After hitting Brooklyn’s Barclays middle in 2021, the MTV Video Music Awards returned to the Prudential Middle in Newark, N.J. on Sunday (Aug. 28).
Nicki Minaj, who not too long ago earned her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100 with “Tremendous Freaky Woman,” was named the 2022 VMAs Video Vanguard Award winner, placing her right into a rarified class that features Michael Jackson, Madonna, Missy Elliott and different popular culture royalty. Moreover, Minaj co-hosted the present alongside LL Cool J and Jack Harlow. Pink Scorching Chili Peppers, who had been the 2022 VMAs World Icon Award recipients, additionally carried out on the present.
Harlow opened the night together with his personal “First Class” and a shock look — Fergie, the Dutchess herself, joined him on the VMAs stage to carry out “Glamorous,” her Scorching 100-topping single that his personal Scorching 100 topper “First Class” samples.
Moreover, the VMAs noticed performances from an enormous checklist of genre-crossing artists: Anitta, Unhealthy Bunny, J Balvin and Ryan Castro, BLACKPINK, Kane Brown, Eminem and Snoop Dogg, Marshmello and Khalid, Lizzo, Måneskin and Panic! on the Disco. Snoop and Slim Shady introduced the metaverse to the Prudential Middle, performing half of their tune of their Bored Ape avatars.
Doja Cat, Harlow and Harry Kinds had been the highest nominees on the 2022 VMAs, with eight nods every. Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X had seven nods every, with Billie Eilish scoring six nods. BTS, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Future, Lizzo, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd all earned 5 nominations.
From Harlow’s show-opening quantity to Anitta’s show-stopping booty shaking to Minaj’s knockout medley of hip-hop classics, listed below are all of the 2022 VMAs performances, ranked.
