DUBAI: The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards took place on Sunday evening, making it the first IRL event to take place in New York since the pandemic began in early spring. Hosted by Keke Palmer, the annual awards ceremony, which honored the best of music in 2020, was originally set to take place at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn but was held in coronavirus-proof outdoor arenas across New York City instead.
To curb the spread of the infectious disease, the socially-distanced event was audience-free, and most of the performances were pre-recorded. However, there were physical red carpets, and stars posed for the step and repeat ahead of the evening’s airing. Naturally, the evening’s guests brought their fashion A-game, rocking glamorous ensembles that were a glitzy departure from the WFH outfits we’ve gotten so accustomed to seeing over the past few months. We even spotted an Arab label on the red carpet, courtesy of Albanian-American singer Bebe Rexha.
The hitmaker, who turned 31 on Sunday, celebrated her special day as a presenter for the coveted Video of the Year award. Before hitting the stage to announce the night’s big winner, she stepped out on the red carpet wearing a faux leather blazer dress from Lionne Clothing. The ensemble featured a plunging neckline and split sides. She paired the look with black biker shorts and the Silver Pill clutch from Kuwaiti, Beirut-based accessories label Marzook, which was co-founded by sibling duo Fahad and Shouq Al-Marzook in 2014.
The “Say My Name” singer clearly couldn't contain her excitement on Instagram, captioning a photo spread of her VMA look with: “OMG the @mtv @vmas are today!!! Don’t miss them!! So excited to be presenting Video Of The Year on my birthday!!! Don’t miss it! Xoxo (sic)”
Up for the prize were some industry veterans like Eminem for “Godzilla” and Drake featured on Future’s “Life Is Good,” along with Taylor Swift for “The Man.”
However, it was Canadian singer The Weeknd who ultimately reigned supreme, taking home the prestigious award for his music video for “Blinding Lights.”
