison clearly came for blood. The notoriously no-holds barred comedian sent shots for Betty Ford rehab clinics, Michael Jackson and Huey Lewis, who he described as “the first experiment in propaganda rock.”
RuPaul and Milton Berle’s awkward presenting
When RuPaul and Milton Berle took to the stage to present Aerosmith with an award in 1993, everyone expected the two iconic drag queens to have electric chemistry. Instead, the awkwardness was palpable, with Berle getting visibly annoyed by both RuPaul’s improvisations and the general noisiness of the audience.
Britney Spears performing with a snake
At the 2001 VMAs, Britney Spears performed her hit record I’m a Slave 4 U with a live python draped around her shoulders. While many praised the move as bold and creative, there was also a considerable backlash from animal rights activists.
Tommy Lee and Kid Rock getting into a fight
For the 2007 VMAs, MTV booked out the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, with nominated celebs holding parties in dedicated suites. Inevitably, the combination of no supervision and unlimited access to booze resulted in absolute carnage, with the night’s drama peaking when Tommy Lee and Kid Rock got into a fistfight.
Rose McGowan’s dress
Forget thread counts, Rose McGowan’s dress at the 1998 VMAs was so skimpy you could literally count the threads. Unsurprisingly, the actress’s choice to attend the award ceremony while wearing basically nothing stoked a considerable amount of controversy and made headlines up and down the country.
Adam Yauch snatching Michael Stipe’s mic
Long before Kanye’s infamous mic snatch, Beastie Boys frontman Adam Yauch caused an uproar by doing the exact same thing to R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. The circumstances were remarkably similar, too, with Stauch outraged over the fact that the video for R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts took the trophy for Best Director.
Miley Cyrus’ costume ‘slip-up’
During the 2015 VMAs, a nude Miley Cyrus gave an interview from her dressing room while half-concealed behind some curtain. When Cyrus let the curtain slip, the lightning-fast reflexes of whoever was responsible for cutting away almost saved MTV from broadcasting live nudity… but not quite.
Lil Mama awkwardly taking to the stage
During the 2015 VMAs, Lil Mama wandered onto the stage while Jay-Z and Alicia Keys were performing their smash-hit record Empire State of Mind. While everyone was clearly completely baffled by the display, it seems likely that Lil Mama – who hadn’t had a popular song in over two years – was making a desperate attempt to stay relevant.
Tim Commerford climbing the scaffolding
While Rage Against the Machine were known for their anarchic antics, the rest of the band was still reportedly horrified when bassist Tim Commerford climbed up the stage scaffolding to protest Limp Bizkit winning the Best Rock Video Award. MTV were also less than thrilled, with Commerford removed by security and handed over to the cops, spending a night in jail.
Eminem verbally attacking Moby
After Moby publicly called out Eminem for misogyny in 2002, the pair ended up sitting near each other at that year’s VMAs. When Eminem took to the stage to accept his award for Best Male Video, the rapper let loose, calling Moby a “little girl.” While the audience booed in response, Eminem was unfazed, and seemingly threatened to hit Moby.
Andrew Dice Clay getting himself banned from the VMAs
MTV somehow thought that allowing notoriously offensive comedian Andrew Dice Clay to introduce Cher at the 1994 VMAs could go anything other than terribly. On live TV, Clay reeled off a string of swear words and told off-color jokes from his routine, earning himself a lifetime ban from the award show in the process.
Justin Bieber bursting into tears
In a rare example of a wholesome moment from the VMAs, while performing in 2015, Justin Bieber – so overwhelmed at the level of support the audience was giving him – broke down in tears mid-song. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon after the event, Bieber revealed that the last time he’d performed at an awards show he’d been booed, and he’d been expecting the same response.
Yung Gravy kissing Addison Rae’s mom
After several months of trading flirty TikToks that everyone assumed were humorous, 26-year-old rapper Yung Gravy brought Sheri Easterling – Addison Rae’s 42-year-old mother – as his date to the 2022 VMAs. The pair wore coordinated outfits, and even shared a couple of steamy kisses in front of the cameras.
Madonna singing on top of a giant wedding cake
At the 1984 VMAs, Madonna put on one of the most iconic performances in the award show’s history. Wearing a wedding dress and perched atop a 17-foot tall wedding cake, the singer dazzled the audience, as well as the millions watching live at home. Madonna later revealed that her manager at the time thought the performance would ruin her career.
T-Pain arriving on an elephant
In another stunt that outraged animal rights activists, T-Pain rocked up to the 2008 VMAs perched on an elephant and surrounded by circus performers on stilts. The entrance made headlines, but generated significant backlash, as sitting on elephant can permanently damage its spine.
Machine Gun Kelly and Conor McGregor fighting
Rapper Machine Gun Kelly made headlines at the 2021 VMAs in Brooklyn, after seemingly getting into a scrap with MMA fighter Conor McGregor on the red carpet. While the exact cause of the altercation is unknown, photos show both men squaring off, and McGregor even seems to have taken a swing before security stepped in.
Beyoncé getting emotional at the 2014 VMAs
Amid speculation that their marriage was going through a rough patch, Jay-Z presented Beyoncé with the Michael Jackson Vanguard award at the 2014 VMAs. Jay-Z also brought the couple’s daughter, Blue Ivy, onstage to present the award, resulting in Beyoncé getting visibly emotional and shedding a few tears.
Nicki Minaj forgetting to zip up her outfit
While performing with Jessie J and Ariana Grande at the 2014 VMAs, Nicki Minaj quickly disappeared backstage to change outfits. Unfortunately, the rapper forgot to zip up her new dress, a realization that suddenly hit her as she stepped back in front of the audience. Minaj managed to quickly grab the dress and fled the stage, returning moments later with it now zipped up.
