The MTV VMAs have doled out many Video Vanguard Awards over the years, their version of the Lifetime Achievement honor. Katy Perry won in 2024 for her pop music legacy of videos. Meanwhile, at the recent VMAs this year, Mariah Carey took home the Video Vanguard Award for her own long-time dedication to music video artistry. Personally, I’ve got a few candidates I’d like to nominate for the honor. Fingers crossed MTV pays attention.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga technically didn’t debut until the late 2000s, dropping The Fame in 2008. But she quickly solidified herself as a masterful music video craftswoman. The house party of “Just Dance,” Beyoncé’s work in “Telephone,” the symbolism in “Judas,” and literally everything about “Bad Romance,” just to name a few early examples. One of her latest videos, “Abracadabra,” made a call-back to “Bad Romance,” serving as a sequel of sorts. A similar color scheme, an elaborate dance number, and a lot of latex made for a nostalgic scene. But it also presented something new, something darker and more industrial. If Lady Gaga doesn’t win the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs soon I’m going to have a strongly worded chat with MTV.
Fall Out Boy
Shifting focus to pop-punk stars, Fall Out Boy emerged in 2003 with Take This To Your Grave. The music video for “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” features the band performing in the snow with a loose narrative of a creepy dude getting lucky after spying on a hot girl. 2005 comes along, bringing with it From Under The Cork Tree and a slew of new and inventive music videos. The deer-boy racism of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.” The “cool Fall Out Boy playing at Homecoming while loser Fall Out Boy gets their asses kicked at Homecoming” of “Dance, Dance.” And the vampire gang fights of “A Little Less Sixteen Candles,” which featured Panic! at the Disco and The Academy Is… in cameos. Fall Out Boy has a long history of making clown shoes bananas music videos. But, they really deserve a Video Vanguard Award solely on the basis of the recent video for “Hold Me Like A Grudge.” Long-time FOB fans should get a kick out of all the little legacy references in that one.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson, the veritable People’s Princess of Pop, was great at combining cute narratives with a stage performance in her videos. Honestly, it’s the quintessential early 2000s music video style. She perfected that formula in the video for “My Life Would Suck Without You.” This video played out the story of a turbulent, long-time relationship while adding in scenes of her performing with a full band. “Since U Been Gone” did this as well, and “Breakaway.” Clarkson’s addition of the full rock band always set her apart from the usual pop stars. She was a little bit edgier, a little more rock and roll. “Walkaway” is another great example of Clarkson using this trend, and a personal favorite. The VMAs are going to have to split the Video Vanguard Award in a three-way tie if I have anything to say about it.
Photo by Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images
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