MTV Video Music Awards

American music award presented annually since September 1984 by MTV cable network to artists who released best the music videos throughout the previous year and several associated categories. The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as VMA or VMAs) has an eponymous ceremony award show and subsequently gained prominence in the industry as an "alternative Grammy" and "youth Super Bowl." Over the years, multiple notable performances and controversies happened at VMAs ceremonies, starting from the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, where Madonna appeared performing 34649 in a very revealing outfit, immediately gaining exposure in the mainstream media beyond the MTV audience. The official winner of the first Video of the Year award was The Cars with 69688, beating such prominent nominations as Michael Jackson's iconic 101825 or 101922 by Herbie Hancock. Other Video Music Awards highlights over the years include: 1987 • Peter Gabriel set an all-time record by winning ten VMA awards. 1988 • Michael Jackson's first appearance with a pre-recorded live performance of Bad; he received an honorary Video Vanguard Award (renamed after the singer in 91). 1989 • Controversial comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay earned a lifetime ban from MTV for his vulgar and obscene "nursery rhymes." 1991 • Prince performed his latest New Power Generation song 97252, wearing a yellow mesh outfit with fully exposed buttocks. The iconic look was later parodied and referenced on many occasions, for instance, by Howard Stern at the '92 VMAs ceremony or by In Living Color TV series hosts. 1993 • Snoop Dogg presented the "Best R&B Video" prize, appearing on stage with Dr. Dre and George Clinton; at the time, there was an open search for Snoop — authorities wanted him in connection with a recent drive-by murder. 1996 • Last public appearance of Tupac Shakur before his murder. 2003 • Madonna performed on stage with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, all dressed as brides and kissing; the event was highly publicized and made front-page headlines of numerous prominent newspapers. 2009 • During Taylor Swift's acceptance speech after winning the Best Female Video for 478858, Kanye West jumped on stage, took the microphone out of Taylor's hands, and interrupted her by shouting that Beyoncé's, instead, made "one of the best videos of all time." His escapade gained widespread criticism, including Barack Obama, then an acting President of the United States, calling West a "jackass" in an interview B-roll.