2009 MTV Video Music Awards

In the 2009 Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift won Best Female video. During her acceptance speech, Kanye West appeared on stage. He took the microphone from Swift and said that he was happy for her, "but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time." Because MTV cut away... Read More

In the 2009 Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift won Best Female video. During her acceptance speech, Kanye West appeared on stage. He took the microphone from Swift and said that he was happy for her, "but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time." Because MTV cut away from the stage after West gave the microphone back to Swift, she could not finish her speech. When Beyoncé won Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," she called Swift to the stage to "have her moment." In an off-the-record portion of an interview the following day, President Barack Obama called West "a jackass" for his antics. During a post-interview, Jay-Z admitted West was wrong to go on stage, but he thought people were overreacting to the incident.
Madonna opened the show talking about her experiences with Michael Jackson. After her speech, a Michael Jackson tribute commenced, including Janet Jackson performing the duet "Scream". The show closed with a sneak preview of Michael Jackson. See Less