The Much Music Video Awards had their 25th annual outdoor block party last night. Kardashian clan members hosted, Lorde performed, and there was a red-carpet pillow fight. Here, some high and low points:
1. There were dramatic arrivals
The stars rocked up to the 2014 MMVAs in a series of increasingly ridiculous vehicles. P.K. Subban and Nazem Kadri’s luxury sports cars seemed downright boring when Down With Webster showed them up in a Mack Truck, Ed Sheeran in a food truck, TFC star Jermain Defoe in a British double-decker bus, etc, etc. Imagine Dragons bucked the one-upmanship trend, arriving in an old beater. All of these were much better than Marianas Trench rolling in on a bed with lingerie-clad models pillow-fighting overtop of them. Gross.
2. Kylie and Kendall Jenner walked a mean carpet
Much was made of the teenaged reality sisters playing hosts this year, but aside from a couple of competent but semi-stiff bits onstage, they were scarcely seen. Their big moment was their red-carpet entrace: Kendall in a long white gown slit on both sides up to her hip bones, and Kylie in a bright orange sequined mini dress.
3. The MMVAs got the CTV treatment
Yes the MMVAs are more polished than ever. Twenty-five years in, the party’s not quite as raucous and the event has an air of legitimacy. And this year, the awards even got the CTV treatment, simulcast for the first time on the major network. Unfortunately, like the Junos – also broadcast on CTV – the MMVAs didn’t exactly embrace Canada’s cultural diversity. Every performer – from openers Hedley (winners of three awards) to American pop singer Ariana Grande who closed the show with her single Problem – was white. Not super reflective of the music industry, or this country.
4. We had to hear some songs we can’t bear to hear anymore
I’m genuinely happy for Canadian reggae-fusion band Magic! who are blowing up internationally on the strength of their hit single, Rude. But we can thank Can-Con for the fact that it’s on the radio more than Drake, Pharrell and Katy Perry combined. On Sunday night, the MMVAs got to see the live version, making it the second most irritating performace of the evening, after Imagine Dragons’ drum-heavy rendtions of their inexplicably popular songs Demons and Radioactive.
5. We got to hear some cool songs, too
Using a lamp as a prop (it got its own twitter account during the show), New Zealand phenom Lorde performed her songs Tennis Court and Team. She was as absorbed in the moment as her squealing fans, at one point lying flat on her back onstage. And whatever you think of her song, Calgary breakout star Kiesza also wowed, busting out the moves (and a troupe of backup dancers) for an energetic stage version of her YouTube hit, Hideaway.
Here, a complete list of 2014 MMVAs winners:
YOUR FAVE Video
Hedley – “Anything”
YOUR FAVE Artist or Group
Justin Bieber
YOUR FAVE International Artist or Group
Selena Gomez
Video of The Year
Hedley – “Anything”
International Video of the Year – Artist
Lorde – “Royals”
International Video of the Year – Group
Imagine Dragons – “Demons”
Pop Video of the Year
Hedley – “Anything”
Dance Video of the Year
Autoerotique – “Asphyxiation”
Hip-Hop Video of the Year
Drake – “Worst Behavior”
Rock/Alternative Video of the Year
Sam Roberts – “Shapeshifters”
International Video of the Year by a Canadian
Drake f. Majid Jordan – “Hold On, We’re Going Home”
Director of the Year
Thugli – “Run This”
Amos LeBlanc, Ohji Inoue
Post-Production of the Year
City and Colour – “Thirst”
MuchFACT Video of the Year
SonReal – “Everywhere We Go”
