It is to be expected that when a major awards show airs on live television there are going to be some wardrobe malfunctions, some technical difficulties, some cringe-worthy jokes and some iconic moments.

What wasn't as expected was how the entertainers that took the stage at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards used their platforms to call out social injustices, encourage conversations about mental illnesses and show solidarity in the most unorthodox ways, like how Cardi B took an inch of camera time to shout out Colin Kaepernick before presenting singer Demi Lovato.

The musicians and comedians, actors and television personalities were unscripted at times, unfiltered at most and relatable at best, making the musical performances the least talked about memories of the show.

The VMAs kicked off with King Kendrick Lamar serving viewers with another show-stopping performance of DNA. and HUMBLE. as he lit the stage…literally.

The Compton native opened up the show and took home six Moonman out of nine nominations for Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography and the coveted Video of the Year all for HUMBLE.
per the Associated Press. 

Watch his humble and well-deserved acceptance speech below:

In recent years, celebrities' outrageous wardrobe choices or scandalous performances dominated headlines, but this year, the artists' musical numbers were entwined with the calls to action that could not be ignored.

Paris Jackson, daughter of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, freestyled her presentation by calling out "Not My President" Donald Trump and mocking him in the process saying, “We must show these Nazi white supremacist jerks in Charlottesville and all over the country that as a nation with liberty as our slogan we have zero tolerance for their violence, their hatred and their discrimination."

According to the Huffington Post, Jackson made her statement prior to announcing the Best Pop Video winner.

Jaws dropped all over the world as audiences watched as Rev. Robert Wright Lee IV took the stage to say that his ancestor, Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee's statue is a symbol of racism.

“We have made my ancestor an idol of white supremacy, racism and hate,” Lee said. “As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin.”

Lee concluded by saying, “We can find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the women who marched in the Women’s March in January and especially Heather Heyer, who died fighting for her beliefs in Charlottesville."

In saying this, Lee passed the mic over to Heyer's mother, Susan Bro who then said while fighting back tears, “I want people to know that Heather never marched alone,” Bro said. “She was joined by people from every race and every background in this country.”

Only 15 days after the murder of her daughter at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Bro announced the Heather Heyer Foundation.

Without much introduction, viewers were taken back by MTV's segment choice, but all in all, it was received well.

One of the most monumental performances in VMA history is when rapper Logic gave a chilling and powerful speech about mental health and equality.

The winner of the Best Fight Against the System award for his music video "Black Spiderman," performed his top of the chart track "1-800-273-8255", an anthem for suicide prevention. He was accompanied by Alessia Cara, who is featured on the song, and Khalid. At the end of the performance, Logic took the time to encourage people to stand up against inequality and speak out about mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

“I just want to take a moment right now and thank you for giving me a platform to talk about something that mainstream media doesn’t want to talk about: mental health, anxiety, suicide, depression and so much more that I talk about on this album,” he started.

“From racism, discrimination, sexism, domestic violence, sexual assault and so much more; I don’t give a damn if you are black, white, or any color in between. I don’t care if you’re Christian, you’re Muslim, you’re gay, you’re straight, I am here to fight for your equality."

Grab the tissues and watch the full performance here.


Usually, when an artist is accepting an honorary award, especially one as big as the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award, they spend their brief time on stage thanking fans, family, colleagues, executives and friends for the recognition. Singer Pink, however, shared the spotlight with an unlikely individual during her acceptance speech – her 6-year-old daughter.

Photo: JORDAN STRAUSS

The trailblazer performed some of her most iconic songs in an unforgettable dance routine and shared a story of how the world needs to learn to accept different types of beauty and that we should not conform to the narrow beauty standards made by society.

She closed her moving speech by saying, "We don’t change — we take the gravel in the shell, and we make a pearl,” she explained. “And we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty.”

With all of the beautiful messages of self-love and resistance against immoral values, this year's VMAs was one for the books. 

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