The 1997 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1997, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1996, to June 16, 1997. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at Radio City Music Hall in New York City .
American singer Beck took home the most Moonmen of the night, winning a total of five awards. British acid jazz band Jamiroquai closely followed, though, taking home four awards including the coveted Video of the Year prize. The only other multiple winner that night was British dance outfit The Prodigy , which took home both the American and European Viewer's Choice awards – making them the only act in VMA history to not only win two Viewer's Choice awards but also to achieve this in the same year.
As for nominations, Jamiroquai dominated the field with a total of ten nominations for their video for "Virtual Insanity ." In second place was Beck , who received a total of seven mentions: five for "The New Pollution " and two for "Devils Haircut ." Lastly, Nine Inch Nails came in third with five nominations for "The Perfect Drug ." Unlike Beck and Jamiroquai, though, Nine Inch Nails went home empty-handed that night.
Winners are in bold text.
Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity"
Beck – "The New Pollution " Jewel – "You Were Meant for Me "Nine Inch Nails – "The Perfect Drug " No Doubt – "Don't Speak "Beck – "Devils Haircut"
Babyface – "Every Time I Close My Eyes "R. Kelly – "I Believe I Can Fly " Will Smith – "Men in Black "Jewel – "You Were Meant for Me"
Erykah Badu – "On & On"Toni Braxton – "Un-Break My Heart "Meredith Brooks – "Bitch "Paula Cole – "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"
No Doubt – "Don't Speak"
Blur – "Song 2 "Counting Crows – "A Long December "Dave Matthews Band – "Crash into Me "The Wallflowers – "One Headlight "Fiona Apple – "Sleep to Dream"
Meredith Brooks – "Bitch "Hanson – "MMMBop "Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity " The Wallflowers – "One Headlight "
Aerosmith – "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)"
Foo Fighters – "Monkey Wrench "Marilyn Manson – "The Beautiful People "Dave Matthews Band – "Crash into Me "Rage Against the Machine – "People of the Sun "Puff Daddy (featuring Faith Evans and 112) – "I'll Be Missing You"
Babyface (featuring Stevie Wonder ) – "How Come, How Long "Erykah Badu – "On & On"Blackstreet (featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) – "No Diggity "Toni Braxton – "Un-Break My Heart "The Notorious B.I.G. – "Hypnotize"
Blackstreet (featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) – "No Diggity "Dr. Dre – "Been There, Done That" Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" Spice Girls – "Wannabe"
The Chemical Brothers – "Block Rockin' Beats "Freak Nasty – "Da' Dip "The Prodigy – "Breathe "Sublime – "What I Got"
Beck – "The New Pollution" Blur – "Song 2 "Foo Fighters – "Monkey Wrench "Nine Inch Nails – "The Perfect Drug"
Will Smith – "Men in Black" (from Men in Black )
Iggy Pop – "Lust for Life" (from Trainspotting R. Kelly – "I Believe I Can Fly " (from Space Jam Bruce Springsteen – "Secret Garden " (from Jerry Maguire Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity"
The Chemical Brothers – "Setting Sun"Daft Punk – "Da Funk "Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" Radiohead – "Paranoid Android "Beck – "The New Pollution" (Director: Beck Hansen)
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" (Director: Hype Williams) Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Director: Jonathan Glazer ) Nine Inch Nails – "The Perfect Drug" (Director: Mark Romanek ) The Smashing Pumpkins – "The End Is the Beginning Is the End " (Directors: Joel Schumacher , Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris )Beck – "The New Pollution" (Choreographer: Peggy Hickey)
Cibo Matto – "Sugar Water" (Choreographer: Michel Gondry )Dr. Dre – "Been There, Done That" (Choreographers: Fatima and Swoop) Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Choreographer: Jason Kay) Will Smith – "Men in Black " (Choreographer: Stretch)Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Special Effects: Jonathan Glazer and Sean Broughton)
Eels – "Novocaine for the Soul " (Special Effects: Ashley Clemens)Marilyn Manson – "The Beautiful People " (Special Effects: D.A.V.E. and Panic & Bob)The Smashing Pumpkins – "The End Is the Beginning Is the End " (Special Effects: Chris Staves, Nigel Randall, Edson Williams and the Brothers Strause)Will Smith – "Men in Black" (Special Effects: Paul Griffin, Alan Rosenfield and Wade Howie)
Beck – "The New Pollution" (Art Director: K. K. Barrett)
Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Art Director: John Bramble) Marilyn Manson – "The Beautiful People" (Art Director: Ken Baird) Nine Inch Nails – "The Perfect Drug" (Art Director: Tom Foden) Beck – "Devils Haircut" (Editor: Hank Corwin)
Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Editors: Jonathan Glazer and John McManus) The Smashing Pumpkins – "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" (Editor: Hal Honigsberg) The Wallflowers – "One Headlight" (Editor: Einar Thorsteinsson) Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" (Director of Photography: Stephen Keith-Roach)
Eels – "Novocaine for the Soul " (Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth )Nine Inch Nails – "The Perfect Drug" (Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth ) The Smashing Pumpkins – "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" (Director of Photography: Declan Quinn ) The Prodigy – "Breathe"
Jewel – "You Were Meant for Me "Puff Daddy (featuring Faith Evans and 112) – "I'll Be Missing You " Spice Girls – "Say You'll Be There "The Wallflowers – "One Headlight" The Eraserheads – "Ang Huling El Bimbo"
Dewa 19 – "Kirana"Joey Boy – "Fun Fun Fun"KRU – "Fanatik"Lee Seung-Hwan – "Family"
Silverchair – "Freak"
Human Nature – "Don't Say Goodbye "Powderfinger – "Living Type "Savage Garden – "To the Moon and Back"Spiderbait – "Calypso"Skank – "É uma Partida de Futebol"
Fernanda Abreu – "Kátia Flávia"Angra – "Make Believe"Baba Cósmica – "Uma Pedra no Meu Caminho" Barão Vermelho – "Amor Meu Grande Amor" Carlinhos Brown – "A Namorada"Camisa de Vênus – "O Ponteiro Tá Subindo"Cidade Negra – "Firmamento"Kid Abelha – "Te Amo pra Sempre"Lagoa – "Revista de Mulher Pelada" Maria do Relento – "Conhece o Mário" Nenhum de Nós – "Vou Deixar Que Você Se Vá"Os Ostras – "Uma, Duas ou Três (Punheta)" Os Paralamas do Sucesso – "La Bella Luna"Pato Fu – "Água"Planet Hemp – "Dezdasseis/Dig Dig Dig (Hempa)"Raimundos – "Puteiro em João Pessoa"Lulu Santos – "Aviso aos Navegantes"Sepultura – "Ratamahatta"Virgulóides – "Bagulho no Bumba" The Prodigy – "Breathe"
Daft Punk – "Around the World "Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" Radiohead – "Paranoid Android "Skunk Anansie – "Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)"Asha Bhosle – "O Mere Sona Re"
Lucky Ali – "O Sanam"Amitabh Bachchan – "Eir Bir Phatte"Colonial Cousins – "Krishna"Daler Mehndi – "Dardi Rab Rab"Chara – "Yasashii Kimochi"
Air – "Hair Do" Denki Groove – "Shangi-La"Scha Dara Parr – "Otona Ni Nattemo"The Yellow Monkey – "Rakuen"
Café Tacuba – "Chilanga Banda"
Azul Violeta – "Volveré a Empezar"Control Machete – "¿Comprendes Mendes?Fito Páez – "Cadáver Exquisito"Aleks Syntek y la Gente Normal – "Sin Ti"MTV Mandarin Mavis Fan – "Bartender Angel"
Jeff Chang – "Affection"Chyi Chin – "Cliff"Valen Hsu – "If Cloud Knows"Aaron Kwok – "Share My Love"Wu Bai & China Blue – "End of Love"LL Cool J Mark Romanek
Meredith Brooks [1] The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (featuring John Popper ) – "The Impression That I Get " Foo Fighters – "Everlong "/"Monkey Wrench" Main show Puff Daddy (featuring Faith Evans , 112, Mase and Sting ) – "Mo Money Mo Problems "/"I'll Be Missing You " Jewel – "Angel Standing By" The Prodigy – "Breathe " (live from London) The Wallflowers (featuring Bruce Springsteen ) – "One Headlight" Lil' Kim, Da Brat , Missy Elliott , Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes and Angie Martinez – "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)" U2 – "Please " Beck – "The New Pollution" Spice Girls – "Say You'll Be There "Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" Marilyn Manson – "The Beautiful People" Cindy Crawford and Pat Smear – presented Best Group VideoMartha Stewart and Busta Rhymes – presented Best Dance Video Madonna – talked about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales , and introduced The Prodigy Kevin Bacon and Janeane Garofalo – presented Best Video from a Film Adam Sandler and Meredith Brooks – presented Best Alternative Video Wu-Tang Clan – introduced Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott , Angie Martinez , Da Brat and Lisa Lopes Elton John – presented Best New Artist in a VideoDermot Mulroney and John Popper – presented Best Male Video (and also announced Beck's win for Best Direction in a Video )Mariah Carey – presented the Video Vanguard Award to LL Cool J No Doubt – presented Best R&B VideoMike Myers – introduced Beck Sheryl Crow – chatted with The Rolling Stones via satellite, then introduced the next presentersFiona Apple and Chris Tucker – introduced the International Viewer's Choice Awards winnersMaxwell , Dave Matthews and Boyd Tinsley – presented Best Rap Video Janet Jackson – presented the Video Vanguard Award to Mark Romanek Naomi Campbell – introduced JamiroquaiDavid Arquette and Lisa Marie Presley – presented Viewer's ChoiceBlackstreet – presented Best Female Video Will Smith – presented Video of the Year 
