The MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) 2022 was dominated by Taylor Swift, who bagged five awards and announced her upcoming album Midnights. But the other winners shone too, along with some stage performances, like a strange Moonman-Johnny Depp cameo to rock veterans Red Hot Chili Peppers taking home an award for their song Black Summer. We pick our favourite artistes who were the toast of the MTV VMAs 2022.

Harry Styles: Winner with the most

Even though the former One Direction member gave the red carpet a miss, he was not missed at the award ceremony. Being one of the most nominated artistes, he received the awards for Best Pop and Best Cinematography for the extremely catchy As It Was, a single from his album Harry’s House.

Styles also won the Best Album award for his third studio album, Harry’s House, which was released in April this year. Given that his Love On Tour show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, coincided with the MTV VMAs, Styles gave his acceptance speech over video.

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow: The collab

Lil Nas X, who stunned the red carpet in all his feather halo glory, was joined by rapper Jack Harlow on stage to receive the Best Collaboration award for their song Industry Baby, which is a single from Nas X’s debut studio album Montero. The controversial music video also won the Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects awards.

Industry Baby’s Best Collaboration win was not the only crowning moment for Harlow on the MTV VMAs night. He took home a Moonman for his song First Class, from his second studio album Come Home the Kids Miss You, which won him the Song of the Summer award.

BTS: On a purple patch

South Korean boy band BTS made VMA history again by winning the Group of the Year award one more time. This year makes it the fourth consecutive year that the K-pop band has won the Group of the Year/Best Group award since 2019. Groups and bands like Blackpink and Red Hot Chili Peppers could not break BTS’ winning streak this year as well.

Blackpink, too, left their mark this year by being the first winner of the Best Metaverse Performance award, introduced this year. This award is for the performance of any artiste/group in the virtual world and Blackpink won it for their in-game concert The Virtual in the PUBG game.

Blackpink member Lisa also won a solo award this year. She beat other K-pop competitors like BTS and Seventeen to win the Best K-pop award for her single, Lalisa.

Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and Lizzo: She power

This year saw both Lizzo and Doja Cat being nominated in several categories. Doja Cat’s Woman, from her third studio album Planet Her, which gave social media the immensely popular Woman dance challenge, won her the Best Choreography.

Another popular song on TikTok, and subsequently other social media platforms, that earned its artiste a Moonman is About Damn Time. Lizzo’s single from her fourth studio album, Special, won her the Video for Good award, which MTV gives to videos with social messages.

Veteran rapper Nicki Minaj was more than just an eyeful with her VMA Barbie look at the ceremony. Minaj took home two Moonmen. For her song Do We Have a Problem? featuring Lil Baby, Minaj won the silver Moonman for Best Hip-Hop. Her career in the music industry was also celebrated as she was given the golden Moonman for the Video Vanguard Award.