The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by Megan Thee Stallion in the UBS Arena, recognized the successes of longstanding musicians and breakthrough artists this year. Eminem, Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone and Taylor Swift were the focus of the night, with several artists setting new records due to their widely appreciated music.
After a performance of his most popular songs, Eminem was awarded two VMAs for Best Hip-hop and Best Visual Effects. This brought his career total to 15, the most awards that a male artist has received in the history of the VMAs. Rising artists such as Chappell Roan, Tyla and Sabrina Carpenter were recognized for their achievements as well.
During the awards ceremony, Sabrina Carpenter performed a mix of her hit singles, including “Please Please Please,” “Espresso” and “Taste.” Sabrina was awarded Song of the Year for “Espresso,” widely popularized on social media last summer.
Along with being awarded Artist of the Year, Taylor Swift took home six other awards, including Best Pop. She and Post Malone were awarded Best Collaboration, Best Video, Best Editing, Best Direction and Song of the Summer for their hit song “Fortnight.” As a result, Swift became the most awarded solo artist in VMA history, with a grand total of 30 VMAs throughout her career.
“I think she deserved these awards. The ‘Fortnight’ music video was so good and very well thought out,” eighth grader Lillian Yu said.
During her acceptance speech, Taylor Swift took the opportunity to note that, “Everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost” on 9/11 “is the most important thing.” The VMAs took place on September 11, 2024 in New York—a fact that many found to be concerning and unusual considering the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
“I do think it was insensitive to have the awards on 9/11,” junior Frances Lin said. “It felt like it undermined the entire remembrance day.”
Several from the New Hyde Park Memorial community also noted a newfound general disinterest in the awards ceremony as a whole.
“Now, I think it’s a joke compared to when the VMAs started… It used to be a sophisticated event that highlighted artists, but now it’s just about the fashion. It doesn’t really showcase what the VMAs was made for,” senior Abigail Murray said.
“I think the VMAs are relevant to people that care about celebrity culture, but I think anyone who isn’t on social media typically doesn’t care about the VMAs. It’s lost its iconic culture because of social media,” sophomore Zahra Nuha said.
“The VMAs is less relevant now because people used to all watch the same television. Everyone would watch the same TV channels. Now, because of streaming, the VMAs are not as talked about,” physics teacher Mr. Testa said.
However, the general consensus of the New Hyde Park community contrasts the statistics. The 2024 VMAs scored its largest audience in four years, with a total of over 4 million viewers. The award ceremony also recorded over 66 million social interactions globally, which set a new record for an entertainment telecast. It was also second among all television programs in history, following only the 2024 presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
The 2024 MTV VMAs ceremony brought attention to rising stars and recognized longstanding artists’ achievements. Despite its lack in popularity with the New Hyde Park student body and shortage of viewers in recent years, both new and household names in music have attracted a larger audience and maintained its reputation as a widely-acknowledged award ceremony.
