(cheers and applause)
Yeah!
(laughs)
I really want to thank my music video team.
First Jora, that's the director and every thing, she...
She got to hear my mouth, like, "I look ugly.
"Edit my stomach, edit my butt. Smooth my cellulite out."
And I want to thank my glam team, Kollin Carter,
Vincent, Tokyo Stylez, Erika La' Pearl,
San Dree from Jamaica. Thank y'all so much.
Without y'all, my music videos wouldn't look like this.
Thank you, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
Thank you, everybody. Goodbye.
(laughs)
This, this award is dedicated to all the fan
that believed in us... (cheering)
...when we didn't believe in ourselves
as a band and brothers.
You guys stuck with us through the thick and thin.
Thank you so much.
And to get this award from the Sopranos is a Jersey dream,
-so thank you. -Yeah, baby.
(cheering)
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Honestly, we're just so happy that everyone loves the song.
We worked super hard on it, and VMAs, we love you.
Thank you for this. This is incredible truly.
(applause and cheering) Yes! What he said.
Thank you so much to all of our fans who are out there watching.
We love you so much. Seriously, mwaw.
(applause and cheering)
Get wasted!
I just want to say that... this is a fan-voted award, so...
(cheering, applause)
I first want to say thank you to the fans,
because in this video several points were made,
so you voting for this video means that you want a world
where we're all treated equally under the law.
(cheering, applause)
Regardless of who we love, regardless of how we identify.
at the end of this video there was a petition,
and there still is a petition...
(man whoops)
...for the Equality Act, which basically just says
we all deserve equal rights under the law.
-And... -(cheering, applause)
I want to thank everyone who signed that petition,
because it now has half a million signatures, which...
...which is five times the amount
that it would need to warrant a response from the White House.
-(cheering, applause)
- I love my cast.
I am so grateful to everyone who was in this video.
The ones who are here, the ones who are at home,
we love you so much.
Thank you for doing this with us.
Um, I love my co-executive producer, Todrick Hall.
-Oh, thank you. Thank you.
-I love my... -(cheering)
I'm so grateful to my co-director, Drew Kirsch.
Thank you so much.
And thank you to the fans for everything you do for us.
My cast live their lives so authentically.
Thank you for being the example that you are.
I love you guys so much.
Thank you, MTV, for lifting up this point in this video.
We love you.
(cheering, whooping)
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Uh... this is my first award ever,
-(cheering) -and, um...
I want to say thank you to this man
for helping me take my career to the next level.
Right here. And I-I got a lit...
I got a little speech, so, you know?
(laughter) Thank you.
I never dreamed I'd be standing here, uh, tonight.
One time, uh, Johnny Cash wrote me a letter,
and in the letter, he said,
"It's good to reminded where all goodness comes from--
almighty God." So first of all,
I'd like to thank almighty God for this moment.
I'd like to thank you, the fans. This is your song.
You all took this song and made it your own.
So, thank you, each and every one of you.
(applause and cheering)
Ron Perry, Adam Weaver, Tish. Thank you all so much.
God Bless you. This is your song.
I promised I wouldn't cry this time, 'cause I...
I cry every awards.
But this Video Vanguard Award means so much to me.
I have worked diligently for over two decades.
(cheering, applause)
And I never thought that I would be standing up here,
receiving this award, so it means so much to me.
I promise you it don't go unnoticed
that the support and love
that y'all have shown me over the years.
And I want to, you know,
I always got to start off by thanking God,
because without Him I would not be standing before y'all.
(cheering)
I ain't here to change nobody,
but I know the God that I serve have gotten me this far.
(cheering, applause)
I'd like to thank my mother.
I love you, Mommy. I know you're watching this.
I'm-a try to make this fast. I'm-a just go down the list.
My mother, Timbaland, I love you.
Hype Williams, June Ambrose, Dave Meyers.
Hi-Hat, C.O.-- Cecily Orleans,
Laurieann Gibson, Sean Bankhead, Vlad, Keon.
(chuckles) Syl--
Sylvia Rhone, Merlin Bobb, Joe Slez, Julie Greenwald,
Craig Kallman, and, um...
Sylvia Rhone and Elektra-- they was the first to sign me.
Then-- now I'm with Atlantic Records.
I love y'all so much-- the whole Atlantic family.
Um, uh, Mona Scott-Young, Karen Body, Louise West.
My entire glam squad, my entire glam squad.
Um, Virginia-- my hometown, I love y'all.
Two up, two down.
Um, Janet Jackson, I know you are watching.
I love you. I thank you for being such a great friend.
Um, shoot. And people that I--
videos that I watched-- I wanted to say these names.
Busta Rhymes-- he is an inspiration to me,
Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, I've watched Madonna videos.
And-and, MTV, I am so humbly grateful.
I thank y'all.
Nina Diaz, Chris "McCarthity"-- McCarthy.
Bruce Gilmore, um, Kid Fury, Crissle.
They the ones that came for me to get this.
They worked so hard with my fans-- the Superfriends.
And bloggers, radio.
Aaliyah, I love you, we miss you.
(audience cheering) And lastly, and lastly,
I want to dedicate this award to the dance community all...
(cheering)
...all around the world.
Because when y'all get on a stage with these artists,
it is not-- y'all are not just props.
Y'all are the icing on the cake, y'all are the beat to the heart.
And so...
I dedicate this to every dance community out there,
and including these hard workers who...
Come here, the little ones.
(applause)
This is, this is the next generation,
and I promise y'all I love y'all with all my heart.
If my heart could speak,
you would know how grateful I am.
I am so grateful, I'm humbled. I'm so humbled.
Thank you so much, I love y'all.
And Cardi. Cardi, thank you, sis.
(laughs) Thank you. (laughing): No.
Cardi, know I'm saying thank you--
thank you, sis, for such a intro.
I thank you. I love y'all. Good night.
(cheering)
Um, first off, I just want to say
that the VMAs have been something I have wanted to go to
and be a part of for pretty much my whole life.
Um, unfortunately I'm on tour right now, actually in Russia,
so I cannot come, which, like, breaks my heart, but, um...
videos and visuals have been, like, one of the top priorities
for me my whole life, um, and I work really hard on mine,
so it feels really, really good to be recognized for that,
and, um, I want to thank you guys
and I want to thank my fans because you guys are the reason
that anybody cares about me at all...
um, so thank you, thank you, thank you.
I love you guys, mwah.
So I can't thank everyone I'd like to.
But from the moment I saw the Buggles'
"Video Killed the Radio Star,"
MTV taught me how to see music I listen to and love.
You gave artists a platform to express their music
and ideas through moving image,
and me, a dynamic source of inspiration.
I thank you, MTV. I thank you, CFDA.
I am beyond flattered and proud to be the first-ever recipient
of the Fashion Trailblazer Award!
-Thank you! -(cheering) Thank you so much.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. For real, like...
Wow. Um... (exhales) I wasn't expecting it.
-Honestly. You know, thank you. -(laughs)
Thank you, because it's such a... incredible honor.
Yeah. You know, I come from Barcelona.
-(cheering) -¡España!
(cheering) I'm so happy. I'm so happy to be here,
representing where I come from and representing my culture.
And, also, thank you for letting me perform tonight,
for allowing me to perform tonight, singing in Spanish.
-(cheering) -Yes! (laughs) You know?
I want to say thank you to J Balvin,
to El Guincho, Ozuna, for making music with me.
And also to my team, Columbia, my family,
and most of...
(speaks Spanish) mis fans. (speaks Spanish)
-(laughs) -From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
-Thank you. -(cheering) Uh... (chuckles)
I'm super proud to be Latino right now.
Proud to be Latino. Proud to be part of the Latino gang.
You know, shout out to everybody around here.
(cheers and applause)
And, uh, this is beautiful because,
uh, this is my first time singing in Spanish
right here for this audience, so thank you so much.
And, uh, the jungle of Amazon,
we need, we need to help for Amazon,
because it's burning on fire.
(cheers and applause)
So we need to help the Amazon, for the jungle.
And respect for you, lady. You're the queen.
(cheers and applause) Thank you. Thank you so much.
Um, I grew up in the small town of Plainview, Texas,
and my entire life, all I wanted in the entire world
was to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
I put a red towel on my head and tied my legs together,
jumped in a pool, almost drowned.
And after that, people started to tell me
the things that I could not do
and could not accomplish in the world.
And now, I just am so grateful to be in a world
where this is what we need to be doing.
If you're a young child that's out there watching this show
who is different, who feels un... misunderstood...
we have never needed you more than now to share your art,
share your story, share your truth with the world,
no matter what you identify as,
who you identify as, who you love.
This is just such a beautiful place.
Thank you so much, VMAs.
Thank you, Taylor, for believing in me.
We're so grateful. Thank you to the cast and crew.
This is such an honor. Thank you so, so, so, so much.
(cheering)