Rihanna receiving MTV VMAs’ top honor: Here’s why it makes sense

Only MTV would consider giving its top career achievement award to Rihanna, who, at 28, is the same age as many just starting out.
Of course, the MTV Video Music Awards are nothing if not unconventional.

The awards show, which takes over Madison Square Garden for the first time on Aug. 28, has always been better known for Miley Cyrus introducing twerking to the American mainstream or Madonna sharing a full-on kiss with Britney Spears than for who won what award.
So, in a way, honoring Rihanna with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award simply continues the tone the VMAs have always set.


“The Video Vanguard is about a body of work, but it doesn’t have to be at the culmination of one’s career,” explains Garrett English, executive producer of the show and MTV’s senior vice president of programming, events and live production. “It’s about the scope of her career, and the scope of her impact is massive.”

Though plans for her performance remain under wraps, Rihanna tweeted that she was honored to receive the award. English says Rihanna may be taking inspiration from Justin Timberlake’s tightly scripted, 15-minute career retrospective that he delivered with no breaks at Barclays Center in 2013.