On Nov. 5, winners of this year’s MTV EMA Awards were announced despite the event being canceled amid the ongoing conflict between Gaza and Israel. MTV released a statement saying, “as fans worldwide voted for their favorite categories including best artist, best song, and more, MTV is recognizing the following artists with 2023 MTV EMAs.”
Winning a total of three awards for best artist, best live, and best video for her hit song, “Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift was the top winner of the show. Many were surprised that the award for best US act eluded her, however, which instead went to Nicki Minaj, who also won best hip-hop.
“I really thought Taylor Swift would be awarded best US act,” Sophia Lim (11), pop enthusiast, said. “She is an all-time winner in this category, being that she won the award three times. Plus, she has just been at a consistent high this year with her songs always charting and her albums gaining immense popularity.”
Alongside Taylor Swift, other artists who won two awards this year lay K-Pop star JungKook of BTS and former Eurovision winner Mäneskin. JungKook won best K-Pop and best song for “Seven,” while Mäneskin won best rock and best Italian act.
Many fans commend JungKook for making history by becoming the first and only K-Pop soloist in history to win a major award at the MTV VMAs. JungKook is also the first and only Korean soloist to both receive a nomination and win at the MTV VMAs.
“JungKook definitely did make Koreans proud this year,” Grace Choi (11), K-Pop fan, said. “He beat Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift with his hit solo single ‘Seven,’ and that is crazy to think about because these artists are huge in the pop industry. I feel like Jungkook winning outside of the K-Pop category really shows that he is now globally recognized as a pop megastar.”
The 2023 MTV Awards was set to be broadcast live to more than 150 countries from the Paris Nord. It would have marked the first time the ceremony had been held in the city since 1995. This marked the first time the MTV EMA Awards have been canceled after its launch in 1994, which ran even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 MTV VMAs will be held on Sept. 8, 2024, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
