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“2021 MTV EMAs” CELEBRATES MUSIC FOR ALL AROUND THE WORLD

ED SHEERAN WON “BEST ARTIST” AND “BEST SONG;” 

LIL NAS X AWARDED “BEST VIDEO;” BTS SNAGGED MOST AWARDS INCLUDING “BEST POP” AND “BEST GROUP” AND MTV RECOGNIZED FIVE CHANGEMAKERS FIGHTING FOR LOVE AND EQUALITY   

 HOSTED BY RAP SUPERSTAR SAWEETIE, THE GLOBAL MUSIC EVENT FEATURED SHOW-STOPPING PERFORMANCES BY ED SHEERAN, IMAGINE DRAGONS, MALUMA, MÅNESKIN, YUNGBLUD, KIM PETRAS   

SOCIAL TAGS: #MTVEMA @MTVEMA NEW YORK/LONDON — NOV. 14, 2021 — The “2021 MTV EMAs” returned live from the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna in Hungary with a global celebration of music for ALL.  The epic event, which aired on MTV in 180 countries, featured electrifying performances from today’s hottest stars and honored some of the world’s biggest artists while also celebrating music, love and equality.     

Ed Sheeran took “Best Artist” and “Best Song” for “Bad Habits.” Lil Nas X was awarded “Best Video” for “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),”and BTS snagged the most awards with four including “Best Pop,” “Best K-Pop,” “Best Group,” and “Biggest Fans.”    

 First-time EMA winners Måneskin took home “Best Rock,” while show host and performer Saweetie won “Best New.” Nicki Minaj earned a top award with “Best Hip-Hop,” Olivia Rodrigo was awarded “Best Push,” Maluma won “Best Latin,” and YUNGBLUD snagged the award for “Best Alternative.”   The “Best Collaboration” award went to Doja Cat ft. SZA for “Kiss Me More,” while David Guetta nabbed “Best Electronic,” and Billie Eilish was honored with “Video for Good.”   

Deriving inspiration from the host city’s popular thermal spas and the Danube River, which runs through Budapest, the show was surrounded by water with stages that appeared to be floating.   Grammy Award-winning global superstar Ed Sheeran, who earned top awards for “Best Artist,” and “Best Song,” opened the night surrounded by neon graffiti to perform a lively rendition of his latest single, “Overpass Graffiti.” Later in the show, the British singer-songwriter performed his chart-topping hit “Shivers.”   

“Best New” award recipient and EMA host Saweetie brought the fashion and the funny with unforgettable show moments including basking by a pool with champagne in a palm tree-lined oasis, interacting with Squid Games-inspired soldiers in hot pink suits and MTV-branded masks, chatting virtually with friend and Brazilian singer Anitta, and riding a skateboard. Descending from the sky in a glittery snowflake, she also performed a medley of her hits “Best Friend,” “Tap In” and “OUT OUT.”    

Global Latin superstar Maluma and “Best Latin” winner brought the heat for the world premiere performance of his new single “MAMA TETEMA.” Tanzanian singer Rayvanny and a team of dancers joined him on stage for the high-energy performance set in a club and featuring rain.     

Imagine Dragons returned to the EMAs for the debut of their new single “Enemy.” Immersed in a flood of laser lights, the best-selling rock band rocked the stage alongside Grammy-nominated rapper and artist J.I.D and a squad of dancers.      

With a giant “MAMMAMIA” sign shooting off pyrotechnics, first-time EMA performers and “Best Rock” winners Måneskin lit up the stage with a rousing rendition of their hit single “MAMMAMIA.” The Italian rock band was donned in black and gold with lead singer Damiano David sporting a glittery pair of leather briefs.   

Kim Petras made her EMAs debut and EMAs history as the first trans artist to perform at the show. With a giant coconut on the stage and clad in a green latex dress with a black bodysuit underneath, the international pop star brought the sexy and the camp with a medley of two new unreleased songs, “Coconuts,” and “Hit It From The Back.”  British rising star Griff made her EMA debut performing “One Night” with a shadow dancer and dancer dressed in a mirror ensemble.    

 Norwegian, indie pop musician, and MTV PUSH artist, girl in red made her EMA debut performing her hit single “Serotonin” from her internationally charting debut album, if i could make it go quiet. Initially performing inside a grey house, the beanie-wearing artist went out to get closer to the crowd before the house lifted into the air off the stage.  

World Stage headliners OneRepublic performed a lively rendition of their single “Run” in front of a sold-out crowd at Heroes Square in Budapest complete with a fireworks finale.  

 Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and “Best Alternative” award winner YUNGBLUD closed the night with a high-octane, pyrotechnics-filled performance of his latest single “fleabag.” During the electrifying show, people fell from the sky, and the stage was trashed by the performer who at one point kissed his bass player.  The show also featured special appearances by international pop star Rita Ora, supermodel Winnie Harlow, international musician and producer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre, international singer-songwriter and actor Olly Alexander (Years & Years), international DJ and producer Joel Corry, and Brazilian star and singer Manu Gavassi.    

For the first time, the “MTV EMA Generation Change Award” winners were recognized during the EMAs main show. This year’s honorees are five young changemakers who are furthering equality and love while fighting against anti-LGBTQ+ policies.  Actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore honored the recipients via a taped piece where she spoke about equality.  

The winners are Amir Ashour (Iraq), founder and chair of the board of IraQueer; Matthew Blaise (Nigeria) a non-binary and openly gay activist and founder of The Oasis Project, which supports queer people in Nigeria; Sage Dolan-Sandrino (United States) an Afro-Cuban queer and trans woman and the founder of a creative studio and digital magazine, the TEAM Mag; Erika Hilton (Brazil) the first Black trans woman ever elected in São Paulo, Brazil, and Viktória Radványi (Hungary) a board member of Budapest Pride, Hungary’s first feminist and anti-racist LGBTQ+ NGO, who appeared on stage to accept the award on behalf of the winners, creating a powerful moment of solidarity with the global LGBTQ+ community. The “MTV EMA Generation Change Award” is a part of an expanded partnership between MTV Entertainment (MTVE), a division of ViacomCBS, and All Out, the leading global LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and part of ViacomCBS’ Content for Change initiative.        

Additionally, MTV celebrated all the local EMA winners from different regions around the globe from Spain to Latin America, to Hungary and Africa.

FULL LIST OF “2021 MTV EMA” WINNERS *indicates winner   

Best Artist       

Doja Cat            

Ed Sheeran*   

Justin Bieber 

Lady Gaga  

 Lil Nas X  The Weeknd   

Best Pop           

BTS* 

Doja Cat 

Dua Lipa 

Ed Sheeran 

Justin Bieber 

Olivia Rodrigo   

Best Song  

Doja Cat ft. SZA - Kiss Me More 

Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits* 

Justin Bieber - Peaches ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon  

Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)  

Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license   

The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber – STAY    

Best Video      

Doja Cat ft. SZA - Kiss Me More 

Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits  

Justin Bieber - Peaches ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon  

Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)* 

Normani ft. Cardi B - Wild Side  

Taylor Swift – willow      

Best Collaboration  

 Black Eyed Peas, Shakira - GIRL LIKE ME  

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open  

Doja Cat ft. SZA - Kiss Me More* 

Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow - INDUSTRY BABY  

The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber – STAY  

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande - Save Your Tears (Remix)     

Best New  Giveon Griff  Olivia Rodrigo  

Rauw Alejandro  Saweetie* The Kid LAROI     

Best Electronic  

Calvin Harris  

David Guetta*  

Joel Corry  

Marshmello  

Skrillex  

Swedish House Mafia      

Best Rock  

Coldplay  

Foo Fighters  

Imagine Dragons  

Kings Of Leon 

Måneskin* 

The Killers    

Best Alternative  

Halsey  

Lorde  

Machine Gun Kelly  

Twenty One Pilots  

WILLOW  

YUNGBLUD*  

Best Latin 

Bad Bunny  

J. Balvin  

Maluma*  

Rauw 

Alejandro  

Rosalía  

Shakira   

Best Hip Hop  

Cardi B 

DJ Khaled  

Drake 

Kanye West  

Megan Thee Stallion  

Nicki Minaj*   

Best K-Pop  

BTS* 

LISA Monsta X  

NCT 127  

ROSÉ TWICE    

Best Group  

BTS*  

Imagine Dragons  

Jonas Brothers 

Little Mix 

Måneskin  

Silk Sonic    

Best Push 

24KGoldn 

Fousheé 

girl in red  

Griff  

JC Stewart  

JXDN Latto  

Madison Beer  

Olivia Rodrigo*  

Remi Wolf  

SAINt JHN  

The Kid LAROI      

Biggest Fans 

Ariana Grande 

BLACKPINK  

BTS* 

Justin Bieber 

Lady Gaga 

Taylor Swift 

Video for Good 

Billie Eilish - Your Power* 

Demi Lovato - Dancing With The Devil  

girl in red – Serotonin  

H.E.R. - Fight For You  

Harry Styles - Treat People With Kindness  

Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)      

MTV EMA Generation Change Award 

Amir Ashour

Matthew Blaise 

Sage Dolan-Sandrino 

Erika Hilton 

Viktória Radványi 


For artwork, press assets and further information please visit press.mtvema.com. 

To stay in tune with all things EMA, follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook and follow the social conversation using #MTVEMA @MTVEMA.    

ABOUT THE “2021 MTV EMAs” The MTV EMAs 2021 will broadcast across the globe on November 14th with a celebration of “Music for ALL.” One of the biggest global music awards shows of the year that celebrates the hottest artists from around the world, the MTV EMAs bring music fans a unique, multi-platform experience across MTV’s global network in 180 countries. Follow @MTVEMA on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, and join the conversation with #MTVEMA. Bruce Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are Executive Producers. Debbie Phillips and Chloe Mason are Producers.     For artwork, press assets and further information please visit press.mtvema.com. **Check local listings.