NEW YORK / AMSTERDAM – Nov. 10, 2013 – The “2013 MTV EMA” music party ship kicked off in New York City and then landed in Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome on Sunday, November 10, 2013 during a special U.S. telecast.
As promised by intergalactic MC Redfoo of LMFAO, the 2013 MTV EMA (European Music Awards) was a fun musical extravaganza that featured some of the hottest (and most controversial!) artists from around the globe.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2013 MTV EMAs – Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry & More
U.S. hosts Darren Criss from “Glee,” platinum selling singer/songwriter Cher Lloyd and Andrew Schulz from MTV’s “Guy Code” and “The Hook Up” got the night started in New York City where Austin Mahone returned to the stage with the debut performance of his new single “Banga Banga” and took home two EMAs, including the inaugural MTV Artist on the Rise U.S. socially voted award presented by New 5 Focus Gum and Best PUSH.
Jason Derulo then serenaded fans with his hit single “Marry Me” written for fiancé Jordin Sparks (cute couple alert!), while Fall Out Boy rocked the stage with their new single “Alone Together.” The Wanted and “2013 MTV EMA” backstage host Ariana Grande also appeared.
Immediately following his win, Austin Mahone said: “Couldn’t have done any of this without my Mahomies. You guys mean the world to me. Thank you!”
The show then crossed the Atlantic to Amsterdam where Eminem (making Detroit proud) took home two wins for EMA Global Icon and Best Hip Hop, thus securing an even stronger hold on his title as the artist with the most EMAs ever. His surprise performance of “Berzerk” made fans in the Ziggo Dome go exactly that – berserk! – as he unexpectedly emerged from a giant boombox mid-show with a performance of “Rap God.”
EMA darling and three-time past winner Katy Perry picked up her first Best Female award, while Miley Cyrus won her first-ever EMA for Best Video for “Wrecking Ball.” Bruno Mars was victorious in the Best Song category for “Locked Out Of Heaven,” and Justin Bieber kept his Best Male win streak going for a fourth straight year.
Tokio Hotel fans rejoiced at the news that they helped their favorite band snag Biggest Fans, and Directioners everywhere celebrated as One Direction nabbed their first ever Best Pop EMA. Chris Lee of China kept Asia on top as she was named Best Worldwide Act; an artist from Asia has won the title in each of the three years the Worldwide Act award has existed.
Miley Cyrus once again had tongues wagging (including her own) as she opened the show in Amsterdam, descending from the top of the enormous spaceship-inspired set on a space-age throne for a quick rendition of “We Can’t Stop.” Joining her onstage for an up-close-and-personal, twerktastic dance-off was Little Britney, and their very intimate interplay set Twitter afire. Cyrus returned to the stage later, performing amongst the audience, putting on a raw, soulful performance of “Wrecking Ball” and again displaying her range as an entertainer. You have to hand it to her – she knows how to create buzz.
MC Redfoo kept the party going, rocking a “Men in Black” suit and shades – only to have his clothes fly off and reveal his infamous Speedo (we’ll skip over the part about glitter flying from his nether regions, after which he went crowd-surfing with a sumo wrestler donned in leopard skin), danced with Ylvis (the duo behind the viral video hit “What the Fox Say”). He finally got abducted by aliens at the event’s end.
Katy Perry sang “Unconditionally” suspended from the ceiling 30 feet in the air, as if she were a giant maypole with dancers prancing beneath her giant skirt. The performance’s big finale revealed her in a mirrored bodysuit that reflected the multitude of lasers lighting up the Ziggo Dome.
Bruno Mars dazzled the EMA audience with a stylized performance of “Gorilla,” accompanied by a world-class band, neon lights and one very talented pole dancer. Adding to the sexy vibe was Robin Thicke, who was surrounded by scantily clad women covered in gold and silver body paint for his rendition of “Feels Good,” and he was later joined onstage by recording artist and model Iggy Azalea for “Blurred Lines.” No Miley in sight.
The Killers rocked out to a medley of their hits, “Shot at the Night” and “Mr. Brightside,” in a setting inspired by Queen’s huge stadium rock shows of the ‘70s, while Kings of Leon performed “Beautiful War” amongst a plethora of stunning pyrotechnics. Chart-topping Swedish duo Icona Pop was fun and fabulous as they had the whole audience dancing to their hit “I Love It.”
World famous DJ/producer Afrojack held an EDM party at the popular Melkweg club. Snoop Dogg and 7 Days of Funk collaborated with Afrojack at the Melkweg for a special, funked-out performance of “Gin and Juice” to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Snoop’s record-breaking album Doggystyle. Meanwhile, one of the year’s biggest emerging acts Imagine Dragons performed an incredible version of one of the biggest hits of the year, “Radioactive,” from the EMA rock stage at the Music Hall.
Special guest Ron Burgundy of Anchorman 2 (Will Ferrell) was featured throughout the evening in hilarious vignettes, as he cavorted through the streets of Amsterdam, enjoying cycling, clogs, canals, and special brownies, and explored the area he mistakenly thought was called the “Burgundy Light District.” As backstage host, Ariana Grande, star of the hit Nickelodeon show Sam & Cat, gave a star’s-eye view of the night.
Presenters at the “2013 MTV EMA” included Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto, whose band won the award for Best Alternative; Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte; acclaimed singer-songwriter and actress Bridgit Mendler; Iggy Azalea; singer Rita Ora; rapper/producer Dizzee Rascal; singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding; Dutch singer/actress Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones); and Teen Wolf’s Colton Haynes.
Fans around the world cast a record-breaking 292 million votes to help decide the “2013 MTV EMA” winners:
U.S. ARTIST ON THE RISE: Austin Mahone
BEST SONG: Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven”
BEST VIDEO: Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”
BEST NEW: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
BEST FEMALE: Katy Perry
BEST MALE: Justin Bieber
BEST POP: One Direction
BEST LIVE: Beyoncé
BEST HIP HOP: Eminem
BEST ROCK: Green Day
BEST ELECTRONIC: Avicii
BEST ALTERNATIVE: Thirty Seconds To Mars
BEST LOOK: Harry Styles
BIGGEST FANS: Tokio Hotel
BEST WORLD STAGE: Linkin Park – Mexico 2012
BEST PUSH: Austin Mahone – April 2013
BEST WORLDWIDE ACT: 李宇春 Chris Lee (Mainland China/Hong Kong/Southeast Asia/Taiwan)
GLOBAL ICON: Eminem
The “2013 MTV EMA” is sponsored in the U.S. by 5 Gum, LG Mobile, Herbal Essences, Taco Bell and T-Mobile. For more information on all the artists visit Artists.MTV.com or download the new MTV Artist app for iPhone.
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