Mid-September was an exciting time for award show fans! Accomplishments in both music and TV were celebrated with the broadcasting of the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on September 11th, and the Primetime Emmy Awards on September 15th.
Both shows had their high and low points, and some choices left fans surprised, while others were fairly expected.
The VMAs aimed for nostalgia from every angle, from flashbacks to the award show’s most “iconic” moments to an Eminem performance featuring a mob of Slim Shady lookalikes (referencing a former performance), to host Megan Thee Stallion paying tribute to Britany Spears’ 2001 VMAs appearance by carrying a large snake (npr). As always, the VMAs featured many creative performances from a variety of artists; Chappel Roan dressed as a medieval knight singing her hit “Good Luck, Babe!” Sabrina Carpenter kissing an alien while performing her new song “Taste,” a set by K-pop star Lisa introduced by Paris Hilton, and many more. The award show presented a total of sixteen performances, as well as six more on the extended play stage (Vulture).
While acts from beloved artists are always a fun part of award shows, some critics feel that among the showcases, talking, and innumerable ad breaks, the VMAs lost the point of their broadcast: the awards. Despite the many performances, only eight awards were actually presented, the rest being announced over social media (Vulture). “I don’t see the point in having a ceremony if you’re just going to announce everything online,” says Ramapo student Madeline Klecha.
The awards that were given during the show, though, featured some big winners. Taylor Swift left the night with seven awards, bringing her total to 30 and tying Beyonce’s record as the show’s most-awarded artist. Sabrina Carpenter secured Song of the Year for “Espresso,” Chappel Roan won Best New Artist, Sza got Best R&B for “Snooze,” and Tyla took home Best Afrobeats for her song “Water,” to name a few (Billboard).
Meanwhile, the Emmys, hosted by Schitt’s Creek father-and-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, happened only four days later. Many might be confused since it feels like the last Emmys just happened. The 2023 ceremony was delayed until January of this year, leaving only eight months between the award shows (Variety). Adding to the confusion, the winners of this year’s ceremony looked strangely familiar. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebri once again took home Lead Actor and Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Like January’s Emmys, the FX show caused controversy for being nominated in the comedy category, as anyone who watched the show attests to the fact that the actual comedic moments in the series are few and far between, and it would fit better in the drama category. Previously, it had excused this through its short episode length, which met the criteria for the comedy genre, but as Ramapo English teacher Ms. Schwarz notes: “It seems that everyone agrees The Bear should not be nominated for Best Comedy…so why don’t they fix it? Also, after the first season, the episodes were longer than 30 minutes, so it is truly perplexing.” In a shocking turn of events, however, The Bear did not win Outstanding Comedy this year. The title was taken by HBO’s Hacks (BBC).
The major winner of this year’s Emmys was undoubtedly another FX show, Shogun. The Japanese historical drama had already broken the record for most Emmy wins in a single year by picking up 14 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, and added four more trophies at the main ceremony, including best drama. It is the first non-English language series to win that award (BBC).
Overall, these past weeks have been huge for the entertainment industry. Hopefully, we can look forward to more great music and shows in the next VMAs and Emmys.
