Ethan Castro ’24
MTV’s Video Music Awards, a famous, annual celebration of music, musical artists, and musical cinematography, were most recently held September 12th of this year. As we sat down to watch this spectacular and grand event filled to the brim with celebrity cameos, monumental speeches, and groundbreaking performances, all that was left following the three hour live program was a year’s worth of impressions, expectations, and standards. Taking everything in and breaking it down reveals the truth surrounding the beyond-comprehensible influence the VMAs has on the music industry as a whole.
From the beginning, the VMAs have held the spotlight in the music industry. Whether it be the iconic moments we look back on, like Madonna making out with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera live on stage, or the innumerable careers that started and ended with VMAs performances, there’s no limit to the amount of people, projects, ideas, and music produced as a result of inspiration from the event. Looking at this most recent awards ceremony, numerous highly anticipated artists credited their success to those that performed on the VMAs stage before them. Allowing these artists to kick start their career and find their footing as musicians has been a staple of the occasion, and one of its main purposes, throughout the past almost 40 years.
This past VMAs acted as a booming start for many new artists, allowing them to put a foothold in the music industry’s door. Having a huge platform to share your music and showcase your talents is what the VMAs have always been about. Furthermore, the receival of a Moonman is a coveted aspect of many huge artists’ careers. Adding one to your accolades is an immense accomplishment and a means of recognition that is comparable only to other awards of the same nature.
The VMAs are a special occasion that represents musical excellence and competition. Through this celebration, we are able to hear not only our favorite artists’ music,but about their lives, who they are. We become closer with those we listen to, and connect with new musicians we might never have discovered elsewhere. This exhibition is a massive part of the music industry, and is a source for its constant expansion. Music’s influence reaches the farthest corners of the world. It brings us together and unites our feelings. We can see the VMAs as a medium for it all, one night a year where we come together and cheer for the outfits, the music, the awards, and those people that enter our lives and make them that little bit better!
The Salesian Spectator 