The 1988 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 7, 1988, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1987, to April 1, 1988. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles . [1]
Australian group INXS was the night's biggest winner and nominee, taking home five awards out of nine nominations. The group's awards included Video of the Year and Viewer's Choice , making this the very first of few times in which the same artist and video took home these two awards in the one night. INXS 's nominations, meanwhile, totaled up to nine: eight for "Need You Tonight /Mediate " (making it the year's most nominated video) and one for "Devil Inside ".
In the meantime, George Harrison and U2 were tied in for second place in terms of nominations, as each picked up eight nominations that year. Furthermore, both artists split their nominations between two different videos in 1988, and at least once both of their videos competed against one another in the same category (and so did INXS's videos).
Finally, this year's show saw the elimination of another category, as the award for Best Overall Performance in a Video was not handed out this year or ever again. At the same time, the category of Most Experimental Video was renamed "Breakthrough Video ", a name that it still keeps (as of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards ).
Winners are in bold text.
INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate"
George Harrison – "When We Was Fab "Bruce Springsteen – "Tunnel of Love "U2 – "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For " U2 – "Where the Streets Have No Name " Prince (featuring Sheena Easton) – "U Got the Look"
Terence Trent D'Arby – "Wishing Well " George Harrison – "Got My Mind Set on You" Bruce Springsteen – "Tunnel of Love "Steve Winwood – "Back in the High Life Again "
Suzanne Vega – "Luka"
Cher – "I Found Someone "Lita Ford – "Kiss Me Deadly "Janet Jackson – "The Pleasure Principle "Jody Watley – "Some Kind of Lover "INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate"
Aerosmith – "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" Eurythmics – "I Need a Man "U2 – "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For " U2 – "Where the Streets Have No Name "
Guns N' Roses – "Welcome to the Jungle"
The Godfathers – "Birth, School, Work, Death"Buster Poindexter – "Hot, Hot, Hot" Swing Out Sister – "Breakout "Jody Watley – "Some Kind of Lover "Pink Floyd – "Learning to Fly"
George Harrison – "When We Was Fab " INXS – "Need You Tonight /Mediate " U2 – "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" XTC – "Dear God " Los Lobos – "La Bamba" (from La Bamba
The Bangles – "Hazy Shade of Winter" (from Less Than Zero )Bryan Ferry – "Kiss and Tell " (from Bright Lights, Big City Peter Gabriel – "Biko " (from Cry Freedom Bob Seger – "Shakedown " (from Beverly Hills Cop II INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate"
George Harrison – "When We Was Fab" Squeeze – "Hourglass "Suzanne Vega – "Luka "XTC – "Dear God " Prince (featuring Sheena Easton) – "U Got the Look"
Aerosmith – "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" Grateful Dead – "Touch of Grey "Elton John – "Candle in the Wind (live)"Roy Orbison – "Oh, Pretty Woman (live)"U2 – "Where the Streets Have No Name"
George Michael – "Father Figure" (Directors: Andy Morahan and George Michael)
Eurythmics – "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart " (Director: Sophie Muller )Pink Floyd – "Learning to Fly " (Director: Storm Thorgerson )R.E.M. – "The One I Love " (Director: Robert Longo ) XTC – "Dear God" (Director: Nicholas Brandt) Janet Jackson – "The Pleasure Principle" (Choreographer: Barry Lather)
Michael Jackson – "Bad " (Choreographers: Michael Jackson , Gregg Burge and Jeffrey Daniel )Michael Jackson – "The Way You Make Me Feel " (Choreographers: Michael Jackson and Vincent Paterson ) Prince (featuring Sheena Easton) – "U Got the Look " (Choreographer: Cat Glover )Sting – "We'll Be Together " (Choreographer: Barry Lather )Squeeze – "Hourglass" (Special Effects: Jim Francis and Dave Barton)
Grateful Dead – "Touch of Grey " (Special Effects: Gary Gutierrez)George Harrison – "Got My Mind Set on You" (Special Effects: John McCallum) George Harrison – "When We Was Fab" (Special Effects: Chris Lyons) INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate" (Special Effects: Lynn Maree Milburn) Squeeze – "Hourglass" (Art Directors: Clive Crotty and Mick Edwards)
George Harrison – "When We Was Fab" (Art Director: Sid Bartholomew) INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate" (Art Director: Lynn Maree Milburn) George Michael – "Faith " (Art Director: Bryan Jones)Bruce Springsteen – "Tunnel of Love" (Art Directors: Howard Cummings and Beth Rubino ) INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate" (Editor: Richard Lowenstein)
INXS – "Devil Inside" (Editor: Steve Purcell ) Loverboy – "Notorious" (Editor: Jim Haygood)Prince (featuring Sheena Easton) – "U Got the Look " (Editor: Charley Randazzo and Steve Purcell )Bruce Springsteen – "Tunnel of Love" (Editor: Greg Dougherty)
Sting – "We'll Be Together" (Director of Photography: Bill Pope)
George Michael – "Father Figure" (Director of Photography: Peter Mackay)Pink Floyd – "Learning to Fly " (Director of Photography: Gordon Minard)Robert Plant – "Heaven Knows " (Director of Photography: Steve Tickner)Suzanne Vega – "Luka " (Director of Photography: Dariusz Wolski )INXS – "Need You Tonight/Mediate"
George Harrison – "When We Was Fab" Bruce Springsteen – "Tunnel of Love" U2 – "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" U2 – "Where the Streets Have No Name" Michael Jackson
Rod Stewart – "Forever Young "Jody Watley – "Some Kind of Lover" Aerosmith – "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" Elton John – "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (live from Miami )Depeche Mode – "Strangelove "Crowded House – "Better Be Home Soon "Michael Jackson – "Bad " (live from London) Cher – "Main Man "The Fat Boys (featuring Chubby Checker ) – "Louie Louie "/"The Twist "Guns N' Roses – "Welcome to the Jungle "INXS – "New Sensation " David Coverdale and Tawny Kitaen – presented Best Group VideoJim Turner (as "Randee of the Redwoods") and Kevin Seal – appeared in pre-commercial vignettes about Viewer's Choice voting proceduresKen Ober – appeared in a couple of pre-commercial segments telling viewers what was 'coming up' on the showPaul Reiser – performed a brief stand-up routine and introduced Jody WatleyEric Roberts and Teri Garr – presented Best Video from a FilmBryan Ferry and Melanie Griffith – presented Breakthrough VideoCrowded House – presented Best New Artist in a VideoBobby McFerrin – sang the eligibility and voting rules for the 1988 VMAsElvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Magic Johnson – presented Best Concept Video DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and Justine Bateman – presented Best Stage Performance in a Video Jim Turner (as "Randee of the Redwoods") – appeared in a pre-commercial segment telling viewers what was 'coming up' on the showPeter Gabriel – presented the Video Vanguard award to Michael Jackson during his acceptance segment in LondonAdam Curry and Kevin Seal – introduced the winners of the professional categories (both also appeared in pre-commercial segments about what was 'coming up' on the show) Suzanne Vega and Robert Downey, Jr. – presented Best Direction in a Video Sam Kinison – performed a stand-up routine and introduced Guns N' Roses Julie Brown and Downtown Julie Brown – presented Best Choreography in a Video (both also appeared in pre-commercial segments about what was 'coming up' on the show) The Bangles – presented Best Male Video Penn & Teller – performed a magic routine Cyndi Lauper and Rod Stewart – presented Viewer's ChoiceAerosmith – presented Best Female Video Cher – presented Video of the Year (alongside host Arsenio Hall) 
