The VMA's
“Another openin’, another show....” Awards season is back, and that means Trophy Hunting is, too — all the awards show coverage you need (without the hashtags). This year’s first ceremony was the MTV Video Music Awards, aka the music industry’s most notoriously naughty showcase. Known for its shock value, the 2014 edition showed promise early on with powerhouse performances, divas galore and — you guessed it — endless amounts of twerking.
The show started off with a — brace yourselves — “Bang Bang” from Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Jessie J. Grande and Minaj each sang clips of their current hits, “Break Free” and “Anaconda,” the latter bringing the booty in a major way with a gaggle of butt-popping, back-up dancers. Props to Minaj for handling the wardrobe-malfunction-that-almost-was like a champ, too.
It was surely ladies night at the annual awards show. Katy Perry won the first award of the night for Best Female Video. Perry also won the Best (intentional?) Impersonation of Early Millennium Britney Spears Award for her head-to-toe denim garb.
Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora weaved their way around the stage for a stellar performance of “Black Widow,” while Miley Cyrus made a statement by having her friend accept her award for Video of the Year on behalf of homeless and runaway youth in the U.S. Hey, it’s the VMAs.
The males of MTV also had their moments. Australian pop sensation 5 Seconds of Summer went for a softer set with “Amnesia,” while Maroon 5 showcased “Maps” off of latest album “V.”
British rising star Sam Smith had an Adele moment while performing “Stay With Me.” Smith captivated the audience with his soaring vocals. Smith’s was one of the best and well-received performances of the night.
But no performance, presenter or single being on earth could compare to Beyoncé, who closed the show with a 15-minute performance that included tracks from her self-titled visual album. The performance was way more than that. It was a true spectacle. Plus, baby Carter saying “Good job, mommy!” was the highlight of the night. After, Beyoncé was presented the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy.
The Emmy's
Who says you can’t have an awards show on a Monday night? Well, most people would say that — we’ve only just started the work week — but not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 66th Annual Emmys was your typical awards show fare with one discrepancy: the comedic aspects of the night? They were the true shining moments.
Host Seth Meyers delivered a knockout opening monologue, playfully poking fun at everything from MTV seizing hold of the Sunday night spot (the VMAs aired the night before) to calling television “the booty call friend of entertainment.”
Another late-night host who threw down the comedy gauntlet was Jimmy Kimmel. He called out Matthew McConaughey, who was nominated for “True Detective,” for always seeming to be at award shows this year (“All right, all right, all right already!”).
The list of winners was less innovative. Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series went to “The Big Bang Theory’s” Jim Parsons and “Veep’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In a surprising turn of events, BBC favorite “Sherlock” received some long-awaited Emmy recognition. The show stunned viewers by winning in several tough categories, including Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, respectively.
In a more somber moment, Sara Bareilles performed a touching version of “Smile” during the in memoriam segment. The beautiful tribute to Robin Williams that followed could possibly best be summed up by Billy Crystal’s parting words on his friend: “Robin Williams. What a concept.”
“Breaking Bad” closed out its Emmy contention with awards for Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn for Outstanding Lead Actor, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress in a Drama Series respectively.
“Breaking Bad” took home one of the night’s top honors: Outstanding Drama Series. This wasn’t an unusual win, but would anyone protest against Walter White finally getting a happy ending?
Did your favorites win? Or were they unjustly snubbed? Tweet @AlyssaVHolcomb, and stay tuned for more Trophy Hunting coverage.
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 8/28/2014 under the headline "Trophy Hunting: Your guide to last weekend’s award shows"]
