Neha Patil (Editor)

1987 MTV Video Music Awards

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Country
  
United States

Date
  
11 September 1987

Host
  
Michael Tomioka

Network
  
MTV

Other ceremonies
  
1986, 1988

1987 MTV Video Music Awards httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumba

Hosted by
  
Downtown Julie Brown Carolyne Heldman Kevin Seal Michael Tomioka and Dweezil Zappa

Location
  
Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, California, United States

Cast
  
Downtown Julie Brown, Dweezil Zappa

Similar
  
2006 MTV Video Music Aw, Club MTV, MTV Indonesia Movie Aw, 120 Minutes, Remote Control

The 1987 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 11, 1987, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1986, to May 1, 1987. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Carolyne Heldman, Kevin Seal, Michael Tomioka, and Dweezil Zappa, and it took place at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. [1]

Contents

This year featured the debut of the award for Best Video from a Film, which recognized the most outstanding video of a song taken from a movie soundtrack. Concurrently, 1987 also saw the elimination of the Special Recognition award that had been given out every year since 1984. Unlike Video Vanguard, which could go a few years without being handed out and then return, the Special Recognition award was never again given out at the VMAs.

In terms of awards, Peter Gabriel was undoubtedly the night's biggest winner, as he took home a record-setting ten Moonmen, including Video of the Year and the Video Vanguard award. Gabriel's video for "Sledgehammer" earned nine Moonmen out of the ten it was in the running for, making it the night's most nominated video of the night, as well as the most rewarded video in VMA history.

Also, Gabriel also set a record for the most VMA nominations in a single year, as along with the ten nominations for "Sledgehammer", his video for "Big Time" also received two, bringing his total up to twelve nominations in 1987. This record would go uncontested until 2010, when Lady Gaga received thirteen nominations.

Aside from Gabriel, the year's other major nominees were fellow Video of the Year nominees Genesis, Paul Simon, Steve Winwood, and U2, as well as two-time Best Female Video nominee Madonna. Genesis, Winwood, and U2 all received seven nominations for their videos "Land of Confusion", "Higher Love", and "With or Without You", respectively. Meanwhile, Simon and Madonna split their six nominations: the former between "The Boy in the Bubble" and "You Can Call Me Al", and the latter between "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart."

Nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"

  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion"
  • Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble"
  • U2 – "With or Without You"
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love"

    • Best Male Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"

  • David Bowie – "Day-In Day-Out"
  • Robert Palmer – "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On"
  • Paul Simon – "You Can Call Me Al"
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love"

    • Best Female Video

    Madonna – "Papa Don't Preach"

  • Kate Bush – "The Big Sky"
  • Janet Jackson – "Nasty"
  • Cyndi Lauper – "True Colors"
  • Madonna – "Open Your Heart"

    • Best Group Video

    Talking Heads – "Wild Wild Life"

  • The Bangles – "Walk Like an Egyptian"
  • Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"
  • Eurythmics – "Missionary Man"
  • U2 – "With or Without You"

    • Best New Artist in a Video

    Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"

  • Robert Cray – "Smoking Gun"
  • The Georgia Satellites – "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"
  • Bruce Hornsby and the Range – "The Way It Is"
  • Timbuk3 – "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"

    • Best Concept Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"

  • Eurythmics – "Missionary Man"
  • Peter Gabriel – "Big Time"
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion"
  • Talking Heads – "Wild Wild Life"

    • Best Video from a Film

    Talking Heads – "Wild Wild Life" (from True Stories)

  • Eric Clapton – "It's in the Way That You Use It" (from The Color of Money)
  • Rodney Dangerfield – "Twist and Shout" (from Back to School)
  • Aretha Franklin – "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (from Jumpin' Jack Flash)
  • Ben E. King – "Stand by Me" (from Stand by Me)

    • Most Experimental Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"

  • Eurythmics – "Missionary Man"
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion"
  • Huey Lewis and the News – "Hip to Be Square"
  • Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble"

    • Best Stage Performance in a Video

    Bon Jovi – "Livin' on a Prayer"

  • Bon Jovi – "You Give Love a Bad Name"
  • Run-D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith) – "Walk This Way"
  • Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – "Born to Run"
  • Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – "War"

    • Best Overall Performance in a Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"

  • Janet Jackson – "Nasty"
  • Madonna – "Papa Don't Preach"
  • Run-D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith) – "Walk This Way"
  • U2 – "With or Without You"

    • Best Direction in a Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Director: Stephen R. Johnson)

  • Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over" (Director: Alex Proyas)
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Directors: Jim Yukich and John Lloyd)
  • U2 – "With or Without You" (Director: Meiert Avis)
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Directors: Peter Kagan and Paula Greif)

    • Best Choreography in a Video

    Janet Jackson – "Nasty" (Choreographer: Paula Abdul)

  • The Bangles – "Walk Like an Egyptian" (Choreographer: Wendy Biller)
  • Janet Jackson – "When I Think of You" (Choreographers: Paula Abdul and Michael Kidd)
  • Madonna – "Open Your Heart" (Choreographer: Brad Jeffries)
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Choreographer: Ed Love)

    • Best Special Effects in a Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Special Effects: Peter Lord)

  • Eurythmics – "Missionary Man" (Special Effects: Willy Smax)
  • Peter Gabriel – "Big Time" (Special Effects: Peter Wallach)
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Special Effects: Jim Yukich and John Lloyd)
  • Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble" (Special Effects: Jim Blashfield)

    • Best Art Direction in a Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Art Directors: Stephen Quay and Timothy Quay)

  • Breakfast Club – "Right on Track" (Art Directors: Allie Willis and Bryan Jones)
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Art Directors: John Lloyd, Jim Yukich and Stephen Bendelack)
  • Madonna – "Open Your Heart" (Art Director: Mike Hanan)
  • Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble" (Art Director: Jim Blashfield)

    • Best Editing in a Video

    Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Editor: Colin Green)

  • Bon Jovi – "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Editor: Lisa Hendricks)
  • Eurythmics – "Missionary Man" (Editor: John Carroll)
  • Robbie Nevil – "C'est La Vie" (Editor: Rick Elgood)
  • U2 – "With or Without You" (Editor: Meiert Avis)
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Editors: Peter Kagan, Laura Israel and Glen Lazzarro)

    • Best Cinematography in a Video

    Robbie Nevil – "C'est La Vie" (Director of Photography: Mark Plummer)

  • Cyndi Lauper – "What's Going On" (Director of Photography: Juan Ruiz Anchía)
  • Madonna – "Papa Don't Preach" (Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus)
  • U2 – "With or Without You" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl and Matt Mahurin)
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Director of Photography: Peter Kagan)

    • Viewer's Choice

    U2 – "With or Without You"

  • Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer"
  • Genesis – "Land of Confusion"
  • Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble"
  • Steve Winwood – "Higher Love"

    • Video Vanguard Award

    Peter Gabriel
    Julien Temple

    Special Recognition Award

    Elton John
    Bernie Taupin

    Performances

  • Los Lobos – "La Bamba"
  • Bryan Adams – "Only the Strong Survive"/"Victim of Love"
  • The Bangles – "Walk Like an Egyptian"/"Walking Down Your Street"
  • Bon Jovi – "Livin' on a Prayer" (live from New York City)
  • Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"/"Now We're Getting Somewhere"
  • Madonna – "Causing a Commotion" (live from Italy)
  • Whitesnake – "Still of the Night"
  • Whitney Houston – "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"/"Didn't We Almost Have It All" (live from Saratoga Springs, New York)
  • The Cars – "You Are the Girl"/"Double Trouble"
  • David Bowie – "Never Let Me Down" (live from Montreal)
  • Prince – "Sign o' the Times"/"Play in the Sunshine"
  • Cyndi Lauper – "Change of Heart"/"True Colors"
  • Run-D.M.C. (featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) – "Walk This Way"

    • Appearances

  • Howie Mandel – presented Best New Artist in a Video
  • Dweezil Zappa – introduced the nominees of the Viewer's Choice award and later briefly interviewed Los Lobos
  • Laurie Anderson – presented the Video Vanguard Award to Peter Gabriel
  • Richard Wilkins – briefly interviewed Glenn Frey and introduced the next presenter
  • Cyndi Lauper – presented Most Experimental Video
  • Tina Turner – presented Best Male Video
  • Blake Clark – performed a short stand-up routine and introduced a "Randee of the Redwoods" video package
  • Robbie Nevil – presented Best Overall Performance in a Video
  • Kevin Seal – briefly interviewed Richard Page and introduced the next presenter
  • Whoopi Goldberg – presented Best Stage Performance in a Video
  • Vanna White – presented Best Choreography in a Video
  • Marcel Vanthilt – briefly interviewed Herbie Hancock and introduced the next presenters
  • Poison – presented Best Female Video
  • Carolyne Heldman – briefly interviewed Cher and Ally Sheedy
  • Bobcat Goldthwait – performed a short stand-up routine and introduced the winner of Best Art Direction in a Video
  • Glenn Frey – presented the Special Recognition Award
  • Steve Guttenberg – presented Best Video from a Film
  • Kenny Loggins - presented Best Direction in a Video
  • Sandra Bernhard – presented Best Concept Video
  • Eddie Money - presented Best Special Effects
  • David Bowie – presented the Video Vanguard Award to Julien Temple
  • Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie – presented Best Group Video
  • Cher – presented Viewer's Choice
  • Huey Lewis – presented Video of the Year

    • References

    1987 MTV Video Music Awards Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA