2018 MTV VMAs Updates: The Moon Man Returns to Radio City in New York
The MTV Video Music Awards is going back to its roots for this year's awards night.
The cable music channel, together with MSG Live as well as the New York City Mayor's Office, announced the return of the annual music awards with a symbolic "moon landing" outside Radio City Music Hall where the event will be held live on Monday, Aug. 20.
This will serve as a homecoming for the highly awaited event in the music industry since the first-ever VMAs was also held in the same venue in 1984.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"New York City's creative energy has always fueled those who live and work here," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during the announcement as reported by Rolling Stone. "This is where music, film, and art collide and where the Video Music Awards were born. There is no better place to host the MTV VMAs than in New York City at one of the most iconic venues in the world," he added.
This means that it will be the 12th time that the MTV VMAs will be held in the iconic venue and the 17th time that it will be held in New York City. The star-studded musical event was also held at the Universal Amphitheatre and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles as well as the Metropolitan Opera House and the Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was also held in Miami and Las Vegas in the past.
Andy Lustgarten, the president of the Madison Square Garden Company that owns the Radio City Music Hall, also expressed his excitement for the return of the annual music video awards in the iconic location. "The VMAs are unlike any other event — combining history-making music with exciting and unexpected moments that create an unforgettable experience, and Radio City, as the Showplace of the Nation, is the perfect backdrop for this celebration," he also stated during the event that, as cited by The Hollywood Reporter.
Also in attendance during the announcement was MTV's legendary VMA Moon Person, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin, MTV International's global head of music and talent Bruce Gillmer, as well as MSG Live executive vice president Darren Pfeffer.
During the event, the stretch of Avenue of the Americas located outside of the Radio City Music Hall was also renamed as "VMA Way."
The host for this year's MTV VMAs and the list of nominees are yet to be announced. Last year, "I Kissed a Girl" singer Katy Perry hosted the live event at The Forum in Inglewood, California where Kendrick Lamar won the coveted Video of the Year award for his song "Humble." The list of performers and presenters for this year's awarding ceremony are still kept under wraps.
The VMAs followed the Primetime Emmy Awards and the MTV Movie and TV Awards that moved from a Sunday night to a Monday evening ceremony. The Emmys will now be held on Sept. 17 while the MTV Movie and TV Awards will be held on June 18.
MTV is expected to release more details about the MTV VMAs soon.
