Skip to main content

Wait, what? MTV Video Music Awards to honor Kanye West

kanye wests instagram wedding photo required 4 days blames annie leibovitz west cannes lions
Image used with permission by copyright holder
My, how the tides have turned. Just six years after Kanye West’s infamous on-stage objections to Taylor Swift’s win for Best Female Video over Beyonce (“Beyonce had the best video of all time!”), the rapper/singer is being bestowed the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the very same ceremonies, reports Variety.

West will be in good company with prior recipients of the prestigious award, which include Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and MJ himself. It’s considered the highest honor for these music video awards. But is West really deserving, or is MTV just afraid he might jump on stage and object if he doesn’t get it?

Related: Even Tinder can me made more beautiful by Kelly Clarkson’s voice

Not surprisingly, some fans are lobbying for Swift to present the award. Others are objecting to the very fact that he’s getting it in the first place. But jokes aside, West has had some pretty memorable VMA performances, including his hit song medley in 2004 that featured Chaka Khan and hot tracks like Jesus Walks, and his 2005 performance with Jamie Foxx of that year’s summer hit, Gold Digger.

But West is not known for humility, often decrying himself a god of sorts, for everything from fashion to music and producing. He’s also famously married to celebrity socialite (or whatever you might call her) Kim Kardashian, with whom he’s fathered a child, with another on the way.

Whether you believe West deserves the award or not, no doubt plenty of people will be tuning into the VMAs to see who introduces him, how he’s introduced, and to hear his likely un-humble (and live!) acceptance speech. Perhaps that’s what MTV was after all along by honoring the musician. Though its censors will likely be on edge.

MTV has already attracted plenty of attention to the VMAs by confirming that clothing-optional, tongue-hanging singer Miley Cyrus would be hosting this year. Confirmed performers thus far include Pharrell, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, A$AP Rocky, and more, including the first live televised performance of The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face.

But forget the performances: Miley and Kanye together in a live broadcast? It’s bound to be a wrecking ball of a show.

The 2015 VMAs will air live on MTV on August 30 at 9 p.m.

Christine Persaud
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (August 30-September 1)
Two people float in space in Life.

The long Labor Day weekend is here, and what better way to celebrate than to watch a good movie? Don't go to the movie theaters this weekend though; all they have debuting is Afraid, a crummy techno thriller about an evil Amazon Echo and a cheap biopic about Ronald Reagan. I did warn you.

Staying at home is always a great option to watch good flicks, especially if you have a Netflix subscription. But aside from new movies like The Union or the modern classic heist movie Logan Lucky, there are hundreds of underrated movies just begging to be watched and discovered. Here are three of them that will keep you occupied during this Labor Day weekend.
Life (2017)

Read more
3 Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (August 30-September 1)
Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer in Tombstone.

The good news for movie lovers is that Labor Day weekend is giving you an extra day to catch up on some films to watch. And as one of the top streaming services, Hulu has a dynamite selection of movies waiting for you.

To close out the month of August, we've picked three Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend. Our choices include a classic western from the '90s, a modern thriller, and a teenage rom-com that will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year.

Read more
3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (August 30-September 1)
A man and a woman kiss in Great Expectations.

Labor Day weekend is here, giving you an extra day or two to unwind. You could read a book, do some household chores, or go to the movie theaters to catch up on some summer hits like Alien: Romulus or Trap.

If you want to stay at home, there are plenty of options to choose from with your HBO and Max subscriptions. Furiosa just started streaming, but that's been praised enough. Here are three movies, two from the '90s and one from 2017, that deserve some love and attention.
Great Expectations (1998)

Read more