MTV presented Katy Perry with the Video Vanguard Award at this yearโs Video Music Awards, an honor made even more special by being presented by her longtime partner, Orlando Bloom.
Perry now joins a prestigious list of honorees, including Madonna, Britney Spears, Beyoncรฉ, and other legendary artists like David Bowieโthe first recipient of the award at the inaugural VMAs in 1984. In 1991, the network renamed the coveted award, which is not presented every year, to honor Michael Jackson, who received the Moon Person in 1988.
At the 36th annual VMAs, Missy Elliott made history as the first female rap artist to accept the Vanguard Award, while Shakira became the first South American artist to receive the honor at the 2023 ceremony.
From the first recipient to the most recent, hereโs a look at the history of past Video Vanguard Award winners.
1. David Bowie (1984)
Bowie took home the very first MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1984 at the inauguralย MTV Video Music Awards. The ceremony also included a special mention of The Beatles and director Richard Lester for their contributions to music videos over the years.
2. David Byrne (1985)
David Byrne took home the Vanguard Award in 1985. The former Talking Heads frontman shared the honor with rock duo Godley & Creme as well as Russell Mulcahy, who notably directed โVideo Killed the Radio Star.โ
3. Madonna (1986)
Madonna made history as the first woman to take home a Vanguard Award in 1986. The singer shared the honor with music video director Zbigniew Rybczyลski.
4. Peter Gabriel (1987)
Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel was honored with the award in 1987 alongside British director Julien Temple, who contributed to various music videos by David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and the Sex Pistols.
5. Michael Jackson (1988)
Jackson was the winner of the Vanguard Award in 1988, a year after the release of his seventh studio album Bad.
6. George Michael (1989)
7. Janet Jackson (1990)
Janet Jackson was awarded the Vanguard Award in 1990 at just 24 years old. She remains the youngest person to ever receive the honor.
8. Bon Jovi (1991)
In 1991,ย Bon Joviย took home the award alongside Wayne Isham, who directed a handful of the bandโs notable music videos.
9. Guns Nโ Roses (1992)
10. The Rolling Stones (1994)
The Rolling Stones took home the Vanguard Award in 1994, sharing the honor with Tom Petty.
11. R.E.M (1995)
12. LL Cool J (1997)
In 1997,ย LL Cool Jย became the first hip-hop artist to take home a Vanguard Award. He shared the honor with director Mark Romenek, who notably directed Janet and Michael Jacksonโs video for โScream.โ
13. Beastie Boys (1998)
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers (2000)
15. U2 (2001)
16. Duran Duran (2003)
17. Hype Williams (2006)
18. Brittany Spears (2011)
19. Justin Timberlake (2013)
Justin Timberlake was joined by his former *NSYNC bandmatesย andย friend Jimmy Fallonย as he accepted the award.
20. Beyoncรฉ (2014)
Beyoncรฉ was presented the 2014 Vanguard Award byย her husband Jay-Zย and daughter Blue Ivy.
21. Kanye West (2015)
22. Rihanna (2016)
23. Pink (2017)
24. Jennifer Lopez (2018)
Jennifer Lopezย took home the Vanguard Award in 2018, making her theย very first Latin artist to receive the honor.