The MTV Video Music Awards nominations are about a month away, and once they arrive, expect discourse over the role of the music video in the age of social media and the relevance of the awards themselves, now in their fourth decade. It’s a frequent refrain: the VMAs have been marked by a general decline in viewership and public interest for years, coinciding with the format’s loss of cultural cachet. Yes, in the right year with the right nominees, people still seem to care about the show. Last year, for example, the show posted a 42% increase in viewership, likely due to its move to CBS for the first time ever and a slate led by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. However, gone are the days where VMAs could pull more than 10 million viewers; last year’s audience of 5 million was the highest in half a decade. But despite the negatives, there’s still can be a future for MTV’s middle-aged show.
To understand what isn’t working with the VMAs now, it’s necessary to examine why they did work years ago. While the Grammys have always been the biggest music award show, rewarding everything from classical to jazz to country to pop, the VMAs were ideal counterprogramming. Coming of age with MTV in the 1980s, music videos drove pop culture and were the primary means of delivering new music to the masses. The awards ceremony was far looser and far more scandalous than the Grammys, and usually good for delivering viral moments. While you might get an Elton John-Eminem duet every so often at the Grammys, the VMAs reliably delivered Britney Spears’ snake performance, Lady Gaga’s meat dress, and Kanye West infamously crashing Taylor Swift’s crowning moment. Those iconic images captured public attention, especially among a younger, more plugged-in demo, in a way that multiple acceptance speeches from, say, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant (no shade to either) could never.
So, while the Grammys broadcast prestigious moments typically involving legends or anointed newcomers, the VMAs’ ability to get raunchy made it engineered for pop culture. And that’s precisely why they are needed now. In the face of the death of monoculture, fans are seeking live shows that are differentiated, offering controversy and meme-worthy moments. There’s a reason why the Moonlight–La La Land Best Picture fiasco and The Slap at the Oscars became instantly iconic: we want to be surprised.
Lack of surprise has also hurt the show in a big way. Being at the mercy of a popular vote is a double-edged sword. While it is engages fans and leads to often clever voting campaigns, it can also become a bore if the same artists keep taking home the hardware. Long panned for awarding the same artists, the Grammys have begun to see more diversified winners as the Recording Academy has expanded its ranks. The VMAs, meanwhile, have been stuck in a rut, with the same artist (ahem, Taylor Swift) scoring the same big prize four times in six years. Although it’s not Swift’s fault, it does create the perception that other fandoms shouldn’t bother mobilizing for their artists of choice — or bother tuning in to watch the inevitable coronations.
But last year’s show was a step in the right direction. Ariana Grande was overdue for a Video of the Year win, producers introduced Katseye to a broader audience with their rendition of “Gnarly,” and Tate McRae’s great performance even earned an Emmy nomination for its showstopping choreography.
If the VMAs wants to keep growing, the producers will have to make sure the nominees are varied yet relevant and the performances can live beyond the broadcast. The Grammys succeeded last year by giving Album of the Year to Bad Bunny, both crowning one of the world’s biggest artists and also sending a major political message. The Oscars suddenly seemed bolder after awarding Everything Everywhere All at Once (or Parasite, or Anora…). Even the typically staid Tonys took a turn in the spotlight with Pink’s epic opening number in June in the same ceremony with an openly trans winner and just a few years after two Black nonbinary performers won.
When compared to the greater awards landscape, what holds the VMAs back is that the show seemingly has nothing important to say. Once known for bold statements, the VMAs are tamer and less interesting than ever. If MTV wants to regain the VMAs cultural primacy, the show will have to start with catching up with what’s important in culture, rather than just fanfare. In a few weeks, when the nominations arrive, we’ll have our first clue whether the VMAs are up to the task.
