This past Wednesday (Sep.11), the 2024 MTV VMAs aired live with host Megan Thee Stallion, and a slew of performances, and the annual soiree gained its largest audience in four years.
The award show, was celebrating its 40th anniversary and brought in impressive ratings and trended across social media all night.
via Billboard:
In an era of flat, or even declining, ratings for awards shows, the VMAs delivered their biggest audience in four years, with more than 4 million viewers.
MTV reports that combined ratings for the premiere and encore showings were up 8% compared to a year ago (4.09 million vs. 3.78 million). Ratings for the premiere simulcast at 8 p.m. ET/PT were up 25% compared to a year ago (3.11 million vs. 2.49 million).
That premiere broadcast was simulcast across 13 networks in the U.S., the same number as last year – BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1 and Univision. That means that the casual music fan who may have been channel-surfing came across the show multiple times. That sheer repetition may have stirred their interest and made it seem like this was an event.
The black-carpet pre-show at 6:30 p.m. aired on four networks. The first encore at 11:18 p.m. (the show ran over, as awards shows tend to do) aired on 10 networks. (Two other networks started their first encore showings within that hour.) The second encore at 2:34 a.m. aired on four networks.
MTV reports that the 2024 VMAs were the No. 1 most social entertainment telecast in history, with 66.7 million interactions. The only program that beat it was the second presidential debate of the 2024 campaign season, which aired the previous night, between VP Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
The show rang up 829 million video views (an 18% increase over last year) and 76.3 million engagements (a 25% increase over last year) across global owned accounts.
VMAs trended No. 1 worldwide on X (formerly Twitter) for 10 hours. Media impressions were up 8% — 107.5 billion impressions this year vs. 99.5 billion impressions last year.
The show’s host, Megan Thee Stallion took to social media to also share and celebrate the news on Thursday night (Sep. 12).
View this post on Instagram
Check out the full winners list below as well as a few of the highlight performances.
Full Winners List:
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
Billie Eilish – “Lunch”
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Eminem – “Houdini”
SZA – “Snooze”
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
Eminem
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Jack Harlow – “Lovin on Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
WINNER: Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Tyla
Song of Summer
Ariana Grande — “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
Benson Boone — “Beautiful Things”
Billie Eilish — “Birds of a Feather”
Chappell Roan — “Good Luck, Babe!”
Charli XCX & Billie Eilish — “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish
Eminem — “Houdini”
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar — “Like That”
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion — “Wanna Be”
Hozier — “Too Sweet”
Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us”
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen — “I Had Some Help”
Sabrina Carpenter — “Please Please Please”
Shaboozey — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
SZA — “Saturn”
WINNER: Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — “Fortnight”
Tommy Richman — “Million Dollar Baby”
MTV Best Push Performance of the Year
August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes”
September 2023: GloRilla – “Lick or Sum”
October 2023: Benson Boone – “In the Stars”
November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU”
December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones”
February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova”
April 2024: Flyana Boss – “Yeaaa”
May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess”
WINNER: June 2024: Le Sserafim – “Easy”
July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun”
Best Collaboration
Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be”
Jessie Murph ft. Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones”
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help”
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best Pop
Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Best Hip-Hop
Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy“
WINNER: Eminem – “Houdini”
GloRilla – “Yeah Glo!”
Gunna – “Fukumean”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa”
Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti – “Fe!n”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “Lifeline”
Muni Long – “Made For Me”
WINNER: SZA – “Snooze”
Tyla – “Water”
Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good”
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
Best Alternative
WINNER: Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves”
Hozier – “Too Sweet”
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed”
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)”
Best Rock
Bon Jovi – “Legendary”
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Green Day – “Dilemma”
Kings of Leon – “Mustang”
WINNER: Lenny Kravitz – “Human”
U2 – “Atomic City”
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – “Mil Veces”
Bad Bunny – “Monaco”
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Myke Towers – “Lala”
Peso Pluma & Anitta – “Bellakeo”
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky”
Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería”
Best Afro-Beats
Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Burna Boy – “City Boys”
Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay – “Sensational”
Tems – “Love Me JeJe”
WINNER: Tyla – “Water”
Usher, Pheelz – “Ruin”
Best K-pop
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
WINNER: Lisa – “Rockstar”
NCT Dream – “Smoothie”
NewJeans – “Super Shy”
Stray Kids – “Lalalala”
Tomorrow x Together – “Deja vu”
Video for Good
Alexander Stewart – “If Only You Knew”
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For (From the Motion Picture Barbie)”
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best for Me”
Raye – “Genesis.”
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
VMAs Most Iconic Performance
Beyoncé — “Love on Top”
Eminem — “The Real Slim Shady / The Way I Am”
WINNER: Katy Perry — “Roar”
Lady Gaga — “Paparazzi”
Madonna — “Like a Virgin”
Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott — “Like a Virgin / Hollywood”
Taylor Swift — “You Belong With Me”
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Directed by Christian Breslauer
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Directed by Alex Lockett & Margaret Qualley
Eminem – “Houdini” – Directed by Rich Lee
Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa” – Directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Directed by Bardia Zeinali
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best Cinematography
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Cinematography by Anatol Trofimov
Charli XCX – “Von Dutch” – Cinematography by Jeff Bierman
Dua Lipa – “Illusion” – Cinematography by Nikita Kuzmenko
Olivia Rodrigo – “Obsessed” – Cinematography by Marz Miller
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Cinematography by Camilo Monsalve
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto
Best Editing
Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Editing by Nick Yumul
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – Editing by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Eminem – “Houdini” – Editing by David Checel
Lisa– “Rockstar” – Editing by Nik Kohler
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Editing by Jai Shukla
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Editing by Chancler Haynes
Best Choreography
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Choreography by Margaret Qualley
WINNER: Dua Lipa – “Houdini” – Choreography by Charm La’Donna
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Choreography by Felix ‘Fefe’ Burgos
Tate McRae – “Greedy” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Troye Sivan – “Rush” – Choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkhof
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “The Boy Is Mine” – Visual Effects by Digital Axis
WINNER: Eminem – “Houdini” – Visual Effects by Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post
Justin Timberlake – “Selfish” – Visual Effects by Candice Dragonas
Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa” – Visual Effects by Mathematic
Olivia Rodrigo – “Get Him Back!” – Visual Effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Parliament
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – “360” – Art Direction by Grace Surnow
Lisa – “Rockstar” – Art Direction by Pongsan Thawatwichian
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa” – Art Direction by Brittany Porter
Olivia Rodrigo – “Bad Idea Right?” – Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins
