(CNN) — Missy Elliott nearly made the VMA audience lose control with her medley of two decades worth of musical hits.
From “Get Your Freak On” to “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” the singer/rapper/producer put front and center the innovative work that has kept her among the ranks of the musical greats since the 1990s and the reason why she was receiving the Video Vanguard Award.
“This Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award means everything to me,” Elliott said. “I have worked diligently for over two decades, and I never thought I’d be standing up here receiving this award. It means so much to me.”
Variety reported earlier this month that MTV was not planning to rename the award in light of backlash following HBO’s recent documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which highlighted sexual abuse allegations against Jackson. However, MTV appeared to at the very least steer clear of mentioning Jackson in promotional language.
Official Twitter accounts for MTV, the VMAs and MTV News referred to the award as the Video Vanguard Award.
Elliott’s win was greeted with a standing ovation and chants of “Missy, Missy!”
She thanked everyone from her mom to the late singer Aaliyah. Her final shout-out went to the dance community.
“When y’all get on the stage with these artists, y’all are not just props,” she said. Y’all are the icing on the cake. Y’all are the beat to the heart.”
She even highlighted a group of youth dancer who performed in her impressive set.
“This is the next generation,” she said. “I’m so humbled.”
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande went into the VMAs tied for the most nominations with 10 each. They ended up splitting the difference, with Swift taking home the Video of the Year Award for her video to “You Need to Calm Down,” and Grande being named Artist of the Year.
Swift got political during her 2019 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech for video of the year, which she won for the pride-themed anthem, to call out the Trump administration’s current lack of acknowledgment of the Equality Act petition for LGBTQ rights. A call to sign the petition was featured at the end of her video.
“It now has half a million signatures, which is five times the amount that it would need to warrant a response from the White House,” Swift said, then looked at her wrist as if to gesture she was checking the time on a watch.
The full list of VMA winners and nominees is as follows.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“a lot,” 21 Savage ft. J. Cole
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“thank u, next,” Ariana Grande
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
“You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor Swift *WINNER
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cardi B
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande *WINNER
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes
SONG OF THE YEAR
“In My Feelings,” Drake
“thank u, next,” Ariana Grande
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus *WINNER
“You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor Swift
BEST NEW ARTIST
Ava Max
Billie Eilish *WINNER
H.E.R.
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA
BEST COLLABORATION
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Señorita,” Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello *WINNER
“ME!,” Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco
“I Don’t Care,” Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
“Boy With Luv,” BTS ft. Halsey
PUSH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bazzi
CNCO
Billie Eilish *WINNER
H.E.R.
Lauv
Lizzo
BEST POP
“Easier,” 5 Seconds of Summer
“Please Me,” Cardi B & Bruno Mars
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“Talk,” Khalid
“thank u, next,” Ariana Grande
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers *WINNER
“You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor Swift
BEST HIP HOP
“Rule the World,” 2 Chainz ft. Ariana Grande
“a lot,” 21 Savage ft. J. Cole
“Money,” Cardi B *WINNER
“Higher,” DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
“SICKO MODE,” Travis Scott ft. Drake
BEST R&B
“Make It Better,” Anderson .Paak ft. Smokey Robinson
“Feels Like Summer,” Childish Gambino
“Could’ve Been,” H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller
“Raise A Man,” Alicia Keys
“Trip,” Ella Mai
“Waves,” Normani ft. 6lack *WINNER
BEST K-POP
“Boy With Luv,” BTS ft. Halsey *WINNER
“Kill This Love,” BLACKPINK
“Who Do You Love,” Monsta X ft. French Montana
“Cat & Dog,” TOMORROW X TOGETHER
“Regular,” NCT 127
“Tempo,” EXO
BEST LATIN
“Secreto,” Anuel AA, Karol G
“MIA,” Bad Bunny ft. Drake
“I Can’t Get Enough,” benny blanco, Tainy, Selena Gomez, J Balvin
“Con Calma,” Daddy Yankee ft. Snow
“Mala Mía,” Maluma
“Con Altura,” ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho *WINNER
BEST DANCE
“Call You Mine,” The Chainsmokers ft. Bebe Rexha *WINNER
“Solo,” Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato
“Taki Taki,” DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B
“Say My Name,” David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin
“Happier,” Marshmello & Bastille
“Electricity,” Silk City & Dua Lipa
BEST ROCK
“Love It If We Made It,” The 1975
“Bishops Knife Trick,” Fall Out Boy
“Natural,” Imagine Dragons
“Low,” Lenny Kravitz
“High Hopes,” Panic! At The Disco *WINNER
“My Blood,” twenty one pilots
VIDEO FOR GOOD
“Nightmare,” Halsey
“Land of the Free,” The Killers
“Runaway Train,” Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey ft. Gallant
“Preach,” John Legend
“Earth,” Lil Dicky
“You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor Swift *WINNER
BEST EDITING
“Tints,” Elias Talbot
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Calmatic
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish *WINNER
“7 Rings,” Hannah Lux Davis & Taylor Walsh
“Almeda,” Solange Knowles, Vinnie Hobbs, Jonathon Proctor
“You Need to Calm Down,” Jarrett Fijal
BEST ART DIRECTION
“Boy With Luv,” JinSil Park, BoNa Kim (MU:E)
“7 Rings,” John Richoux *WINNER
“Old Town Road (Remix),” Itaru Dela Vegas
“Señorita,” Tatiana Van Sauter
“You Need to Calm Down,” Brittany Porter
“I Love It,” Tino Schaedler
SONG OF SUMMER
Ariana Grande, Social House, “boyfriend” *WINNER
Billie Eilish,”bad guy”
DaBaby,”Suge”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber, “I Don’t Care”
Jonas Brothers, “Sucker”
Khalid,”Talk”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Lil Tecca, “Ransom”
Lizzo, “Truth Hurts”
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter”
Post Malone ft. Young Thug, “Goodbyes”
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho, “Con Altura”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, “Señorita”
Taylor Swift, “You Need To Calm Down”
The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha, “Call You Mine”
Young Thug ft. J. Cole & Travis Scott, “The London”
