VMAs 2018: 6 most memorable moments from this year's Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards have always had somewhat of a mixed history; intermixing giddy highs, buzzworthy controversies, and – on occasion – simply dull proceedings.

This year’s ceremony, unfortunately, seemed to lean more towards the third category of events, as original, conversation-sparking videos such as Childish Gambino’s “This is America” and The Carters” “APESH*T” were cast aside for the fun (but hardly groundbreaking) “Havana” by Camila Cabello.

Below are a few moments that stood out from the show and you can check out the full list of winners here

1. Madonna’s tribute to Aretha Franklin confounds viewers

The VMAs called on Madonna to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, after she passed away last week at the age of 76. However, instead of sharing details from Franklin’s own life and legacy, the Queen of Pop decided to launch into a 10-minute long anecdote about her own journey to become a singer.

According to Madonna, her on-the-spot performance on Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman” helped prove to producers during an audition that she was more than “some skinny-ass white girl”. Cut to Camila Cabello feigning emotional revelation.

While ceremony organisers may have hoped to strike some balance between the fact Frankin died on Madonna’s 60th birthday, the result was not only disappointing, but – in the eyes of many – downright disrespectful to the late musical legend.

2. Jennifer Lopez gets everybody “On the Floor” with hits medley

Jennifer Lopez had already secured her Video Vanguard Award long before the ceremony started, but the unstoppable force that is J-Lo still put in the work to prove her credentials as an A-list entertainer.

Performing a medley of her hits, the star ratted through tracks both of nostalgic value (”Jenny From the Block”, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”) and modern novelty (”On the Floor”, “Dinero”), that livened up what was fast becoming a dead weight of a ceremony.

3. Cardi B introduces her “baby” to the VMAs audience

While the VMAs elsewhere faced criticism for lax production and a lack of oomph, the ceremony at least knew the right way to start any event: with the one and only Cardi B.

“What’s poppin’ everybody? Welcome to New York everybody, I am the Empress,” she proclaimed, walking onstage swaddling what appeared to baby Kulture, only for the last minute revelation that it was, of course, a Moonman – the VMAs award trophy.

4. Logic and Ryan Tedder’s performance delivers emotional protest of family separation

Rapper Logic and Ryan Tedder used their performance of the track "One Day" to speak out against the ongoing family separation crisis in the US, as hundreds of immigrant children and their parents were brought on stage in t-shirts bearing the words "We Are All Human Beings".

Amongst those present was 15-year-old Jefferson Arpi of United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led organisation, whose father has been detained for nine months.

“I’m so excited to have performed with Logic tonight,” he said in a statement provided by MTV (via Vox). “It meant a lot to me to be able to represent my family because my dad, Manuel Arpi, is in a detention camp. Logic’s music video showed that even though our families face a lot of pain, we are strong, we are fighters, and we are human.”

5. Ariana Grande brings her family to the stage to sing “God is a Woman”

Celebrating the release of her fourth album Sweetener – while scooping up the award for Best Pop Video for “No Tears Left to Cry” – Grande went all-out with a theatrical performance of “God Is a Woman”, the show featuring an army of goddess-like dancers and a touch of Last Supper imagery to keep things biblical.

To close off her musical victory, Grande brought to the stage three of the most important women in her own life: her mother Joan, grandmother Majorie, and cousin Lani.

6. Nicki Minaj outs herself as a Fifth Harmony fan

The closest the evening came to the birth of a new celebrity beef saw Nicki Minaj playfully call out presenter and comedian Tiffany Haddish for targeting Fifth Harmony during the ceremony's roast portion.

Joined by Kevin Hart, Haddish congratulated Camila Cabello on her five nominations, adding: “So for those of you watching at home... Hi, Fifth Harmony!”

The remark, of course, referenced Cabello’s immense success after leaving the girl group, but Minaj wasn’t having any of it. Accepting the award for Best Hip Hop Video from Haddish, the rapper declared: “Don’t be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is that b*tch!” Good to know the band have someone in their corner.

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