8 Standout Moments From Last Night’s VMAs

 

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You can also count on the VMAs as a night of iconic moments, from that 2003 moment where Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera kissed on stage (we all remember that) and Lady Gaga’s questionable meat dress, to that slightly uncomfortable Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke performance and Beyoncé proudly showing off her baby bump after an iconic performance back in 2011.

On top of that, we also learned this year that Tiger King’s Doc Antle was in Britney’s 2001 iconic VMA performance. Yep, the performance which featured both snakes and tigers (PETA nightmare), also had the one and only Doc Antle involved. In the beginning of the performance, Britney is seen getting out of a tiger cage in which Doc Antle is in, making sure the singer doesn’t get harmed.

So, what moments from the 2020 VMAs will be the most memorable? Well, strap yourself in, here we go.

Keke Palmer dedicated the night to Chadwick Boseman

The 2020 Video Music Awards aired just two days after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. As a tribute to Chadwick, VMAs host Keke Palmer opened the night with a special message announcing that this year’s show will be dedicated to him.

“We have to take a moment to talk about the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman, an actor whose talent and passion is a true inspiration to all the fans he touched and everyone he encountered,” Keke said in the emotional tribute. “We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just onscreen but in everything he did. His impact lives forever.”

The world needs more superheroes, and we all deserve to see ourselves in them. Chadwick Boseman helped make that happen. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/d05kkkQR6b

— MTV (@MTV) August 31, 2020

Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s performance

If you look through any VMA posts today, you’ll notice that a whole lot of them are all about Gaga and Ariana, and for a good reason too. The two gals basically stole the show with their performance last night, complete with face masks in tow. Their first-ever performance of Rain On Me and it was 100% worth the three month wait. It certainly won’t be forgotten any time soon.

 

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A post shared by Ariana Grande (@ari_lolli) on Aug 31, 2020 at 1:32am PDT

Lady Gaga’s nine looks

Okay, another Lady Gaga mention. But forgive me, I can’t follow through with this piece without mentioning Lady Gaga’s nine outfit changes – at least I think I counted correctly. Lady G wowed us all with a variety of different outfits, complete with matching face masks. Having a Carrie Bradshaw moment, I can’t help but wonder if she also donned a different lipstick under each mask?

Wearing a different look for each of her nine (9!) nominations, Gaga wore a space-esque outfit with a bubble mask (slight Sandy from Spongebob Squarepants vibes), a gorgeous, glam, green gown by Christoper John Rogers and a sparkly jumpsuit paired with many, many, many feathers. Just to name a few, you know?

 

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A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Aug 30, 2020 at 8:39pm PDT

DaBaby’s police brutality statement

Rapper DaBaby’s ‘Rockstar’ has been enjoying its moment on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart, and last night he brought it to the VMAs. Not only that, he also made a powerful statement about police brutality. The performance kicked off, and we watched as DaBaby is arrested, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a police car. During said performance, there was also a sign displayed which read ‘Stop Killing Us’.

 

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Miley’s Wrecking Ball reenactment

Remember Miley’s Wrecking Ball moment? Of course you do, it’s not an easy thing to forget. Well, last night, Miley decided to give us a repeat performance. Singing about her exes during ‘Midnight Sky’, she gave the same kind of vibe from her Wrecking Ball video, but this time, she was swinging on a giant disco ball in the dark. A bit of an upgrade, if you will.

 

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A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileyshining) on Aug 31, 2020 at 12:27am PDT

Spoiler alert

I can’t imagine there’s anything worse than planning this massive annual award show, only for certain winners to be leaked. It seems Lady Gaga’s acceptance speech was leaked before it was even aired, and fans already caught a snippet of Miley Cyrus’ look before the red carpet moment. And that brings us on to the next point…

 

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A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Aug 30, 2020 at 5:08pm PDT

That it wasn’t *actually* live

Okay so, the full VMAs were supposed to be live, and we were told exactly that. But it turns out most of the night wasn’t actually live at all. According to Page Six, parts of the night, including most of the performances, red carpet interviews, and award presentations were filmed days in advance. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, so we all understand, but how about don’t portray the whole thing as live? Hmm.

 

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A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) on Aug 30, 2020 at 8:50pm PDT

Black Eyed Peas grand closing

Black Eyed Peas are the ones to thank for many absolute bops from the naughties, from Don’t Lie to Where Is The Love. Last night, they showed that they’re still well able to get people dancing (from our sitting rooms, obv). Closing the show, the Black Eyed Peas took to the stage to perform ‘Vida Loca’ off of their latest album, Translation. And the best part? They then did an encore of their 2009 hit I Gotta Feeling. Love that for us.

 

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A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) on Aug 30, 2020 at 7:35pm PDT

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