The MTV VMAs are not a subtle awards show. The network has brought us some of the most spectacular, over the top, memorable music performances and awards show moments on television, since their launch way back in 1984.
For the first 20 years of the event, they stuck to handing out Moonmen to artists for very straightforward categories like Video of the Year, Best New Artist in a Video, Best Direction in a Video and so on. They wanted to be legit, like the Oscars and the Grammys. But in 2005, something shifted.
Maybe it was the hurricane that hit the show that year, it's second year in Miami. Maybe it was the rapidly shifting evolution of digital culture encroaching on how we consumed music. Or maybe the producers were just feeling frisky. But that year ushered in a 10-year streak of the show introducing new categories of awards, some of which so quickly became irrelevant that they lasted for only one year (Best Ringtone, we mean you).
Click through for a list of the strangest awards for which the VMAs have given out Moonmen.
Best Video Game Soundtrack, 2005
Winner: Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (Konami)
Video games are not music videos, MTV. Their soundtracks certainly deserve an award...but from the video game industry. Stay in your lane.
Best Video Game Score, 2006
Winner: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Composer: Jeremy Soule)
Slight tweak to the award name, from soundtrack to score, as you can see but what do the VMAs know about scores? There is a reason they don't give out film or TV score awards. They should probably apply the same logic to video games.
Ringtone of the Year, 2006
Winner: Fort Minor (featuring Holly Brook) – "Where'd You Go"
Ah, remember when we used to pay for songs as ringtones? That was fun.
Quadruple Threat of the Year, 2007
Winner: Justin Timberlake
This category was clearly invented to find a way to give JT an award for his new feature film acting career. They might not have gotten him to the show otherwise and he was on the way to becoming one of the biggest of stars.
Photo: Jim Smeal/BEI/REX/Shutterstock.Most Earthshattering Collaboration, 2007
Winner: Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar"
This is a nonsense award that has no meaning. Also we could argue that this also wasn't even the most earth-shattering collaboration nominated.
Monster Single of the Year, 2007
Winner: Rihanna (featuring Jay Z) — "Umbrella"
What exactly are the criteria for being a "monster single of the year" and what does it have to do with making a good music video? Just give "Umbrella" all the video awards, it was good enough without this extra-extra.
Best U.K. Video, 2008
Winner: The Ting Tings — "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
Who decided that the U.K. randomly needed their own video award, for one year only? Arbitrary.
Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman), 2009
Winner: Beastie Boys — "Sabotage"
This award was meant to rectify old wrongs, giving a Moonman to a video that should have won in the past but was denied. It's a nice thought, but it would have been nicer if they'd done it for more than one year.
Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video, 2009
Winner: Nerds in Disguise — "My Own Worst Enemy"
Is there even a doubt in anyone's mind that this was a category created for a sponsor and to big up Rock Band, which MTV had recently acquired? Okay, thanks. Back to the music videos?
Most Share-Worthy Video, 2012
Winner: One Direction — "What Makes You Beautiful"
That thing where you have to make up a category that One Direction's rabid fans can vote for to get them onto the show.
Best Song of the Summer, 2013
Winner: One Direction — "Best Song Ever"
1) Song of the summer is not a music video. 2) See #1.
MTV Clubland Award, 2014
Winner: Zedd (featuring Hayley Williams) — "Stay the Night"
The award formerly known as best Electronic Dance Music Video, formerly known as Best Dance Video, renamed for an MTV online franchise that no longer exists. Thanks.
Best Lyric Video, 2014
Winner: 5 Seconds of Summer — "Don't Stop"
Lyric videos did get really good around this time, but this award, like the 1D awards before it, was made up to have a category for 5SOS's rabid fans to vote in. We question it's legitimacy.
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