The Weeknd appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards with a bruised and blooded face. He'd not been in a scrap though, it was all done using makeup (thankfully).
It seems as though he was made up in order to mirror the (now award-winning) video for his song 'Blinding Lights' in which he appears to have been knocked around just like his appearance at the awards ceremony.
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The 30-year-old artist won VMAs for Best R&B Video as well as Video of the Year for 'Blinding Lights' and during his acceptance speeches he took the opportunity to speak out against racial injustice and police brutality.
He accepted the awards briefly, dedicating the bulk of his platform to two simple calls for action: "Justice for Jacob Blake. Justice for Breonna Taylor."
During one of his speeches, he simply said: "It's really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment. I'm just going to say: Justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor."
The Weeknd wasn't the only person who was there to send a message because DaBaby also made a powerful statement about police brutality in his VMA debut.
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The Charlotte-based rapper started his performance wearing Lakers colours in what appeared to be a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant before he was arrested, handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
He was then seen stomping on top of the police car with the New York skyline on fire behind him. You can watch the performance here:
During the event, which was held virtually, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande were the most nominated artists and walked away with five and four wins, respectively, while BTS dominated in Best Pop, Best K-pop, and Best Group. The Weeknd nabbed two, and Taylor Swift earned her first in the directing category for her work on 'The Man'.
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Lady Gaga became the ceremony's third most-awarded artist after Beyoncé and Madonna, when she picked up her 15th award.
It's also her first time winning Song of the Year (with Ariana for 'Rain On Me') after receiving a nomination for A Star Is Born hit 'Shallow' at the 2019 VMAs.
During her acceptance speech, she said: "I'm very honoured for the awards I've been nominated for this evening, but I have to say-winning [Song of the Year] has to be my favourite. At the end of the day, my heart is as a songwriter."
Topics: Entertainment, Music