MTV VMAs: And The Winners Are...

Miley Cyrus

Some of music's biggest names gathered in L.A. last night (August 24th) at The Forum for the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.

And although it appeared that MTV experienced sound technical difficulties from the pre-show up to the actual show, the network got it together and kept the ball rolling. Miley Cyrus -- who gave an unforgettable performance last year with Robin Thicke, won the big award of the night, taking home the Video of the Year for "Wrecking Ball." However, Miley let a homeless young man named Jesse do the honors of accepting the award on her behalf. Miley looked on with eyes full of tears as Jesse spoke on his struggles and dedicated the award to runaways and homeless youth in America.

Other winners of the night included Fifth Harmony who took home MTV's Artist to Watch award, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Drake -- who wasn't present at the event because of his current "Drake Vs Wayne" tour.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Every award show has moments, some worthy of mentioning and some that may be worth forgetting. Like Nicki Minaj's wardrobe malfunction after quickly changing from her outfit for her "Anaconda" performance to her dress for "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Ariana Grande. 
• SNL's Jay Pharoah -- who is known for his Kanye West and Jay Z impersonations, was a recurring face on the stage doing what he's known for, impersonating Jay and Kanye. However the crowd's facial expressions gave mixed reviews on his commentary.
• Common took the show away from the jokes and horseplay for a bit after requesting a moment of silence for Mike Brown and the current situation taking place in Ferguson, Missouri. 
• And if the rumors of Ariana Grande and Big Sean dating are still floating around, MTV added to the rumor mill's buzz, showing the two backstage holding hands.
• As for Beyonce, whom we haven't seen on an award show stage in a bit, performed a 15-song medley from her self-titled album prior to accepting the Michael Jackson Vanguard award from her hubby Jay Z and her daughter Blue Ivy. 

WINNERS

• Video of the Year: Miley Cyrus - "Wrecking Ball"
• MTV Artist to Watch: Fifth Harmony - "Miss Movin On"
• Best Rock Video: Lorde - "Royals"
• Best Pop Video: Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea - "Problem"
• Best Female Video: Katy Perry ft. Juicy J - "Dark Horse"
• Best Male Video: Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell - "Sing"
• Best Hip Hop Video: Drake ft. Majid Jordan - "Hold On (We're Going Home)"
• Best Lyric Video: 5 Seconds of Summer - "Don't Stop"
• Best Choreography: Sia - "Chandelier"
• MTV Clubland Award: Zedd ft. Hayley Williams - "Stay the Night"
• Best Cinematography: Beyonce - "Pretty Hurts"
• Best Collaboration: Beyonce ft. Jay Z - "Drunk In Love"
• Best Video with a Social Message: Beyonce - "Pretty Hurts"

PERFORMANCES

• Ariana Grande kicked off the show with a performance of her new single "Break Free." Nicki then hit the stage for risque jungle-themed performance of her record "Anaconda." After a swift outfit change, the two joined Jessie J for an energetic performance of "Bang, Bang." But it appears that Nicki may have changed too quickly and broke the zipper on her dress in the process as she re-entered the stage and performed her verse while holding her dress together. 
• Taylor Swift gave a 1930s-inspired performance of her new record "Shake It Off" complete with fringes, tuxedos and saxophones. 
• British newcomer Sam Smith performed a heartwarming rendition of his record "Stay With Me."
• Introduced by Piper (Taylor Schilling), Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) and Sophia (Laverne Cox) of Orange Is The New Black, Usher took the stage to perform his record "She Came To Give It To You" with Nicki Minaj who had already hit the stage at the beginning of the show. 
• 5 Seconds of Summer performed their hit "Amnesia." 
• Iggy Azalea took the stage with Rita Ora for the first time and performed a Spidewoman-esque-themed version of their record "Black Widow."
• Maroon 5 performed "Maps" on a separate stage outside of The Forum arena in front of shooting flames and thousands of fans.
• And then there was the most anticipated performance of the evening -- Queen Bey. Beyonce hit the stage to perform a medley from her record breaking self-titled album. Bey kicked it off with "Mine" -- sans Drake. She then transitioned to "Haunted." With the help of two twin backup dancers, Bey sang "No Angel." She then gave a solo performance of "Jealous" and concluded the track with a quick choreographed segue into "Blow." Bey then stunned during her performance of "Drunk In Love." Accompanied by dancers doing hand stands and synchronized movements with only their legs, she turned up the crowd and didn't neglect to surfboard. She then performed "Rocket," followed by "Partition." And of course she gave an energetic and intense performance of "Flawless." And let us not forget the emotional performance of "Blue." Bey concluded the medley with a sing-a-long of "X.O." To Bey's surprise, she was awarded with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award by her hubby Jay Z and her daughter Blue Ivy.

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