| 1984 MTV Video Music Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | Friday, September 14, 1984 |
| Location | Radio City Music Hall, New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Hosted by | Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler |
| Most awards | Herbie Hancock (5) |
| Most nominations | Cyndi Lauper (9) |
| Website | mtv.com/vma/1984 |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | MTV |
| Produced by | Don Ohlmeyer Bob Pittman Edd Griles |
| Directed by | Edd Griles |
The 1984 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 14, 1984. The inaugural ceremony honored the best music videos released between May 2, 1983 and May 2, 1984, and was hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[1][2]
Herbie Hancock was the show's most-awarded artist, taking home five awards, followed by Michael Jackson, who won three.[3] The main award, Video of the Year, went to The Cars for "You Might Think".[4] This was the first instance of only a few in the show's history where the video of the year did not win any other awards. Hancock's "Rockit" and The Police's "Every Breath You Take" were the most-nominated videos, receiving eight nominations apiece.[5][6] Cyndi Lauper was the most-nominated artist of the night, with nine overall for two of her videos: six for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", which eventually won the Moonman for Best Female Video, and three for "Time After Time".[6][7]
Other major nominees included Jackson and The Cars, both of whom received six nominations each for their videos "Thriller" and "You Might Think" respectively;[8][6] ZZ Top, who received six nominations among their videos for "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Gimme All Your Lovin'";[6] and Billy Idol, who garnered five nominations for "Dancing with Myself" and "Eyes Without a Face".[7] Lastly, David Bowie earned four nominations for his "China Girl" and "Modern Love" videos,[6] and was also one of the honorees for the Video Vanguard award.[4]
- ^ Dessem, Matthew (August 27, 2019). ""Coronation Ceremonies for the Goon Generation": Here's How Critics Reviewed the First MTV Video Music Awards". Slate. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
After all, the only videos eligible were those that had played on MTV between May 2, 1983 and May 2, 1984.
- ^ Edelstein, Andy (August 12, 2016). "MTV VMAs first show in 1984: A look back". Newsday. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Higgins, Bill (August 23, 2013). "MTV Execs Remember the First VMAs". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Sanchez, Omar (August 15, 2018). "Hollywood Flashback: Madonna Rolled Around Onstage, The Cars Topped Michael Jackson at First VMAs". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Wendell, Eric (2018). "Chapter 7: A Video Star Is Born". Experiencing Herbie Hancock: A Listener's Companion. United States: Rowman & Littlefield (published August 10, 2018). p. 128. ISBN 9781442258389. Retrieved October 8, 2020 – via Google Books.
Later that year, "Rockit" was nominated for eight awards at the first annual MTV Video Music Awards, ultimately winning five including Best Concept Video and Most Experimental Video.
- ^ a b c d e Spotnitz, Frank (August 12, 2016). "The first annual MTV Music Awards opened in Radio..." UPI. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Stern, Claire (August 26, 2016). "#FlashbackFriday: See What the Stars Wore to the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards". InStyle. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Mantzouranis, Tom (August 28, 2015). "The Inside Story Of How The First MTV VMAs Created A Tradition Of Making Censors Sweat". UPROXX. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.