NEW YORK—It was definitely ladies night at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 13.  With both Beyonce and Lady Gaga tied with a stellar nine nominations apiece, no one was quite sure who’d come out as the big winner of the night, but when it was over, each songstress walked away with at least one Moonman. 

Beyonce accepts the award for Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

The show opened with a tribute to Michael Jackson with a special appearance by Madonna.  The singer gave a heartfelt and powerful speech about the pop icon.  She discussed how Michael never had a childhood. The speech had members in the audience teary-eyed.  She even spoke of her date with Michael in 1991, and how the “King of Pop” never had a sense of normalcy.  Before leaving the stage she praised Jackson’s influence on the music world and even indicated that her two boys were huge fans of Michael Jackson.

Beyonce in an unforgettable moment at the ceremony allows Taylor Swift to have her moment in the spotlight. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Moments later, dancers took the stage paying tribute to some of Jackson’s biggest hits including “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Smooth Criminal.”  The audience stood to their feet when Janet Jackson hit the stage and performed her 1995 hit “Scream.”  She danced to the video with her late brother in the background on a huge screen; it was a memorable moment in VMA history.  The choreography in that video was amazing and now we see why. 

Janet delivers a crowd-pleasing performance of the hit song "Scream" in tribute to her late brother Michael Jackson. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Comedian Russell Brand hosted the ceremony for a second time and got off to a slow start, but things eventually got moving for the host.  The first award of the night garnered one of the most shocking moments in VMA history.  After Taylor Swift was awarded the Moonman for Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me,” Kanye West jumped on the stage and interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech by stating that Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was one of the best videos ever. 

West proved once again that his ego is overrated.  His actions were rude and unwarranted.  Not only did West embarrass himself, but he left the audience stunned including a speechless Swift and embarrassed Beyonce.  He was booed by the audience and never seen again during the rest of the show.  He did release an apology via his personal blog, but it may be a little too late for Mr. West to do damage control.  

Taylor later delivered a powerful performance of her hit song “You Belong with Me.”  Lady Gaga the fashionista that she is gave a theatrical performance of her hit “Paparazzi” complete with blood.  It was sensational.  Best Pop Video went to Britney Spears for “Womanizer.” She was unable to attend the ceremony because she was on tour, but accepted her award via videotape.  Beyonce gave a crowd-pleasing, hand-clapping rendition of her ubiquitous hit “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” complete with a stage of women.  The performance was full of energy and had every woman and man saying “Put a ring on it.” 

Other winners of the night included T.I. for Best Male Video for “Live Your Life,” Green Day for Best Rock Video, Eminem for Best Hip-Hop Video for his hilarious “We Made You” and Lady Gaga won the Best New Artist award.  She had such a huge year with hits like “Just Dance,” “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.”          

Video of the Year was a tough category, but in the end Beyonce reigned supreme as her “Single Ladies” took the prize.  The video was classic, simple and exhilarating.  That dancing is phenomenal. Besides who else could have Justin Timberlake and Joe Jonas dancing in leotards?  In an unforgettable moment at the show, Beyonce reminisced about winning her first VMA with Destiny’s Child and brought out Taylor Swift so that she could have her moment.  It was gracious and just amazing that the pop singer did what the audience and viewers had been hoping for all night after West’s tirade.  The audience stood to their feet and applauded.  The two women, dressed in bright red dresses, hugged, and Swift was able to have her moment in the spotlight.  

Jay-Z closed the show with a performance of his hit “Empire State Of Mind” with Alicia Keys.   Other treats at the ceremony included the new trailer for “New Moon” the highly anticipated sequel in the Twilight series, as well as a sneak peek of the Michael Jackson movie “This is It” hitting theaters on October 28.  The 2009 VMA will go down in history as one that will not be forgotten.

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