MTV Video Music Awards Winners: Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran Among Top Honorees

After taking the stage at Madison Square Garden last year in New York, the MTV Video Music Awards headed back to the West Coast to Los Angeles’ fabulous Forum to hand out Moon Persons (or would it be Moon People?) to musicians and artists who have excelled in the music video world.

Trying her best, Katy Perry slogged her way through “jokes” as she hosted this year’s ceremony, which marked the first year where the awards were gender neutral. Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” took the top prize of Video of the Year as well as the majority of the technical accolades while Ed Sheeran walked away with Artist of the Year. Pop rock star P!nk impressed with a remixed medley of her hits before she was honored with the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Susan Bro, the mother of Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer, took the stage to present an award to all the nominees up for a new category called Best Fight Against The System, which is dedicated to socially conscious music. Other winners of the evening included Fifth Harmony, Zayne & Taylor Swift, as well as Khalid for Best New Artist, which is voted on by the fans.

The ceremony also included the world premiere of Taylor Swift’s video for her new single “Look What You Made Me Do” as well as long list of performances to fill the three-hour run time. Performers included Lamar, Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Rod Stewart featuring DNCE, Demi Lovato, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes, Lorde, and others.

Read the complete list of winners below.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic Records)

BEST NEW ARTIST
Khalid (RCA Records)

BEST COLLABORATION
Zayn & Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” (Republic Records)

BEST POP
Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down” (Syco Music/Epic Records)

BEST HIP HOP
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

BEST DANCE
Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay” (Interscope)

BEST ROCK
Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul” (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic Records)

BEST FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM (All named winners)
Logic ft. Damian Lemar Hudson – “Black SpiderMan” (Race & LGBTQ) (Def Jam)
The Hamilton Mixtape – “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” (Immigration) (Atlantic Records)
Big Sean – “Light” (Race) (Def Jam)
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful” (Body image) (Def Jam)
Taboo ft. Shailene Woodley – “Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL” (Environment)
John Legend – “Surefire” (Immigration & Anti-Muslim hate) (Columbia Records)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope) (Scott Cunningham)

SONG OF THE SUMMER
Lil Uzi Vert – “XO Tour Llif3”

BEST DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope) (Dave Meyers & the little homies)

BEST ART DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope) (Spencer Graves)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope) (Company: Timber/Lead: Jonah Hall)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Kanye West – “Fade” (Def Jam) (Teyana Taylor, Guapo, Jae Blaze & Derek ‘Bentley’ Watkins)

BEST EDITING
Young Thug – “Wyclef Jean” (300 Entertainment/Atlantic Records) (Ryan Staake & Eric Degliomini)