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The spotlight on the MTV Video Music Awards should shine even brighter this time: The award ceremony on Monday night in New York (from 02:00 a.m. CEST) is the first major live spectacle with performances and awards in the USA since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic .
Usually, the “VMAs” are seen more as a fun event at the end of summer than a prize gala among many, to which numerous stars do not even come because of other obligations. This year, however, the entertainment award is a kind of experimental balloon – and not only fans but also stars and, above all, the organizers of other award gala events will take a close look.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced at the end of June that the VMAs would take place in New York in August, surprising many. The metropolis on the east coast had become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the USA in spring. Tight restrictions had been introduced in March, some of which were relaxed over the summer. At the moment, the infection rate in the metropolis seems to be largely under control at a low level, but hygiene, mask and distance rules still apply – and there is great concern that the numbers will flare up again.
The pandemic had just broken out at the end of the traditional entertainment industry award season in the United States. Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes could still have taken place. Since mid-March, however, almost everything had been postponed, canceled or moved to the Internet.
How the VMAs should take place was not yet entirely clear in advance. “All eyes will be on the event to see how the first live gala since the coronavirus shutdown goes,” wrote “Entertainment Weekly”. The only thing that is clear is: “The gala will certainly be different from what we could expect in previous years.”
Initially, it was planned to hold it in a multi-purpose hall in the Brooklyn borough – in compliance with hygiene rules and with a limited audience or no audience at all. Then after consultation with the health authorities, they were moved outside. There will be several outdoor performances in different parts of New York either without a live audience or with limited audience numbers, the organizers said. Two new price categories are to celebrate productions that were created during the corona pandemic – “Best music video from home” and best “Quarantine performance”. In addition, medical personnel are to be honored for their work in the pandemic.
But there are also tried and tested prizes that the US music broadcaster MTV has given since 1984 – primarily the stars: Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, BTS, The Weeknd, among others, should appear at the gala hosted by actress Keke Palmer , Maluma, DaBaby and the Black Eyed Peas.
Grande and Lady Gaga are entering the race for the awards with nine nominations each as top favorites. Billie Eilish and The Weeknd each have six chances to win. Fans can vote for their favorites online. The trophy is a “Moonman”, a little astronaut on the moon who holds an MTV flag in his hand. Last year, Grande and Eilish had already been able to get moon men, as well as Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X and Missy Elliott, among others.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200828-99-340458 / 2
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