1986 MTV Video Music Awards

{{Infobox award

| name = 1986 MTV Video Music Awards

| date = Friday, September 5, 1986

| image = 1986-mtv-vma-logo.png

| location = Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
Palladium, New York City

| country = United States

| host = Downtown Julie Brown
Mark Goodman
Alan Hunter
Martha Quinn and
Dweezil Zappa

| most_awards = A-ha (8)

| most_nominations = A-ha and Dire Straits (11 each)

| network = MTV

| producer = Don Ohlmeyer
Bob Pittman

| director = Don Ohlmeyer

| previous = 1985

| main = {{nowrap|MTV Video Music Awards}}

| next = 1987

}}

The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1986, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1985, to May 1, 1986. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Dweezil Zappa, and it emanated primarily from both the Palladium in New York City and the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Other parts of the show, however, took place in various locations such as London, Miami, and New Haven, Connecticut.

The night's biggest winner and one of the year's two most nominated artists was Norwegian group a-ha, which won eight out of eleven awards it was in contention for. Their video for "Take On Me" earned six awards out of eight nominations, including Viewer's Choice, while "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." won two awards out of three nominations.

The other most nominated artist was rock group Dire Straits, whose video for "Money for Nothing" also earned eleven nominations and won two awards, including Video of the Year. Thus, "Money for Nothing" was also the most nominated video at the 1986 VMAs.

Background

MTV announced in June that the 1986 Video Music Awards would be held at New York's Palladium and Los Angeles's Universal Amphitheatre on September 5.{{cite news |title=MTV video awards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103903165/press-and-sun-bulletin/ |work=Press & Sun-Bulletin |date=June 19, 1986 |via=Newspapers.com}} Nominees were announced on August 4.{{cite news |title=a-Ha, Houston top MTV best video finalists |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103903374/news-pilot/ |work=San Pedro News-Pilot |date=August 5, 1986 |via=Newspapers.com}} The decision to broadcast the ceremony from multiple venues came out of a desire to make the ceremony more casual, as did the decisions to forego a traditional host, present awards throughout the venues instead of at a podium, and loosen time limitations.{{cite news |last=Graff |first=Gary |title=MTV turns to street to enliven its awards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103904908/detroit-free-press/ |work=Detroit Free Press |date=September 5, 1986 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title=1986 MTV awards show to pave new ground |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103520918/democrat-and-chronicle/ |work=Democrat and Chronicle |date=August 23, 1986 |via=Newspapers.com}} Winners were selected by a group of over 1,700 individuals from the recording industry.{{cite news |title=Video Music Awards Program To Be Broadcast |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103904749/times-press-recorder/ |work=Arroyo Grande Times-Press-Recorder |date=September 3, 1986 |via=Newspapers.com}} The ceremony was preceded by a two-hour MTV VMA 1986 Pre-Game Show special. Hosted by Bob Costas and Huey Lewis, the pre-taped special highlighted the nominees.

Performances

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+ List of musical performances
scope="col" \| Artist(s) ! scope="col" \| Song(s) ! scope="col" \| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
Robert Palmer \| "Addicted to Love" \| style="text-align:center;" \|{{cite web\|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/08/23/mtv-video-music-awards-vma-best/14473837/\|title=MTV Video Music Awards: 30 memorable moments through the years\|last=Masley\|first=Ed\|date=August 23, 2014\|work=AZ Central\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201011014703/https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/08/23/mtv-video-music-awards-vma-best/14473837/\|archive-date=October 11, 2020\|access-date=June 16, 2022}}
The Hooters \| "And We Danced" "Nervous Night" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
The Monkees \| "I'm a Believer" "Daydream Believer" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
'Til Tuesday \| "What About Love" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
INXS \| "What You Need" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Van Halen \| "Best of Both Worlds" "Love Walks In" {{small\|(Pre-taped from New Haven, CT)}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Mr. Mister \| "Kyrie" "Broken Wings" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Simply Red \| "Holding Back the Years" "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Whitney Houston \| "How Will I Know" "Greatest Love of All" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Pet Shop Boys \| "Love Comes Quickly" "West End Girls" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Tina Turner \| "Typical Male" \| style="text-align:center;" \|
Genesis \| "Throwing It All Away" {{small\|(From London)}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of musical performances

scope="col" | Artist(s)

! scope="col" | Song(s)

! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

Robert Palmer

| "Addicted to Love"

| style="text-align:center;" |{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/08/23/mtv-video-music-awards-vma-best/14473837/|title=MTV Video Music Awards: 30 memorable moments through the years|last=Masley|first=Ed|date=August 23, 2014|work=AZ Central|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201011014703/https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/08/23/mtv-video-music-awards-vma-best/14473837/|archive-date=October 11, 2020|access-date=June 16, 2022}}

The Hooters

| "And We Danced"
"Nervous Night"