Other ceremonies 1989, 1991 | Date 6 September 1990 | |
Location |
The 1990 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1990, honoring the best music videos from June 2, 1989, to June 1, 1990. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
Contents
- Nominations
- Video of the Year
- Best Male Video
- Best Female Video
- Best Group Video
- Best New Artist in a Video
- Best MetalHard Rock Video
- Best Rap Video
- Best Dance Video
- Best Post Modern Video
- Best Video from a Film
- Breakthrough Video
- Best Direction in a Video
- Best Choreography in a Video
- Best Special Effects in a Video
- Best Art Direction in a Video
- Best Editing in a Video
- Best Cinematography in a Video
- Viewers Choice
- MTV Australia
- MTV Brasil
- MTV Europe
- MTV Internacional
- MTV Japan
- Video Vanguard Award
- Performances
- Main show
- Post show
- References
This year saw the elimination of yet another one of the show's original categories, Best Stage Performance in a Video. This would turn out to be the last time an award from 1984 would be permanently eliminated (although Breakthrough Video was eliminated in 2006 and then brought back in 2009).
Janet Jackson was presented the Video Vanguard Award for her contributions and influence within music and popular culture. She also performed a controversial rendition of "Black Cat", considered "her first shocking public statement." For the second year in a row, Madonna was one of the night's biggest winners, taking home three technical awards, while Sinéad O'Connor was the other most rewarded artist of 1990, also winning three Moonmen including Video of the Year. Meanwhile, most other winners that night took home two awards, including Aerosmith, Don Henley, The B-52s, Tears for Fears, and MC Hammer.
Regarding nominations, Madonna also had the distinction of being the most nominated artist of the night, as her video for "Vogue" received nine nominations, making it also the most nominated video of 1990. Closely following in nominations came Aerosmith, whose video for "Janie's Got a Gun" earned eight nominations that night and took home two awards, including Viewer's Choice.
Nominations
Winners are in bold text.
Video of the Year
Sinéad O'Connor – "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Best Male Video
Don Henley – "The End of the Innocence"
Best Female Video
Sinéad O'Connor – "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Best Group Video
The B-52s – "Love Shack"
Best New Artist in a Video
Michael Penn – "No Myth"

Best Metal/Hard Rock Video
Aerosmith – "Janie's Got a Gun"
Best Rap Video
MC Hammer – "U Can't Touch This"
Best Dance Video
MC Hammer – "U Can't Touch This"
Best Post-Modern Video
Sinéad O'Connor – "Nothing Compares 2 U"

Best Video from a Film
Billy Idol – "Cradle of Love" (from The Adventures of Ford Fairlane)

Breakthrough Video
Tears for Fears – "Sowing the Seeds of Love"
Best Direction in a Video
Madonna – "Vogue" (Director: David Fincher)
Best Choreography in a Video
Janet Jackson – "Rhythm Nation" (Choreographers: Janet Jackson and Anthony Thomas)
Best Special Effects in a Video
Tears for Fears – "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (Special Effects: Jim Blashfield)
Best Art Direction in a Video
The B-52s – "Love Shack" (Art Director: Martin Lasowitz)
Best Editing in a Video
Madonna – "Vogue" (Editor: Jim Haygood)
Best Cinematography in a Video
Madonna – "Vogue" (Director of Photography: Pascal Lebègue)
Viewer's Choice
Aerosmith – "Janie's Got a Gun"
MTV Australia
Midnight Oil – "Blue Sky Mine"
MTV Brasil
Titãs – "Flores"
MTV Europe
The Creeps – "Ooh I Like It"
MTV Internacional
Gloria Estefan – "Oye Mi Canto"
MTV Japan
Kome Kome Club – "Funk Fujiyama"
Video Vanguard Award
Janet Jackson