1984 MTV Video Music Awards

Background

MTV announced that it would host the first annual Video Music Awards in June 1984. Don Ohlmeyer was hired to produce the ceremony in a similar energetic fashion to his work in sports broadcasting. Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler were announced as the ceremony's hosts in mid-July 1984. Nominees and winners were selected by 1,500 individuals representing the record industry. Following its initial MTV airing, the ceremony was syndicated to broadcast television.

Performances

Madonnas performance of "Like a Virgin" has been referred to as one of the most "unforgettable" and "iconic" moments in both pop culture and VMA history for the singer's fashion and her "provocative moves". She emerged from a 17-foot tall wedding cake wearing a "racy", "risque", see-through wedding dress and bustier, with a silver belt buckle that read "BOY TOY". While descending the steps of the cake, one of her high heeled shoes slipped off, prompting her to dive to the floor and roll around to cover up the wardrobe malfunction. Madonna later told Billboard after the incident, "So I thought, 'Well, I'll just pretend I meant to do this,' and I dove onto the floor and I rolled around. And, as I reached for the shoe, the dress went up. And the underpants were showing". In 2017, the outlet ranked her performance as the second-greatest award show performance of all time, saying that after her they "became the historical record; the way we remember stars at their most iconic, and the way they demonstrate their immortality".

Presenters

• Ed Koch – proclaimed that Radio City Music Hall would be renamed "Video City Music Hall" for the night before introducing hosts Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd
• Cyndi Lauper – read the eligibility and voting rules in gibberish described as similar to "ancient Babylonian"
• Roger Daltrey – smashed a guitar onstage while presenting the award for Best Overall Performance in a Video
• Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas – presented Best New Artist in a Video
• Ronnie Wood – presented Best Stage Performance in a Video
• Daryl Hall and John Oates – introduced the winners of the professional categories
• Peter Wolf – presented Best Choreography in a Video (with ballerina Cynthia Gregory)
• Dale Bozzio – presented Most Experimental Video
• Ric Ocasek – presented Best Group Video
• Mick Jagger – introduced the Video Vanguard award and its presenters, the Police, via pre-recorded video message
• Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland – presented Video Vanguard to the Beatles and Richard Lester
• Herbie Hancock – presented Video Vanguard to David Bowie
• John Landis – presented Best Direction in a Video
• Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood – presented the Special Recognition Award to Quincy Jones
• Fee Waybill – presented Best Concept Video
• Billy Idol – presented Viewer's Choice
• Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes – presented Best Female Video
• Belinda Carlisle and Kathy Valentine – presented Best Male Video
• Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo – presented Video of the Year

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

Artists with multiple wins and nominations

Music Videos with multiple wins and nominations

Other appearances

• Diana Ross – accepted all three of Michael Jacksons awards on his behalf
• J. J. Jackson – appeared in a backstage segment before a commercial break
• Alan Hunter – appeared in a segment from the mezzanine after a commercial break
• John Cougar Mellencamp – interviewed by Mark Goodman from his seat before a commercial break
• David Lee Roth – interviewed by Martha Quinn from his seat before a commercial break
• Carly Simon – interviewed by Nina Blackwood backstage before a commercial break
• Iggy Pop – accepted the award for Best Male Video on behalf of David Bowie

References

References

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