MTV Awards honor diversity, inclusion
This year’s show recognized stars on the big, small screens and it dropped gender-specific categories
As the kids say, Sunday’s MTV Awards celebrated ALL THE THINGS.
The inaugural MTV Movie & TV Awards in Los Angeles, hosted by Adam Devine, had a theme of inclusivity: It honored stars on the big and small screen; it put actors of all genders in the same categories; it had winners speaking about diversity; it featured a laundry list of cuss words and it saw weather of all kinds.
The MTV event’s preshow concert had sun, then rain and then a hailstorm that forced an early carpet evacuation. Guests sought refuge in a parking garage before the sky stopped falling long enough to get into the Shrine Auditorium before it started. Once everyone was settled inside, it was time for musical performances, movie clips and a mix of winners to claim their Golden Popcorns. (As for the bad words, “dong,” “a--,” “balls,” “wiener,” “areola” and a few bleeped words all were uttered into the mike.) Among those honored were:
GENDER-NEUTRAL PROPS
Beauty and the Beast star Emma Watson was the best actor in a movie, winning in a category that also included men. “The first acting award in history that doesn’t separate based on sex, to me it indicates the ability to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, and that doesn’t need to be separated in two different categories,” said Watson, graciously accepting the award. She also addressed her presenter, Billions star and nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillon. “Thank you for educating me in such an inclusive, patient and loving way,” she told Dillon.
THOSE INSPIRING CHANGE
MTV updated its “best fight” award to instead honor the “best fight against the system,” an accolade that went to Hidden Figures.
“This movie was bigger than all of us. We understood that, we understood the task at hand. We understood that this is a part of history that needed to be reimplemented into the blood and veins of American history,” said Taraji P. Henson, who was handed the award by Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross and Rep. Maxine Waters of California. “No one ever told me that girls couldn’t do math and science, but there was an understanding. There was an understanding that it was for boys. … It became my mission, and everyone’s mission who was involved with this film, to dispel that myth.”
UNCONVENTIONAL KISSERS
The fan-favorite best kiss award went to Moonlight duo Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome, the two African-American stars who kiss on the beach in the Oscarwinning movie. “This award is bigger than Jharrell and I,” Sanders said. “This represents more than a kiss. This is for those that feel like the others, the misfits. This represents us.”
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The tale as old as time took home movie of the year and best actor honors (for Watson). “I’m proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity and inclusion,” said Watson. Beauty and the Beast also was the theme of Devine’s opening number that had him dressed as Beast, dancing with Belle (Hailee Steinfeld) and singing with Mrs. Potts (Rebel Wilson). Beast star Josh Gad also made a reluctant appearance, singing a song about X-Men hero Logan to the tune of Gaston.
VARIETY IN WINNERS AND ATTENDEES
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown cried while accepting a best actor in a show award, then was joined by her co-stars for show of the year. The youngsters thanked their producers, director, MTV, the fans, Netflix and, naturally, their parents. “Without them, we literally wouldn’t be there,” said Gaten Matarazzo.
Fate of the Furious star Vin Diesel, who’s done his fair share of onstage emoting at MTV shows, joined his “family” onstage (Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson and Michelle Rodriguez) to say thank you for the generation award bestowed on his film franchise. “In 2002, I was standing on this stage and MTV had given Paul Walker and I an award for best duo,” said Diesel, thanking his late friend “Pablo.” “I gotta thank our generation (for) accepting a multicultural film.”
Among the other winners were Logan’s Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen for best duo, The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah for best host, Blackish for best American story, Get Out stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lil Rel Howery for next generation and comedic performance (respectively) and This Is Us pair Milo Ventimiglia and Lonnie Chavis for best tearjerker.