In her acceptance speech, the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper called for mental health to be taken more seriously, “even for the people who you think have the perfect lives.”
On Sunday night, Nicki Minaj received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at MTV’s 2022 Video Music Awards.
This marked the rapper’s first onstage performance since 2018 and her seventh performance on the VMA stage.
A 17-time VMA nominee and five-time winner, Minaj won her first VMA, for best hip-hop video, in 2011. This year, she was nominated in the same category for her collaboration with Lil Baby, “Do We Have a Problem.”
The rapper began her performance in a Nicki-themed Barbie box, followed by a medley of her greatest hits over the years, including “Roman’s Revenge,” “Bees in the Trap,” “Chun-Li,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Super Bass” and “Anaconda.” Dressed in her signature pink wig, Minaj closed out her performance with a live rendition of her newly released single, “Super Freaky Girl.”
Following the performance, five members of Nicki Minaj’s fan base, known as The Barbz, took the stage. Calling her the “reigning queen of hip-hop,” the group presented Minaj with her Video Vanguard Award.
“I never ever in my life have written a speech and today I jotted something down on my phone,” Minaj began. Although she did not have her phone initially, she later received it from personnel off-stage. Minaj thanked “key people that inspired” her, including Lil Wayne, Foxy Brown, Lauren Hill, Jay-Z, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. She also thanked “people who gave [her] huge opportunities that [she’ll] never forget,” such as Kanye West, Beyoncé, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Eminem and Rihanna.
“I have to thank Drizzy for always saying the things I need to hear to get back in the game,” Minaj shouted out to fellow rapper and close friend Drake, along with her “whole Young Money family.”
She continued, “I wish Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. I wish people understood what they meant and were going through. I wish people took mental health seriously, even for the people who you think have perfect lives. I wish Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD and Nipsey Hussle were here.”
Minaj went on to thank “all the artist’s producers and writers who have contributed to any of my projects,” and “the people who allowed me to feature on their work.” In thanking her devoted Barbz fan base, Minaj also shouted out her son, nicknamed Papa Bear, whom she welcomed in 2020 with husband Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. “You guys are my babies but I have a new baby. His name is Papa Bear. Papa Bear, I love you so much, Mommy loves you so, so, so, so much.”
Previous Vanguard Award recipients include Madonna, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott.
Video of the year
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was“ – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Artist of the year
WINNER: Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Drake – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Lil Nas X – Columbia Records
Lizzo – Atlantic Records
Song of the year
Adele – “Easy on Me” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay” – Columbia Records
Best new artist
WINNER: Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
Måneskin – Arista Records
Seventeen – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Push performance of the year
September 2021: Griff – “One Night” – Warner Records
October 2021: Remi Wolf – “Sexy Villain” – Island Records
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – Warner Records
WINNER: December 2021: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
January 2021: Mae Muller – “Better Days” – Capitol Records UK
February 2022: GAYLE – “abcdefu” – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
March 2022: Sheneesa – “R U That” – Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records
April 2022: Omar Apollo – “Tamagotchi” – Warner Records
May 2022: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Domino Recording Company
June 2022: Muni Long – “Baby Boo” – Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording
July 2022: Doechii – “Persuasive” – Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
Best Collaboration
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Post Malone & The Weeknd – “One Right Now” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd – “LA FAMA” – Columbia Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best pop
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor” – Geffen Records
Best hip-hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U” – Freebandz / Epic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “Big Energy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Pusha T – “Diet Coke” – G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
Best rock
Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young” – RCA Records
Jack White – “Taking Me Back” – Third Man Records
Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” – Warner Records
WINNER: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records
Shinedown – “Planet Zero” – Elektra Music Group
Three Days Grace – “So Called Life” – RCA Records
Best alternative
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – “Love It When You Hate Me” – Elektra Music Group / DTA Records
Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – “emo girl” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records
WINNER: Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records
Panic! At The Disco – “Viva Las Vengeance” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots – “Saturday” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – “G R O W” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records
Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó” – Rimas Entertainment
Becky G X KAROL G – “MAMIII” – Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records
Daddy Yankee – “REMIX” – Republic Records
Farruko – “Pepas” – Sony Music US Latin
J Balvin & Skrillex – “In Da Getto” – Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “City of Gods (Part II)” – AKW
Chlöe – “Have Mercy” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
H.E.R. – “For Anyone” – RCA Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – “No Love (Extended Version)” – LVRN / Interscope Records
WINNER: The Weeknd – “Out of Time” – XO / Republic Records
Best K-pop
BTS – “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
ITZY – “LOCO” – JYP Entertainment
WINNER: LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
SEVENTEEN – “HOT” – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “MANIAC” – JYP Entertainment
TWICE – “The Feels” – JYP Entertainment
Video for good
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “P*ssy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Rina Sawayama – “This Hell” – Dirty Hit
Stromae – ”Fils de joie” – Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
Best metaverse performance
WINNER: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
BTS | Minecraft – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
Charli XCX | Roblox – Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave – Def Jam
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite – Republic Records
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Best longform video
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Foo Fighters – Studio 666 – RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Madonna – Madame X – Interscope Records
Olivia Rodrigo – driving home 2 u – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam” – Epic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best art direction
Adele – “Oh My God” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO / Republic Records
Kacey Musgraves – “simple times” – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Best visual effects
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay X BTS – “My Universe” – Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best choreography
BTS – “Permission to Dance” – BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records
WINNER: Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – “Tears In The Club” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Best editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records
Group of the year
BLACKPINK
WINNER: BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic
Song of the summer
Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
Beyoncé – “Break My Soul”
Charlie Puth – “Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)”
Doja Cat – “Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)”
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “Wait For U”
Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking”
WINNER: Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Kane Brown – “Grand”
Latto x Mariah Carey – “Big Energy (Remix) ft. DJ Khaled”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
Marshmello x Khalid – “Numb”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Nicky Youre, dazy – “Sunroof”
Post Malone with Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Rosalía – “Bizcochito”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
Album of the year
Adele – 30
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
WINNER: Harry Styles – Harry’s House