Rihanna and Taylor Swift Rule the VMAs: MTV Video Music Awards Winners

Culture

It's time to get excited because tonight are the annual and amazing MTV Video Music Awards. With dozens of trippy moonman awards to be given out, and a near 30-year tradition to honor, the evening will be a who's who of pop star royalty. Get fired up for performances by the heart-throbs of One Direction, newly-minted Republican Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift (who will showcase a performance debut of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"). Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are set to open the show at 8 p.m. EST.

And your host for the evening? None other than comedian Kevin Hart. Last year the ceremony pulled in 12.4 million views. This year, MTV goes up against the DNC, and while Obama's speech isn't happening until the VMA's are officially over (so don't worry you can watch both!), let's see what kind of numbers MTV can get this time. 

The festivities get started off at 7 p.m. EST with a pre-show hosted by Demi Lovato. And, if the rumors are true, viewers may be treated to a secret appearance by none other than Justin Bieber. Other stars on the bill include Robert Pattinson, Frank Ocean, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry ... the list is awesome and endless. 

PolicyMic will be following the MTV VMA's live. Bookmark and refresh this page for all the most recent updates and full analysis.

UPDATE:

10:03 PM: 

That's it folks! Good night everybody. Awesome show. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

10:01 PM: Loving the TSwift sing-a-long. Here's the video for "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." 

9:58 PM: Taylor Swift. #CrushingIt

9:55 PM: Video of the year! It's Rihanna. Brush your shoulders off girl.

9:53 PM: Trouble with the Curve! How amazing does that movie look? I kind of want Justin Timberlake to perform...the '90's sigh. 

9:48 PM: Ok this is my new favorite performance of the night. Gabby Douglas doing gymnastics, Alicia Keys singing, Nicki Minaj rapping; absolutely amazing.

9:44 PM: U.S. women's gymnastics team has taken the stage. Adorable. They introducing Alicia Keys signing "Girl on Fire."

9:37 PM: ONE DIRECTION is Best New Artist winner. The boys jump out of their seats. Pretty cute actually. Also the on-going love affair between Katy Perry and Rihanna is adorable.

9:35 PM: Best New Artist being presented by Ke$ha and Wiz Khalifa. Who's it gonna be you guys?

9:34 PM: Twilight cast is there and no KStew! (Obvi)

9:33 PM: "Fat Amy" makes me kind of sad but Pitch Perfect actually looks pretty awesome.

9:29 PM: That was not a very moving Adam Yauch moment. They could have done way more with it.

9:29 PM: One Direction is still my favorite performance of the night by far.

9:26 PM: Green Day is singing "Let Yourself Go." Check out the video here: 

9:25 PM: Emma Watson introducing Green Day. She is adorable and perfect and I love her. 

9:24 PM: Gangnam Style! Psy! He's here and speaking in Korean. And Kevin Hart is officially the smallest person in the world.

9:22 PM: I'm patiently waiting for Robert Pattinson....

9:19 PM: So far nothing wild has happened. Where's the drama?

9:17 PM: Articulate tweets from our girl Nicki Minaj: 

9:17 PM: Drake effing loved that but I'm not sure why. 

9:16 PM: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say 2 Chainz is actually wearing multiple chains.

9:14 PM: I'm 99% sure Lil Wayne is lip synching. Also 2 Chainz, this is really rough.

9:12 PM: 2 Chainz performing. I was more into Kevin Hart's jacket switch. The only thing I've understood during this song is the word "camel toe."

9:09 PM: Highlight of the night so far is One Direction by far.

9:07 PM: I'm calling it. That Nicki Minaj speech is gonna be a headline tomorrow. What on Earth was that? Also here's the video she won for: 

9:05 PM: Yay for Nicki Minaj but I literally don't understand what she just said.

9:04 PM: Nicki Minaj!!!!!!

9:03 PM: Best Female Video winner is ... drum roll.

9:02 PM: The Wanted is presenting an award with that girl from Bachelorette. All I care about is the audience shot of Taylor Lautner.

9:01 PM: One Direction is performing "One Thing" crowd is wild right now.

8:58 PM: Teen hearts melt! My heart melts. One Direction you guys!!!

8:55 PM: Words from Frank Ocean. 

8:53 PM: "This video is about me, being black and Jewish." -- Drake 

8:51 PM: Best Hip Hop Video winner is Drake! Woah. I would have given it to Nicki. Lil Wayne looks like a crazy person ps. 

8:50 PM: Cute!! Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg. Hipster cool! They're presenting Best Hip Hop Video. "Andy Samberg exclusive, sometimes I just wanna be held!"

8:46 PM: VMA footage and backstage coolness!

2012 MTV VMA | MTV VMA Live

8:39 PM: I want to like this Frank Ocean son but the truth is that I don't. I also officially don't understand this camp fire set.

8:38 PM: Zoe Saldana introducing Frank Ocean! Stage is on fire. Zoe is on fire. Amaze.

8:36 PM: This commercial with 1 million Selena Gomez's is making me wonder ... is Bieber coming or what??

8:31 PM: Best Male Video goes to...Chris Brown "Turn Up the Music."

8:31 PM: Best Male Video you guys. And Rita Ora is channeling Elvis. 

8:30 PM: Seriously, those lips are horrifying. I can't even.

8:29 PM: The giant lips dancing behind P!nk are terrifying. And Alicia Keys baby is SO CUTE!

8:27 PM: P!nk is flying and doing an awesome mash-up and Chris Brown does not look amused at all. This is what she's singing now!

8:26 PM: P!nk is performing! Introduced by doppleganger Miley Cyrus. 

8:24 PM: Oh my God, Dwight Howard is 40 feet taller than Kevin Hart. 

8:15 PM: We're gonna hear this song a lot tonight you guys: 

8:14 PM: One Direction wins the first award of the night. 20 million girls scream.

8:13 PM: Katy Perry announcing the award for Best Pop Video...drum roll please. 

8:12 PM: Ok seems like the best part of the Kristen Stewart joke was bleeped out. Is this going to be a theme tonight?? The bleeping?

8:10 PM: "I don't want you to do something crazy with that baby like spray paint it orange." Kevin Hart to Snookie

8:09 PM: Kevin Hart you look dapper but you are not doing it for me.

8:07 PM: "Drake and Chris Brown I'm gonna nip this in the bud tonight." -- Kevin Hart 

8:06 PM: Kevin Hart comes out to presidential tunes ... and he's already annoying me. 

8:05 PM: Rihanna #KillingIt. Oh they panned to Drake. Too much.

8:03 PM: We found love in a hopeless place la la la la! She's singing in the audience. Totally awesome.

8:02 PM: Bleeping out every other word. Not the best. 

8:01 PM: Also Katy Perry, I have some emotions about that bow you are wearing. 

8:00 PM: O my god. Rihanna. Is. Amazing. Fierecest opening number ever!

7:59 PM: One Direction "What Makes You Beautiful" wins first award for most share-worthy video!

7:57 PM: Ok Miley Cyrus now looks exactly like P!nk. 

7:51 PM: Nicki Minaj. One word: Fierce.

7:50 PM: Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa are chatting on the red carpet. Big announcement people: "We're expecting a beautiful little baby ... We're having a baby!"

7:49 PM: That Pussy Riot video was pretty intense btw. 

7:48 PM: Emma Watson looks so cute. I love her so hard.

7:45 PM: Taylor Swift looks so beautiful. It also seems like white is the color of the night. 

7:43 PM: Best EDM Video winner is Calvin Harris for "Feel So Close": 

7:42 PM: Rihanna looks beautiful tonight. Very classic and clean.

7:40 PM: Taylor Swift in a white suit. She looks ah-mazing.

7:39 PM: One Direction on the red carpet. Pretty darling, honestly. 

7:35 PM: Ke$sha looks glam .... but is carrying the weirdest purse I've ever seen. "I wanted to look naked but with lace on my bits." That's a direct Ke$sha quote. She also just announced her new single "Die Young." 

7:33 PM: Sounds like Kristen Stewart might get slammed in Kevin Hart's opening monologue. Uh oh! 

7:25 PM: Demi Lovato wins Best Video with a Message and then performs...and looks amazing. 

7:16 PM: The number one most tweeted about artist since the pre show began? One Direction! No shock there. 

7:14 PM: Frank Ocean is looking fresh. 

7:12 PM: Jersey Shore cast on the red carpet and no Snooki to be found. 

7:08 PM: Demi Lovato is about to perform. Get ready! Also, the commercials are amazing. 

7:06 PM: The One Direction video has the most tweets with over 27 million! Justin Bieber in a close second. 

7:04 PM: P!nk outfits of yore. This is P!nk in 2008. She's definitely more glam tonight.

7:02 PM: Ok this double decker red carpet is wild. P!nk will be performing tonight for the fourth time at the VMA's. Awesome. PS her post baby-bod is amaze.

7:01 PM: Pre show has begun! Kevin Hart has already told audiences "Nobody's safe!" He's going after everyone tonight people.

6:59 PM: Kanye West's ex Amber Rose is preggers! Not quite as dramatic as Beyonce's baby bump but it's something!

6:57 PM: Pink went long and elegant tonight. Thoughts??

6:54 PM: One Direction is looking pretty fly on the red carpet!

6:28PM: This is what One Direction's Liam was doing today in LA, just a few hours before the big ceremony. I guess he's not nervous.

6:20PM: This is what tickets to the MTV VMAs look like as tweeted out by a fan #jealous 

 

6:16PM: Simon Cowell, @CowellOnline, just tweeted this photo of One Direction, who he (and everyone else) is rooting for tonight.

 

6:12PM: This is what Jersey Shore's Deena Nicole Cortese looks like tonight, hot or not?

 

5:40 PM P!nk is getting ready for the VMA's. Here's the pic she tweeted out: 

5:16 PM Green Day is slated to perform but still no word on whether or not Billie Joe Armstrong will join them ... he's been in the hospital this week. 

4:58 PM Alicia Keys is on her way. She just tweeted "Walking out the door ... if you ask me I'm READY!!!" She accompanied this cute pic. Is this what she's wearing to the show? 

4:49 PM Louis Tomlinson of One Direction is already laying the charm on thick. 

4:45 PM It's also worth noting that some huge musical acts will be at the DNC tonight; James Taylor and Marc Anthony to name a few. 

4:23 PM One Direction tweeted out this shot of their final rehearsal. Getting excited! Boy band mania!

4:14 PM TSwift will be doing a performance debut of this song tonight. The video is cute ... not my fave Taylor, but i'll take it!

3:55 PM "VMAs are nothing without Gaga" is trending hard-core right now. What will we do without her tonight? No meat dress? No egg entrance. Also this was an incredible music video, how was it not nominated? 

3:18 PM One Direction is officially in Los Angeles. Will they be the hottest act of the evening? Check them out: 

2:00 PM Okay, what are people's thought's on Korean sensation Psy? I'm strangely drawn in to "Gangnam Style." Psy will be at the VMA's tonight. Is he gonna do this? 

1:39 PM Exciting behind-the-scenes action. Check out Rihanna heading into rehersals. Already looking glam and she's not even done up yet. 

1:04 PM Ok I'm excited. Robert Pattinson is coming (sans KStew) and here's a sneak peek of the new Twilight trailer that will air at the ceremony. 

Get More: 2012 VMA, Artists.MTV, Music

1:01 PM Check out this amazing list of VMA predictions. Do you agree? Will the night belong to this Rihanna and Drake video? 

12:45 PM Welcome to the Live Blog. The show starts in seven hours and I'm already pumped.