Rema wins best Afrobeats
Nigerian artist Rema won best Afrobeats for his remixed single “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez, which also surpassed a billion streams on Spotify this weekend.
"This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big," Rema said. "I will not forget to shout out the people who opened the doors to me. Shout out to Fela, who started Afrobeats in the first place," he added, referring to Fela Kuti, among contemporary stars including Burna Boy, Don Jazzy and Wizkid.
Gomez also took stage, thanking Rema for allowing her to be a part of the record.
Afrobeats has had an international fan base for a while (“Africa to the World!”). The musical genre fuses sounds of dancehall, African percussion, hip-hop and other acoustic art forms.
The VMAs added a best Afrobeats category this year after the Grammys and the American Music Awards announced similar awards in recognition of African musicians. About time!
There appear to be more than 10 categories left tonight ... and more performances on deck. But only about 30 minutes left of the show.
The fast-paced performances and quick transitions couldn't seem to save the show from probably going over.
Diddy wins global icon award
Sean "Diddy" Combs was honored with the global icon award.
“This is a dream come true,” he said while accepting the award. “I grew up watching MTV like ‘Man I wish I could be up there.’
The mogul rose to prominence in the ’90s producing for the late Notorious B.I.G. and later built a reputation as a formidable rapper with hits including “I’ll Be Missing You” (a tribute to Biggie).
"I started out as a paper boy, y’all, at 12, and then I was going to be a NFL football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers," he said in his speech. The team "didn’t know this, but I planned on being a football player; then my leg got broke."
Later in life, he said, people would see him dancing in New York City and cast him for videos.
"That’s how I fell in love with the music industry," he said, thanking industry executives, songwriters and the Bad Boy family.
Mary J. Blige introduced the accolade, crediting Diddy with launching her own career. “He is an incredible triumph. And nobody deserves to be called an icon more than this man.”
It’s a family affair.
One of Diddy's daughters, Chance, helped introduce the artist as he received his global icon award.
Diddy performs his most iconic hits
Sean "Diddy" Combs took the stage to perform hits like "I'll Be Missing You," one of his most popular hits from 1997, which is a reworking of the popular 1983 hit "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.
But that was just the beginning of his epic performance.
Combs, who is being honored with the global icon award, also sang "Bad Boy for Life" and "I Need a Girl Pt 2," just to name a few. He also brought out fellow artists like Keyshia Cole to perform "Last Night."
This is bringing me back!
Selena and Taylor: Best Friends Forever
Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift posed for a sweet photo together tonight, both looking unbelievable, I have to say.
These two are proof that boyfriends may come and go but a best friend is forever. They met when they started dating Jonas brothers as teenagers and have stuck together ever since.
Also, someone give Gomez's new stylist her flowers, because she is just stunning left and right lately.
We're a little over halfway through the show
The neck-breaking speed at which the performances and presenters were moving earlier in the night seems to be slowing down to a more sustainable pace, thankfully!
The highlight of the night has been the camaraderie and love among all the stars. And of course, the musicians, as always, have had stunning dance ensembles choreographed to a T.
So far, no mind-altering moments or provocative incidents have occurred. But the night is still young! Neither *NSYNC nor the storied hip-hop pioneers have taken the stage yet, so we shall see ...
Anitta comes out on top for best Latin
Anitta, a beloved Brazilian artist, just beat out Bad Bunny, Shakira and Karol G for the best Latin award.
"I want to thank myself, because I work so hard, oh, my God," she said.
Earlier in the evening, she joked that she was hoping to take the moon person statue back with her to Brazil, because she keeps her first VMA award in her Miami house.
Nicki Minaj ushers in a new era
In anticipation of the release of "Pink Friday 2" in November, the rapper performed her latest single off the album "Last Time I Saw You" and debuted a new song.
Billy Porter thanks Taylor Swift at VMAs
Before he introduced Nicki Minaj's performance, Billy Porter turned around to give a shoutout to Taylor Swift, who was seated behind him.
He said he owes Swift for helping him receive his very own moon man when he starred in her music video for "You Need to Calm Down" in 2019. Porter is a #swiftie just like us.
He also congratulated Shakira on her award.