The EMA’s, the European version of MTV’s Video Music awards, were held in Madrid, Spain last night, full of eye catching red carpet outfits, surprise musical guests, and young lovers.
The show, hosted by “Desperate Housewives” stars Eva Longoria, included musical performances by Shakira, Rihanna, and Kings of Leon, whose lead singer Caleb Followhill recently presented his longtime girlfriend with an engagement ring. However, the evening’s highlight performance occurred before the night even began.
Lavish R&B artist Kanye West may have an illustrious past with the MTV awards, but good or bad, he never fails to make a splash, and the EMA’s were no exception. West appeared as a surprise musical guest with the band, 30 Seconds to Mars for their preshow performance. The band’s lead singer, Jared Leto, told MTV that it was a last minute idea that West hopped on a plane the night before to be a part of.
MTV favorites and Newlywed celebrity couple, Katy Perry and Russell Brand, walked down the purple carpet sporting their new wedding rings, fresh from their honeymoon. Perry was both an award winner as well as musical performer that night, and even helped with one of Longoria’s 11 costume changes.
Miley Cyrus gave another eyebrow raising performance, and although she has been criticized for her overly sexualized performances in the past, if you can’t be provocative at the EMA’s, even at 17 years old, where can you anymore?
Always one to raise a few eyebrows herself, Lady Gaga came out a big winner with three trophies, including Best Female, but accepted her awards via teleconference, so no European version of a ‘meat dress’ for viewers last night. And although she has yet to be seen with an engagement ring, the Gaga wedding rumors have been running rampant the past few months.
The EMA’s began in 1994 as an alternative to the MTV Video Music Awards, which are hosted in the U.S. every year, but has since become as popular and anticipated as the original; over 46 million fans cast their votes for last night’s winners, up 32 percent from last year’s public participation. And even as we saw the VMA’s fall flat this year, the EMA’s did a relatively good job of balancing interest with a little self-respect.
Although the 2010 awards took place live in Spain on November 7th, they will be aired in the U.S. on the 12th at 9pm.