1994 MTV Video Music Awards


The 1994 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 8, 1994, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1993, to June 15, 1994. The show was hosted by Roseanne Barr at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and this would be the last time there was a female host for the VMAs until Chelsea Handler hosted in 2010. Kurt Cobain, frontman of grunge band Nirvana, was honored this night after his death on April 5.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley opened the show by Michael giving a speech. They ended it by taking a long kiss in front of everyone. In another notable moment, David Letterman escorted Madonna onto the stage and told the singer to watch her language, poking fun at Madonna's controversial appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman five months earlier.
R.E.M. was, for the second time in their careers, the biggest winner of the night, taking home four technical awards for their video "Everybody Hurts." Closely following were hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa and rock band Aerosmith, both of which earned three moonmen that night. Aerosmith's video for Cryin', in fact, won the two main awards of the night, Video of the Year and Viewer's Choice, making it the second video in VMA history to achieve this feat. This would also be the last time that the nominees for Viewer's Choice were the same as those for Video of the Year, as MTV discontinued this rule the next year.
In terms of nominations, meanwhile, Aerosmith was the night's biggest nominee, earning a total of nine nominations for two of their videos: "Cryin'" received four general nominations, while "Amazing" earned five professional ones. Right behind them were R.E.M., whose video for "Everybody Hurts" was the night's most nominated video with seven nominations, and newcomer Björk, who received six nominations for "Human Behaviour."

Winners and nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

Aerosmith – "Cryin'"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – "Mary Jane's Last Dance"
Janet Jackson – "If"
Aerosmith – "Cryin'"
Counting Crows – "Mr. Jones"
Soundgarden – "Black Hole Sun"
Salt-n-Pepa with En Vogue – "Whatta Man"
Snoop Doggy Dogg – "Doggy Dogg World"
Salt-n-Pepa with En Vogue – "Whatta Man"
Nirvana – "Heart-Shaped Box"
Bruce Springsteen – "Streets of Philadelphia"
R.E.M. – "Everybody Hurts"
R.E.M. – "Everybody Hurts"
Salt-n-Pepa with En Vogue – "Whatta Man"
Peter Gabriel – "Kiss That Frog"
Nirvana – "Heart-Shaped Box"
R.E.M. – "Everybody Hurts"
R.E.M. – "Everybody Hurts"
Aerosmith – "Cryin'"

[MTV Brasil]

Sepultura – "Territory"
Take That – "Babe"
Hide – "Eyes Love You"
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – "El Matador"
Tom Petty

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Rolling Stones

Performances