A night to cherish for The Weeknd
PRIZES: Singer scores triple win at Much Music Video Awards
Not only does sex sell but it cleaned up too at this year’s Much Music Video Awards.
Two steamy videos by R&B singer The Weeknd helped the 25-year-old land the most hardware at Sunday night’s MMVAs.
The Weeknd — real name Abel Tesfaye — won buzzworthy Canadian and video of the year for the sexually charged song, Often — a clip that also picked up best director for Sam Pilling — while an even racier tune, Earned It, from the BDSM flick 50 Shades of Grey, won best pop video.
“I want to thank the great Sam Taylor Johnson for directing such a beautiful video,” said The Weeknd while accepting for Earned It which he later performed as a medley with his current hit The Hills.
MMVAs co-host and British singersongwriter Ed Sheeran was the evening’s only other multiple winner, taking home best international artist and most buzzworthy international artist but it was his onstage banter that may have raised some eyebrows.
He joked of presenter/model Gigi Hadid: “13-year-old boys like to look at her and pleasure themselves,” and told her he didn’t show up for Taylor Swift’s all-star female video for Bad Blood because, “I hadn’t had my period.”
But the biggest surprise of the night came when Montreal-born, Torontobased rapper P Reign won for best hip-hop video for the Drizzy-codirected DnF featuring fellow hometown boy Drake and U.S. import Future. Drake come out on stage in a grey sweatshirt and shorts to give the award to P Reign.
“I never planned this, I had no idea this was going to happen, my brother Drizzy, Drake, that’s my brother for life,” said P Reign. Other notable winners were Toronto R& B duo Magid Jordan for best MuchFact video for Forever; Pickering, Ont., singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes for fan fave video for Something Big; and Montreal group Arcade Fire’s controversial We Exist clip starring Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield as a man struggling with his gender identity won best rock/alternative video.
Justin Bieber’s recent image makeover also appeared to work for the singer who won fan fave artist while the Zayn Malik-less British boy band One Direction took home fan fave international group.
Staged at Much headquarters in T.O. and spilling out onto the surrounding streets where thousands gathered to watch the red carpet arrivals and awards handed out, the MMVAs had a pretty ho-hum opening with Fall Out Boy performing Uma Thurman and Carly Rae Jepsen doing I Really, Really, Really Like You.
Sheeran was a vast improvement with his version of Photograph performed with a band including a string quartet — he usually performs solo — as was vocal powerhouse Tori Kelly on just her acoustic guitar singing Nobody Love.
Another rising Canadian singersongwriter, Scott Helman, also did justice to his tune, Bungalow.
Other performers included Mendes, Jo Bro-of-one Nick Jonas, R& B singer Jason DeRulo, dance artist Mia Martina featuring American rapper Waka Flocka and YouTube sensations Walk Off the Earth. For a complete list of MMVA winners go to much.com.
“I want to thank ... Sam Taylor Johnson for directing such a beautiful video”
— The Weeknd