1999 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place on September 9, 1999, honored the best music videos released between June 13, 1998, and June 11, 1999. The ceremony was hosted by Chris Rock and held at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Lauryn Hill was the biggest winner of the night, earning four awards, including the prestigious Video of the Year for "Doo Wop (That Thing)", making it the first hip-hop video to win in that category. Ricky Martin won two competitive awards for "Livin’ la Vida Loca": Best Pop Video and Best Dance Video. In addition, he received three [MTV Video Music Award for International Viewer's Choice|International MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice|Viewer's Choice Awards], which were presented at the ceremony. Other notable winners included Korn, TLC, and Eminem.
Highlights of the show included Diana Ross jiggling Lil' Kim's exposed breast in response to her outfit, which left her entire left breast uncovered, but for a small pastie on her nipple. The mothers of slain rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace, came together to present the Best Rap Video Award. The Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz made a plea for peace in the wake of the sexual assaults at Woodstock '99. Near the end of the night, MTV staged a tribute to Madonna, the most-nominated artist in VMA history, by presenting a host of male drag performers dressed as the singer in her past music videos. Rapper DMX was scheduled to perform but was a no-show; as a result, Jay-Z's solo set was extended. Another moment of the ceremony was the debut of Britney Spears performing her debut single "...Baby One More Time", and then, NSYNC, performed their song "Tearin' Up My Heart".
As Backstreet Boys came up and accepted their award for Viewer's Choice, a stranger came onto the stage and said, "Wake up at 3". This person was later revealed to be John Del Signore, who crashed the ceremony in a failed attempt to sell Viacom a show idea.
The awards show featured a line-up of sponsors and cross-promotions, most notably with SEGA, as the date of the show also coincided with the launch of their Dreamcast game console.
Background
After scouting locations in both New York and Los Angeles, MTV announced in May that the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards would be held at New York's Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. Comedian Chris Rock was announced as the ceremony's host on June 30. Nominations were announced at a press conference hosted by Rock, Carson Daly, and Ricky Martin and held at Lincoln Center on July 28. For the first time, the ceremony was promoted with a "VMA Week" on Total Request Live, which would continue annually until that program's cancellation in 2008. The ceremony broadcast was preceded by the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards Opening Act. Hosted by Kurt Loder and Serena Altschul with reports from Chris Connelly, Carson Daly, Ananda Lewis, and John Norris, the broadcast featured red carpet interviews, a pre-taped interview with Trent Reznor, pre-taped features on Britney Spears' outfit selection and testing various singers' vocal ability to shatter glass, and performances from Smash Mouth and Blink-182.Presenters
Pre-show
- Chris Connelly and Ananda Lewis – announced the winners of the professional categories and presented Best R&B Video.
Main show
- Moby – DJed during the commercial breaks
- Janet Jackson – presented Best Dance Video
- Puff Daddy and Denise Richards – presented Best Group Video
- Tom Green – appeared in vignettes about Viewer's Choice voting procedures
- Wyclef Jean and Charlotte Church – presented Best New Artist in a Video
- David Bowie – introduced Lauryn Hill
- Will Smith – introduced Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace and presented Best Rap Video with them
- Carson Daly and Pamela Anderson – described balloting procedures, and introduced the Backstreet Boys
- Gavin Rossdale and Susan Sarandon – presented Best Female Video
- Christina Aguilera and Tommy Lee – presented Best Rock Video
- Janeane Garofalo and Method Man – presented Breakthrough Video
- Mark McGrath and Jennifer Lopez – presented Best Video From a Film
- Johnny Depp – introduced Nine Inch Nails
- Limp Bizkit and Heather Locklear – presented Best Pop Video
- Prince – introduced TLC
- Mira Sorvino and Freddie Prinze Jr. – presented Best Male Video
- Regis Philbin – introduced Fatboy Slim, Richard Koufey and the Torrance Community Dance Group
- Renée Zellweger and Jay Mohr – introduced the International Viewer's Choice Awards winners
- Stone Cold Steve Austin – introduced Jay-Z
- Buddy Hackett, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams – presented Best Direction in a Video
- Mary J. Blige and Lil' Kim – introduced Diana Ross and presented Best Hip-Hop Video with her
- Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Heidi Klum and Tim Robbins – presented Viewer's Choice
- Lars Ulrich – introduced Eminem
- Madonna – introduced Paul McCartney and presented Video of the Year with him