# 2016 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2016 [MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/mtv-video-music-awards) was the 33rd edition of MTV's annual music-video awards ceremony, held on Sunday, August 28, 2016, at [Madison Square Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/madison-square-garden) in New York City, the first time the show was staged at that venue[1](https://vault.denox.es/article/mtv-vmas-2016-performances-winners-and-cultural-context) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west). The night was dominated by two contrasting career showcases: Beyoncé, who won eight awards for her visual album *Lemonade* and became the most awarded artist in the show's history, and Rihanna, who received the [Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson-video-vanguard-award) and performed four times across the broadcast[3](https://time.com/4470510/vmas-2016-mtv-beyonce-awards/) • [4](https://www.nprillinois.org/arts-life/2016-08-28/at-mtvs-video-music-awards-its-all-about-moments). Critics broadly judged the show itself a weak one, carried by its headliners[5](https://time.com/4470169/vmas-2016-mtv-review/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Sunday, August 28, 2016, Madison Square Garden, New York City[1](https://vault.denox.es/article/mtv-vmas-2016-performances-winners-and-cultural-context) |
| Hosting | No formal host; Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele acted as masters of ceremony[6](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mtv-vmas-2016-complete-list-of-winners/) |
| Top nominee and winner | Beyoncé: 11 nominations, 8 wins, all tied to *Lemonade* videos[7](https://time.com/4424498/mtv-video-music-award-nominations-2016/) • [3](https://time.com/4470510/vmas-2016-mtv-beyonce-awards/) |
| Video of the Year | Beyoncé, "Formation"[8](https://time.com/4470114/vmas-2016-mtv-winners/) |
| Video Vanguard Award | Rihanna, presented by Drake[4](https://www.nprillinois.org/arts-life/2016-08-28/at-mtvs-video-music-awards-its-all-about-moments) • [9](https://time.com/4470251/vmas-2016-drake-rihanna/) |
| Record set | Beyoncé ended the night with 24 career VMAs, surpassing Madonna's then-record[10](https://www.thefader.com/2016/08/28/beyonce-vma-record-wins) |
## Beyoncé's *Lemonade* night
Beyoncé entered the ceremony with 11 nominations for her visual album *Lemonade*, the most of any artist[7](https://time.com/4424498/mtv-video-music-award-nominations-2016/). She won eight awards in all, including Video of the Year for "Formation", Best Female Video for "Hold Up", Breakthrough Long Form Video for *Lemonade*, and Best Choreography, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Direction for "Formation"[3](https://time.com/4470510/vmas-2016-mtv-beyonce-awards/) • [8](https://time.com/4470114/vmas-2016-mtv-winners/).
The wins carried a record. Her Best Female Video award was her 21st, making her the most awarded artist in the 31-year history of the VMAs and overtaking Madonna's total; she finished the night at 24 career wins[10](https://www.thefader.com/2016/08/28/beyonce-vma-record-wins).
**The performance.** Beyoncé delivered a 15-minute medley of *Lemonade* songs, running from "Pray You Catch Me" through "Hold Up", "Sorry", "Don't Hurt Yourself", and "Formation", singing live and dancing through the sequence[11](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/at-the-vmas-this-is-fame-bruh-and-not-much-else/2016/08/29/6c848c0a-6dd7-11e6-8533-6b0b0ded0253_story.html) • [12](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2016/aug/30/kt.pdf). The staging opened with dancers struck by invisible bullets and falling into pools of red light, and ended with dancers forming a female symbol[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). Reviewers treated the set as the night's high point amid otherwise disappointing performances[2](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west).
**Political statements.** Before the show, Beyoncé invited the mothers of Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Oscar Grant, young [African Americans](https://www.edgepedia.org/african-americans) killed in widely protested shootings, to join her on the red carpet, a direct homage to the [Black Lives Matter](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-lives-matter) movement[14](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/08/beyonce-vma-performance-video-female-sign-black-lives-matter). Pitchfork noted that for all this imagery, her actual acceptance speech was brief, and the broadcast as a whole was short on political statements for a politically charged year[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/).
## Rihanna and the Vanguard Award
Rihanna, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, a lifetime-achievement prize, performed four separate times during the evening, opening the show with a medley of older songs beginning with "Don't Stop the Music" from 2007 and including "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been"[4](https://www.nprillinois.org/arts-life/2016-08-28/at-mtvs-video-music-awards-its-all-about-moments) • [15](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mtv-vmas-2016-highlights-and-winners/).
Critics divided over the structure. Pitchfork called the decision to dice her performance into four medleys frontloaded with her pop tracks puzzling, with nothing from her album *ANTI* until the second set[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). TIME noted she did not get the sustained 15-to-20-minute block that recent Vanguard recipients [Justin Timberlake](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-timberlake), Beyoncé, and [Kanye West](https://www.edgepedia.org/kanye-west) had received[5](https://time.com/4470169/vmas-2016-mtv-review/).
Drake closed the show by presenting the award, recounting meeting Rihanna in 2005 in Toronto when she was shooting the video for "Pon de Replay"[9](https://time.com/4470251/vmas-2016-drake-rihanna/). In her own speech Rihanna made a broader statement celebrating black women rather than responding to Drake[9](https://time.com/4470251/vmas-2016-drake-rihanna/).
## Other performances and moments
**Kanye West's speech.** MTV gave West four minutes on stage to use as he pleased, a plan reported days before the broadcast[16](https://www.theringer.com/2016/08/29/tv/2016-mtv-vmas-rihanna-drake-baea932a2b82). The resulting speech mixed social commentary, remarks about Chicago murders, conciliatory comments toward [Taylor Swift](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-swift), and the premiere of a video introducing [Teyana Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/teyana-taylor)[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). The Guardian described the show's shock moments that night as courtesy of West[2](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west).
**Britney Spears.** Spears performed at the VMAs for the first time since 2007, delivering "Make Me..." joined by rapper G-Eazy; she danced but did not sing any of the song live[17](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/awards/2016-vmas.html) • [18](https://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/08/photos-2016-mtv-video-music-awards/). TIME characterized the performance as stripped of context and functioning mainly as promotion for G-Eazy's work[5](https://time.com/4470169/vmas-2016-mtv-review/).
**Low points and absences.** [The Chainsmokers](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-chainsmokers) and Halsey's performance of "Closer", then the number-one song in the United States, was widely panned; Pitchfork named it a nadir and pointed out that the top song in America belonged to neither Beyoncé nor Rihanna[16](https://www.theringer.com/2016/08/29/tv/2016-mtv-vmas-rihanna-drake-baea932a2b82) • [13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). Reviewers also noted the absence of a tribute to Prince, and for [David Bowie](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-bowie) only a cursory Art Direction win for "Blackstar"[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). Drake, who appeared to honor Rihanna, was reportedly stuck in traffic and could not accept his moon man for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Hotline Bling"[2](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west).
## Winners
The major winners, per the published list[8](https://time.com/4470114/vmas-2016-mtv-winners/):
- **Video of the Year**: Beyoncé, "Formation", over Adele's "Hello", Drake's "Hotline Bling", Justin Bieber's "Sorry", and Kanye West's "Famous"
- **Best Female Video**: Beyoncé, "Hold Up"
- **Best Male Video**: [Calvin Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/calvin-harris) ft. Rihanna, "This Is What You Came For"
- **Best Hip-Hop Video**: Drake, "Hotline Bling"
- **Best Collaboration**: [Fifth Harmony](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifth-harmony) ft. Ty Dolla $ign, "Work From Home"
- **Song of the Summer**: Fifth Harmony ft. [Fetty Wap](https://www.edgepedia.org/fetty-wap), "All In My Head (Flex)"
- **Breakthrough Long Form Video**: Beyoncé, *Lemonade*
- **Best New Artist**: DNCE
- **Best Art Direction**: David Bowie, "Blackstar"
- **Best Visual Effects**: Coldplay, "Up&Up"
Adele's "Hello" was the most nominated video of the night with seven nominations, though Adele won nothing and did not attend[17](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/awards/2016-vmas.html) • [19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AowKV_GO_gM).
## Reception
The consensus among reviewers was that the ceremony's two stars outshone a weak show. The Guardian's verdict was that pop's big night fell flat but Beyoncé shone[2](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west). TIME titled its review "Beyoncé Aside, a Disastrous VMAs Reveals an MTV in Crisis", faulting the network's identity and the treatment of its honorees[5](https://time.com/4470169/vmas-2016-mtv-review/). Pitchfork's summary was that the 2016 VMAs were not the worst ever, just understuffed, with the ceremony repeatedly interrupted for its own clip-show segments[13](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/). [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news) concluded simply that Beyoncé and Rihanna stole the show[15](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mtv-vmas-2016-highlights-and-winners/).
## References
1. [MTV VMAs 2016: performances, winners, and cultural context](https://vault.denox.es/article/mtv-vmas-2016-performances-winners-and-cultural-context)
2. [MTV VMAs 2016: pop's big night falls flat – but Beyoncé shines, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-recap-review-beyonce-britney-spears-kanye-west)
3. [Beyoncé Breaks Madonna's Record With More VMAs Than Any Artist Ever, TIME](https://time.com/4470510/vmas-2016-mtv-beyonce-awards/)
4. [At MTV's Video Music Awards, It's All About 'Moments', NPR Illinois](https://www.nprillinois.org/arts-life/2016-08-28/at-mtvs-video-music-awards-its-all-about-moments)
5. [Beyoncé Aside, a Disastrous VMAs Reveals an MTV in Crisis, TIME](https://time.com/4470169/vmas-2016-mtv-review/)
6. [MTV VMAs 2016: Complete list of winners, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mtv-vmas-2016-complete-list-of-winners/)
7. [Here Are the 2016 MTV Video Music Award Nominations, TIME](https://time.com/4424498/mtv-video-music-award-nominations-2016/)
8. [See All the Winners From the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, TIME](https://time.com/4470114/vmas-2016-mtv-winners/)
9. [Watch Drake Present MTV's Video Vanguard Award to Rihanna, TIME](https://time.com/4470251/vmas-2016-drake-rihanna/)
10. [Beyoncé Is Now The Most Awarded Artist In VMA History, The FADER](https://www.thefader.com/2016/08/28/beyonce-vma-record-wins)
11. [At the VMAs, 'this is fame, bruh!' And not much else, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/at-the-vmas-this-is-fame-bruh-and-not-much-else/2016/08/29/6c848c0a-6dd7-11e6-8533-6b0b0ded0253_story.html)
12. [Beyonce proves she's in a lane of her own at MTV VMAs, Kuwait Times](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2016/aug/30/kt.pdf)
13. [Revenge of the Memes: The Best and Worst of the 2016 VMAs, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1276-revenge-of-the-memes-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2016-vmas/)
14. [See Beyoncé's V.M.A. Performance and Hidden Political Statements, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/08/beyonce-vma-performance-video-female-sign-black-lives-matter)
15. [MTV VMAs 2016: Beyonce and Rihanna steal the show, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mtv-vmas-2016-highlights-and-winners/)
16. [Why Didn't These VMAs Work?, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2016/08/29/tv/2016-mtv-vmas-rihanna-drake-baea932a2b82)
17. [2016 VMAs – Winners, Ages, Trivia, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/awards/2016-vmas.html)
18. [Photos: 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, WTOP News](https://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/08/photos-2016-mtv-video-music-awards/)
19. [MTV VMAs 2016 in review, Gold Derby (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AowKV_GO_gM)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music institutions and events › Music awards › MTV music awards › MTV Video Music Awards › VMA annual ceremonies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license