2013 MTV Video Music Awards#Controversy

{{Infobox award

| name = 2013 MTV Video Music Awards

| image = MTV VMA 2013 logo.svg

| imagesize = 250px

| date = Sunday, August 25, 2013

| location = Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York City)

| country = United States

| website = {{URL|http://www.mtv.com/vma/2013/}}

| network = MTV

| producer = Amy Doyle
Garrett English
Jesse Ignjatovic
Dave Sirulnick

| director = Hamish Hamilton

| runtime =

| most_awards = Justin Timberlake (4)

| most_nominations = Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (6 each)

| previous = 2012

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

| next = 2014

}}

The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704268/vmas-2013-brooklyn-barclays-center.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327155045/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704268/vmas-2013-brooklyn-barclays-center.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 27, 2013|title=MTV VMAs Coming To Brooklyn's Barclays Center! |last=Kaufman|first=Gil |date=July 17, 2012 |work=MTV |publisher=Viacom |access-date=July 18, 2013}} Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of Manhattan. Nominations were announced on July 17, 2013. Leading the nominees were Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with six, followed by Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, and Robin Thicke with four.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/arts/music/mtv-video-music-awards-review.html?hp|title= At Video Music Awards, a Lot to Look Away From|date=26 August 2013|work= New York Times|access-date=26 August 2013|first=Jon|last=Caramanica}} Pop singer Justin Timberlake was the big winner on the night with four awards, including Video of the Year for "Mirrors" and the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award.{{cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5672586/justin-timberlake-lady-gaga-and-macklemore-rock-brooklyn-at-mtv-vmas-2013|title= Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Macklemore Rock Brooklyn at MTV VMAs 2013|date=26 August 2013|work= Billboard.com|access-date=27 August 2013 }}{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mtv-vmas-justin-timberlake-wins-614162|title= Justin Timberlake Wins Top Prize, Macklemore Earns Three Moonmen|date=26 August 2013|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=27 August 2013|first=Sophie|last=Schillaci}} Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift were also among the winners of the night.{{cite news|url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/08/25/vmas-mtv-news/2696959/|title= Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga sizzle at MTV VMAs|date=26 August 2013|work= USA Today|access-date=27 August 2013|first1=Cindy|last1=Clark}} The ceremony drew a total of 10.1 million viewers.

The show featured Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke's raunchy and sexually-driven performance for the medley of their songs "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines", which received negative reactions from critics and mixed reactions from fans and fellow celebrities. The most watched performance of the night was Justin Timberlake's 15-minute medley number, which included a brief reunion with NSYNC, leading up to his acceptance speech for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Performances

class="wikitable"
Artist(s) !Song(s)
colspan=2\|Pre-show
Austin Mahone \|"What About Love"
Ariana Grande \|"Baby I" "The Way"
colspan=2\|Main show
Lady Gaga \|"Applause"
Miley Cyrus Robin Thicke 2 Chainz Kendrick Lamar \|"We Can't Stop" (Cyrus) "Blurred Lines" (Thicke and Cyrus) "Give It 2 U"
Kanye West \|"Blood on the Leaves"
Justin Timberlake \|Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Medley "Take Back the Night" "SexyBack" "Like I Love You" "My Love" "Cry Me a River" (contains elements of "What Goes Around... Comes Around") "Señorita" "Rock Your Body" (contains elements of "Let the Groove Get In" and "FutureSex/LoveSound") Interlude (contains extracts of "Pusher Love Girl" and "Gone") "Girlfriend" (with NSYNC) "Bye Bye Bye" (with NSYNC) "Suit & Tie" "Mirrors"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Mary Lambert Jennifer Hudson \|"Same Love"
Drake \|"Hold On, We're Going Home" "Started from the Bottom"
Bruno Mars \|"Gorilla"
Katy Perry \|"Roar" (performed in Empire – Fulton Ferry Park)

class="wikitable"

Artist(s)

!Song(s)

colspan=2|Pre-show

Austin Mahone

|"What About Love"

Ariana Grande

|"Baby I"
"The Way"

colspan=2|Main show

Lady Gaga

|"Applause"

Miley Cyrus
Robin Thicke
2 Chainz
Kendrick Lamar

|"We Can't Stop" (Cyrus)
"Blurred Lines" (Thicke and Cyrus)
"Give It 2 U"

Kanye West

|"Blood on the Leaves"

Justin Timberlake

|Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Medley

"Take Back the Night"
"SexyBack"
"Like I Love You"
"My Love"
"Cry Me a River" (contains elements of "What Goes Around... Comes Around")
"Señorita"
"Rock Your Body" (contains elements of "Let the Groove Get In" and "FutureSex/LoveSound")
Interlude (contains extracts of "Pusher Love Girl" and "Gone")
"Girlfriend" (with NSYNC)
"Bye Bye Bye" (with NSYNC)
"Suit & Tie"
"Mirrors"

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Mary Lambert
Jennifer Hudson

|"Same Love"

Drake

|"Hold On, We're Going Home"
"Started from the Bottom"

Bruno Mars

|"Gorilla"

Katy Perry

|"Roar" (performed in Empire – Fulton Ferry Park)

;House artist

DJ Cassidy

Presenters

List of presenters:{{cite web|title=About the 2013 Video Music Awards|url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/about.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720025945/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/about.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 20, 2013|publisher=MTV|access-date=August 13, 2013}}

Sway, Christina Garibaldi, James Montgomery – Pre-Show
One Direction – presented Best Pop Video
Shailene Woodley and Vanessa Bayer (as Miley Cyrus) – introduced Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke
Iggy Azalea and Lil' Kim – presented Best Hip-Hop Video
Kevin Hart – performed a stand-up comedy routine and spoke about Artist to Watch voting procedures
Jared Leto – introduced Kanye West
Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams – presented Best Female Video
Ed Sheeran – presented Best Video with a Social Message
Jimmy Fallon – presented Video Vanguard Award
Vampire Weekend – presented Best Song of the Summer
ASAP Rocky and Jason Collins – introduced Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert
Emeli Sandé and Adam Lambert – presented Artist to Watch
TLC (T-Boz and Chilli) – introduced Drake
Taylor Swift – presented Best Male Video
Selena Gomez – introduced Bruno Mars
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – presented Video of the Year
Allison Williams – introduced Katy Perry

Winners and nominees

Nominees were announced on July 17, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1710689/vma-nominations-list-2013.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718183305/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1710689/vma-nominations-list-2013.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2013|title=2013 MTV Video Music Awards: The Nominations Are In!|last=Montgomery|first=James|date=July 17, 2012 |work=MTV |publisher=Viacom |access-date=July 18, 2013}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20130815193647/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2013/best-song-of-the-summer/ Best Song of the Summer 2013 MTV Video Music Awards]. mtv.com. Retrieved on August 18, 2013. Winners were announced on August 25, 2013.[http://www.vh1.in/music/current/the-2013-video-music-awards-winners-are-in The 2013 Video Music Awards Winners Are In!]. Vh1.in. Retrieved on Sep 4, 2013.

scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Video of the Year ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Male Video
class=wikitable style="width:100%"
valign="top" \| Justin Timberlake – "Mirrors" Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Wanz) – "Thrift Shop" Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven" Taylor Swift – "I Knew You Were Trouble" Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) – "Blurred Lines" \| valign="top" \| Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven" Kendrick Lamar – "Swimming Pools (Drank)" Ed Sheeran – "Lego House" Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) – "Blurred Lines" Justin Timberlake – "Mirrors"
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Female Video ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Artist to Watch
valign="top" \| Taylor Swift – "I Knew You Were Trouble" Miley Cyrus – "We Can't Stop" Demi Lovato – "Heart Attack" Pink (featuring Nate Ruess) – "Just Give Me a Reason" Rihanna (featuring Mikky Ekko) – "Stay" \| valign="top" \| Austin Mahone – "What About Love" Iggy Azalea – "Work" Twenty One Pilots – "Holding On to You" The Weeknd – "Wicked Games" Zedd (featuring Foxes) – "Clarity"
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Pop Video ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Rock Video
valign="top" \| Selena Gomez – "Come & Get It" Miley Cyrus – "We Can't Stop" fun. – "Carry On" Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven" Justin Timberlake – "Mirrors" \| valign="top" \| Thirty Seconds to Mars – "Up in the Air" Fall Out Boy – "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" Imagine Dragons – "Radioactive" Mumford & Sons – "I Will Wait" Vampire Weekend – "Diane Young"
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Hip-Hop Video ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Collaboration
valign="top" \| Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) – "Can't Hold Us" A$AP Rocky (featuring 2 Chainz, Drake and Kendrick Lamar) – "Fuckin' Problems" J. Cole (featuring Miguel) – "Power Trip" Drake – "Started from the Bottom" Kendrick Lamar – "Swimming Pools (Drank)" \| valign="top" \| Pink (featuring Nate Ruess) – "Just Give Me a Reason" Calvin Harris (featuring Ellie Goulding) – "I Need Your Love" Pitbull (featuring Christina Aguilera) – "Feel This Moment" Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) – "Blurred Lines" Justin Timberlake (featuring Jay-Z) – "Suit & Tie"
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Direction ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Choreography
valign="top" \| Justin Timberlake (featuring Jay-Z) – "Suit & Tie" (Director: David Fincher) Drake – "Started from the Bottom" (Directors: Director X and Drake) Fun. – "Carry On" (Director: Anthony Mandler) Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) – "Can't Hold Us" (Directors: Ryan Lewis, Jason Koenig and Jon Jon Augustavo) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – "Sacrilege" (Director: Megaforce) \| valign="top" \| Bruno Mars – "Treasure" (Choreographer: Bruno Mars) Chris Brown – "Fine China" (Choreographers: Richmond Talauega, Anthony Talauega and Anwar "Flii" Burton) Ciara – "Body Party" (Choreographer: Jamaica Craft) Jennifer Lopez (featuring Pitbull) – "Live It Up" (Choreographers: J.R. Taylor and Beau Smart) will.i.am (featuring Justin Bieber) – "#thatPOWER" (Choreographers: Fatima Robinson and Ryo Noguchi)
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Visual Effects ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Art Direction
valign="top" \| Capital Cities – "Safe and Sound" (Visual Effects: Grady Hall, Jonathan Wu and Derek Johnson) Duck Sauce – "It's You" (Visual Effects: Royal Post / Paris) Flying Lotus – "Tiny Tortures" (Visual Effects: Dustin Bowser) Skrillex (featuring The Doors) – "Breakn' a Sweat" (Visual Effects: Bonnie Brae, BEMO, Jeff Dotson and Erik Lee) The Weeknd – "Wicked Games" (Visual Effects: Drop and Abel) \| valign="top" \| Janelle Monáe (featuring Erykah Badu) – "Q.U.E.E.N." (Art Director: Veronica Logsdon) Alt-J – "Tessellate" (Art Director: Charlie Lambros) Capital Cities – "Safe and Sound" (Art Director: Teri Whittaker) Lana Del Rey – "National Anthem" (Art Director: Lou Asaro) Thirty Seconds to Mars – "Up in the Air" (Art Director: Floyd Albee)
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Editing ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Cinematography
valign="top" \| Justin Timberlake – "Mirrors" (Editors: Jarrett Fijal and Bonch LA) Miley Cyrus – "We Can't Stop" (Editors: Paul Martinez and Nick Rondeau) Calvin Harris (featuring Florence Welch) – "Sweet Nothing" (Editors: Vincent Haycock and Ross Hallard) Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) – "Can't Hold Us" (Editors: Ryan Lewis and Jason Koenig) Pink (featuring Nate Ruess) – "Just Give Me a Reason" (Editor: Jackie London at Sunset Edit) \| valign="top" \| Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) – "Can't Hold Us" (Directors of Photography: Jason Koenig, Ryan Lewis and Mego Lin) A-Trak and Tommy Trash – "Tuna Melt" (Directors of Photography: TS Pfeffer and Robert McHugh) Lana Del Rey – "Ride" (Director of Photography: Malik Sayeed) Thirty Seconds to Mars – "Up in the Air" (Director of Photography: David Devlin) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – "Sacrilege" (Director of Photography: Alexis Zabé)
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Video with a Social Message ! scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Song of the Summer
valign="top" \| Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Mary Lambert) – "Same Love" Beyoncé – "I Was Here" Kelly Clarkson – "People Like Us" Miguel – "Candles in the Sun" Snoop Lion (featuring Drake and Cori B.) – "No Guns Allowed" \| valign="top" \| One Direction – "Best Song Ever" Miley Cyrus – "We Can't Stop" Daft Punk (featuring Pharrell Williams) – "Get Lucky" Selena Gomez – "Come & Get It" Calvin Harris (featuring Ellie Goulding) – "I Need Your Love" Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) – "Blurred Lines"
scope="col" style="background:#EEDD85; width=;" \| Best Latino Artist
valign="top" \| Daddy Yankee Don Omar Jesse & Joy Pitbull Alejandro Sanz{{cite web\|url=http://www.tr3s.com/micro/2013-vma-award-show \|title=Best Latino Artist of 2013 \|publisher=Tr3s \|date=2013-07-09 \|access-date=2014-01-12}}
style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" colspan="2" \| Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" \|Justin Timberlake

Artists with multiple wins and nominations

class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" \|+ Artists who received multiple awards
scope="col" style="width:55px;" \|Wins ! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" \|Artist
style="text-align:center" \|4 \| Justin Timberlake
style="text-align:center" \|3 \| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
style="text-align:center" \|2 \| Bruno Mars

class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"

|+ Artists who received multiple awards

scope="col" style="width:55px;" |Wins

! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" |Artist

style="text-align:center" |4

| Justin Timberlake

style="text-align:center" |3

| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

style="text-align:center" |2

| Bruno Mars

scope="col" style="width:55px;" \|Nominations ! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" \|Artist
class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" \|+ Artists who received multiple nominations
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" \|6 \| Justin Timberlake
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" \|4 \| Bruno Mars
Miley Cyrus
Robin Thicke
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" \|3 \| Calvin Harris
Pink
Thirty Seconds to Mars
rowspan="9" style="text-align:center" \|2 \| Capital Cities
fun.
Kendrick Lamar
Lana Del Rey
Pitbull
Selena Gomez
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Controversy

Pop singer Miley Cyrus became the subject of widespread media attention following a controversial performance with Robin Thicke. The performance began with Cyrus performing "We Can't Stop" in bear-themed attire. Following this, Thicke entered the stage and Cyrus stripped down to a flesh-colored two-piece latex outfit while they performed "Blurred Lines" in a duet. Cyrus subsequently touched Thicke's crotch area with a giant manicured foam finger and twerked against him.

Critics broadly panned the performance, while fans and celebrities were shocked. Parents expressed outrage over the performance. An article published in The Hollywood Reporter described the performance as "crass" and "reminiscent of a bad acid trip".{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/note-miley-cyrus-please-stop-614407|title=Note to Miley Cyrus: Please Stop; Plus Other VMAs Ruminations|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=August 26, 2013}} The performance was described by XXL critic B. J. Steiner as a "trainwreck in the classic sense of the word as the audience reaction seemed to be a mix of confusion, dismay and horror in a cocktail of embarrassment",{{cite web|title=The Most Awkward Hip-Hop Moments At MTV's 2013 Video Music Awards|author=Steiner, B. J.|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/08/the-most-awkward-hip-hop-moments-at-mtvs-2013-video-music-awards/|work=XXL|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=August 26, 2013}} while the BBC said Cyrus stole the show with a "raunchy performance".{{cite web|title=Justin Timberlake wins big at MTV awards, Miley Cyrus steals show|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23839865|publisher=BBC News. BBC|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=August 26, 2013}} Katy Kroll of Rolling Stone magazine wrote in 2014, "there were dancing teddy bears, an overused foam finger, an unflattering flesh-colored bikini, some very obvious groping and twerking – lots and lots of twerking. For lack of a better term, it was a hot mess."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/miley-cyrus-robin-thicke-vma-performance-one-year-later-20140822|archive-date=May 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513101122/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/miley-cyrus-robin-thicke-vma-performance-one-year-later-20140822|title=Twerk It Out: Miley and Robin's VMA Performance, One Year Later|author=Kroll, Katy|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=August 22, 2014|access-date=January 29, 2015}} A Telegraph article described Cyrus' actions as her going into "overdrive [...] trying to kill off her Disney millstone, Hannah Montana".{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10267842/MTV-Video-Music-Awards-2013-Miley-Cyrus-and-that-performance-the-reasons-why-everybodys-talking-about-it.html|title=MTV Video Music Awards 2013: Why everybody's talking about Miley Cyrus and that performance|last1=Peacock|first1=Louisa|last2=Kerr|first2=Isabelle|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=August 27, 2013|access-date=October 9, 2017}} The performance generated 306,100 tweets per minute on Twitter, Cyrus' performance resulted in a gain of over 213,000 Twitter followers, 226,000 likes on Facebook, and 90,000 downloads of her new single, "Wrecking Ball", within days of the controversial performance. This amounted to a total 112% increase in Cyrus' social media activity.{{cite web|url=http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/125139/Miley-Cyrus-Raunchy-VMAs-Performance-Helps-Star-Gain-213104-Twitter-Followers-And-Sell-90000-Downloads |title=Miley Cyrus' Raunchy VMAs Performance Helps Star Gain 213,104 Twitter Followers And Sell 90,000 Downloads |author=Joanna Crawley |publisher=Entertainmentwise. Gigwise |date=August 31, 2013 |access-date=September 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924131916/http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/125139/Miley-Cyrus-Raunchy-VMAs-Performance-Helps-Star-Gain-213104-Twitter-Followers-And-Sell-90000-Downloads |archive-date=September 24, 2014 }} The performance topped Twitter during the East Coast telecast, with Timberlake behind with 219,800 tweets per minute at its peak. The most-mentioned performers on Twitter were Cyrus (4.5 million), Timberlake (2.9 million) and Lady Gaga (1.9 million).{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-mtv-vmas-up-614095|title=TV Ratings: MTV VMAs Up 66 Percent Due to Justin Timberlake, 'N Sync Reunion|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=August 26, 2013}}