The MTV VMAs always aim to celebrate a full year of musical excellence and creativity, and this year’s show did just that. The star-studded event went down on Wednesday night (Sept. 11) at New York’s UBS Arena, with the main award of the night — the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award — going to Katy Perry. However, Hip-Hop was well-represented on the main stage as well thanks to stellar performances by GloRilla, LL Cool J, and more.
And of course, host Megan Thee Stallion was the busiest artist of the night as she expertly juggled hosting duties and performing a whole medley of hits.
The night was filled with numerous moments to remember, from Megan’s cobra freakout to Tyla representing for her fellow African artists. Check out VIBE’s list of the best highlights from the 2024 MTV VMAs down below.
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Jordan Chiles And Flavor Flav Come Together After Bronze Medal Saga
Although Jordan Chiles‘ Paris Olympics bronze medal being taken away was an unfortunate series of events, the debacle resulted a heartwarming collaboration for the books. At the time, Flavor Flav swooped in to make the gymnast feel better and tweeted, “imma make you a BRONZE CLOCK NECKLACE. And that’s something NO ONE else has,!!! Hit me up my girl.”
Fast forward to the 2024 VMAs, the duo linked up on-stage at the big event and kicked off the festivities by announcing the first award together. Flavor Flav really kept his promise, as Chiles could be seen sporting a large clock pendant around her neck and smiling ear-to-ear.
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Megan Thee Stallion's Flawless Medley, Brings Out Yuki Chiba
Aside from memorizing her one-liners, cues, and spots for her duties as the host, Megan Thee Stallion also was tasked with delivering a main stage performance as well — and she knocked it out of the park. The Texas native made her fans proud with a medley consisting of back-to-back hits from her summer 2024 album MEGAN.
“We doin’ some new stuff off my album tonight. If you know the words, I sing ’em VMAs,” she exclaimed to the crowd before going into “B.A.N.”
However, the undeniable highlight over her entire performance was when she brought out Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba. The two joined forces to perform their popular collaboration “Mamushi,” and the crowd went absolutely wild when they hit the viral dance together.
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Tyla Proudly Represents For African Artists, Reiterates How Diverse They Are
Halle Bailey and Lil Nas X took the stage to present the award for Best Afrobeats, which went to Tyla for her global smash hit “Water.” The South African star sauntered on stage to accept the accolade and made sure she used her allotted time to deliver an important message.
The 22-year-old hitmaker emphasized how diverse the work of African artists is and that the music transcends any box it is put into. “Guys, the global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music, too,” Ty said during her speech. She also shouted out the heavy-hitters who were competing in the category with her, which included names like Tems, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Davido, Lojay, and others.
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GloRilla Proves She's A Seasoned Pro, Handles Wardrobe Malfunction With Ease
GloRilla had the summer on lock with her back-to-back anthems, so it’s only right she had her moment in the spotlight at the VMAs this year. Performing polished versions of “Yeah Glo!” and “TGIF,” the Memphis spitter’s delivery was crystal clear, her energy was through the roof, and to make everyone rooting for her even more proud, she even handled a wardrobe malfunction like a seasoned vet.
“Glo absolutely ATE this performance down!! Her stage presence and confidence has grown exponentially and she handled that wardrobe malfunction like a damn pro!!” one of the top YouTube comments under on MTV’s channel reads.
Midway through her rendition of “TGIF,” Glo’s top becomes unhooked. However, the “FNF” rapper holds the crop top tight to her chest and never misses a beat or lets the crowd see her sweat. A dancer notices what happened and comes to the rescue, and the entire team sticks the landing.
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Lenny Kravitz Wins Best Rock Video, Dedicates Award To Late Mom
Lenny Kravitz was up against some big names in the Best Rock category (Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Green Day, Kings Of Leon, and U2) but he came out victorious for his video for “Human.” He commemorated the win by dedicating the award to his late mother and reflected on a powerful moment they shared together at the same event, three decades ago.
“Wow. This is really amazing. I’m grateful for this. I dedicate this to my mother, who was with me at the VMAs award show 31 years ago,” he said. “I give thanks to God for this incredible journey. I give thanks to Jesus for life.”
Kravitz also performed a medley of “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Human,” and “Fly” and tapped Quavo to join him.
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Megan Thee Stallion Pays Homage To Britney Spears With Iconic Cobra Look
One of the most memorable moments in VMAs history was Britney Spears and her “Slave 4 U” performance at the 2001 show. The Hot Girl decided to pay homage to the iconic look by recreating the outfit and even placed a cobra on her shoulders like Spears did, but that didn’t last long.
The “Body” rapper appeared on screen dressed in an identical blue bralette and jeweled micro-shorts ensemble like Brit, and had the yellow snake draped across her upper body. Mid-panic, Meg hilariously breaks character and and yells, “Okay! Stop the music! I’m just playin’; come get this snake. I don’t know this snake, this snake don’t know me.” Check out the funny moment below.
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LL Cool J's Still Got It, Brings Out Public Enemy
LL Cool J never fails to show why he’s one of the most respected figures in the music game. Ending the night with a bang, the rap veteran took the stage to perform a collection of his legendary tracks, including “Headsprung,” “Going Back To Cali,” “Bring The Noise,” and more. His voice sounded as crisp as ever as he showed off his range of hits throughout the years.
The crowd got in on the fun as they sported red bucket hats to match the vibe of his fit and lifted up signs that had photos of goats on them. As an extra special treat for the Hip-Hop lovers, he brought out Public Enemy to assist him with the high-energy performance.