Every year, the cable network Music Television hosts the Video Music Awards to honor the year’s best in the music industry. Despite being fan-voted, the VMAs, like any award show, tend to have just as many artists who fans believed were snubbed as those who fans believe deserved the recognition. So, who are this year's snubbed stars? And what awards were well earned?
VMAs Most Iconic Performance
The VMAs Most Iconic Performance honors standout performances and artists throughout the history of the VMAs. This year’s big stars, including Taylor Swift, Madonna and Lady Gaga, were nominated for their past performances. While the award was given to Katy Perry’s 2013 performance of her song “Roar,” it was Lady Gaga that was snubbed in this category. Comparing theatrics alone, Lady Gaga had a performance that was both visually appealing and sounded amazing. Though Perry’s performance was great, it was the same thing people have come to expect with a performance of that song. Beautiful, but not iconic.
Song of the Summer
What have you been listening to this summer? Well, according to MTV, the song that defined the summer of 2024 is Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight.” Swift has made some very influential music in the past, but the truth is, “Fortnight” is not the song of the summer. When you think of the song of the summer you do not think of the slow and melancholy music that you hear in Swift’s songs. According to music fans, the real winner of this category should have been Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Please Please Please.” The song took over TikTok almost immediately after its release in June and since then has only continued to boost Carpenter’s career. The song currently has 769,175,392 streams on Spotify, beating Swift’s “Fortnight,” which is currently at 641,222,500 Spotify streams. Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” said what most people in relationships have thought at least once – “please don’t embarrass me.” It’s that relatability that made it so popular on TikTok and it’s that same relatability that should have led to a win at the VMAs.
Best New Artist
It takes a lot to get into the music business. It is more than just having rhythm and good lyrics; you need a good stage presence, a large following and a record label, among other things. To be named MTVs Best New Artist at the VMAs requires a lot more than good music. This year Chappel Roan was named Best New Artist, an award that is very much deserved given the impact Roan has made on music this past year. Songs like “HOT TO GO!” and “Good Luck Babe” have only continued to grow in popularity since being released, with both being in her top streamed songs. Since the beginning of 2024, Roan has continued to grow in popularity starting with 1,106,840 monthly listeners in January to over 45 million monthly listeners as of September. If her recent win at the VMAs and rise in popularity means anything, I think it’s that Roan’s fan base will only continue to go up from here.
Video of the Year
For a company originally based on streaming music videos for the public, the Video of the Year award is an important one. This year’s award winner was again Taylor Swift’s song “Fortnight.” While in other categories the nominations for this song seem more unnecessary, this is one of the categories I can get behind. Swift’s video, with musical collaboration from Post Malone and guest starring actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, is exactly the kind of detailed and theatrical performance, involving intricate sets, costumes, and makeup, that fans have come to expect from Swift’s music videos. It’s romantic and dystopian, and while it may not have the same brilliance as her 2021 video “All Too Well: The Short Film,” Swift’s new video was outstanding.
Song of the Year
This year has been a Sabrina Carpenter revolution. Iconic looks, dramatic music videos, and killer music have made Carpenter’s brand into one to watch out for. So, when her song “Espresso” was named Song of the Year at the VMAs, it was no surprise to anyone. Though the “Short N’ Sweet” album was only just released this Aug., “Espresso” has been out since April and has quickly become the hot girl anthem we’ve all been looking for.
Artist of the Year
When you think about the artist of the year for 2024, you probably think of someone whose contributions to music this year truly embodied what 2024 is all about. Taylor Swift was named that artist at this year’s VMAs. A case can be made for other artists being snubbed in this category but despite “Fortnight” getting more nominations than I personally believe it deserved, Swift’s career this year has been huge. Her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce took over social media. Each album has had massive success and Swift’s billion-dollar Eras Tour, which is still continuing, has been hugely popular. Not only has Swift been making big moves career-wise, but she’s also been making waves on a political level. In 2023, Swift encouraged her followers to register to vote using the non-partisan website Vote.org, and shortly after, the site recorded more than 35,000 registrations. She has once again spoken her mind about today’s political climate with an official endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris that she posted to her Instagram account. Fans love her because not only are they able to connect emotionally via her music, but she appears vulnerable in almost all facets of her life. When you talk about artists changing the game, Swift continues to be one of the musicians at the top.
