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Our 2012 Video Music Awards Recap

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Quinn Keaney Student Contributor, University of Pittsburgh
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

     The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, also known as ‘The Night British Boy Bands Took Over the Earth,’ was a star-filled, fashion-fueled affair. One Direction popped their VMA cherries by taking home a notable three awards, rocking out on stage to their latest single “One Thing,” and sharing a smooch (or two) with Katy Perry.

     Led by the hilarious Kevin Hart and his group of “little security,” the VMAs pretty much went off without a hitch. No shocking acceptance speech interruptions—cough, Kanye West, cough—and no scandalous wardrobe malfunctions to be seen. The jokes were funny, the stars looked gorgeous, and even Miley Cyrus’ platinum blonde Mohawk was perfection.

     Rihanna kicked off the show with a mash-up of “Cockiness” featuring A$AP Rocky, and her summer anthem, “We Found Love,” a song that later earned her the Video of the Year award. With other live sets from P!nk (“Blow Me One Last Kiss”), Frank Ocean (“Thinkin’ Bout You”), Green Day (“Let Yourself Go”) and 2 Chainz featuring Lil Wayne(“Yuck”), the VMAs were chock full of stellar performances. Alicia Keys
even played her newest single, “Girl on Fire,” with a little help from the always-fierce Nicki Minaj and an all-out adorable cameo from U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas.

One of the most buzzworthy performances? Taylor Swift. She debuted “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” with the help of a huge ensemble of dancers and furry friends. While it may have been a little more simple than past VMA performances, she had everyone in the Staples Center singing along to her fist- raising, girl-power, you-can-totally-suck-it anthem.

2012 MTV Video Music Awards — Winners List

Video of the Year
Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris — “We Found Love”

Best Male Video
Chris Brown — “Turn Up the Music”

Best Female Video
Nicki Minaj — “Starships”

Best New Artist
One Direction — “What Makes You Beautiful”

Best Pop Video
One Direction — “What Makes You Beautiful”

Best Rock Video
Coldplay — “Paradise”

Best Hip-Hop Video
Drake feat. Lil Wayne — “HYFR”

Best Electronic Dance Video
Calvin Harris — “Feel So Close”

Best Video With a Message

Demi Lovato — “Skyscraper”

Most Share-Worthy Video
One Direction — “What Makes You Beautiful”

Best Director
M.I.A. — “Bad Girls”

Best Choreography
Chris Brown — “Turn Up the Music”

Best Visual Effects
Skrillex — “First of the Year (Equinox)”

Best Art Direction
Katy Perry — “Wide Awake”

Best Cinematography
M.I.A. — “Bad Girls”

Best Editing
Beyonce — “Countdown”

Image Sources: 
http://hiphopmula.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mtv-vma.jpg
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/one-direction-vma-award.jpg

Quinn is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a dual major in communications and journalism. An avid reader of Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Glamour, she knew she had to get out of her small, po-dunk town in Pennsylvania, and follow her dream of a career in magazines. Quinn writes for her college paper, The Pitt News, as well as Her Campus and is an editorial intern at Maniac Magazine. She loves photography, karaoke, ballet flats, London (where she studied abroad this past summer), and anything pink and sparkly. She hopes to be Carrie-Bradshawing it up in New York City one day soon.