{
  "id": 8055975,
  "title": "The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards Were Full of Iconic Artists, Videos & Moments — Has It Been Matched Since? Greatest Pop Stars Podcast",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/the-2016-mtv-video-music-awards-were-full-of-iconic-artists-videos",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T16:02:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/2016-mtv-video-music-awards-greatest-pop-stars-podcast-1236342452/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards represented a culmination of an era for pop music and culture, featuring career-defining performances from Beyoncé and Rihanna, as well as high-profile appearances from Drake, Kanye West, and other top names in the industry. A decade later, the VMAs appear to signify the end of an era for music award shows, as it has become increasingly challenging to gather such a vast array of superstars in the same venue simultaneously. In this episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, hosts Andrew Unterberger and Katie Atkinson delve into some of the most memorable moments from the 2016 VMAs, reflecting on the event 10 years after it took place. The conversation covers numerous questions still relevant today, such as the reasons behind the gathering of A-listers at the VMAs at the same time, the decline of some performers, the significance of Rihanna's Video Vanguard performance and the decision to split it into four parts, Beyoncé's Lemonade medley's potential as a new high point for award-show performances, G-Eazy's impact on Britney Spears' comeback performance, and the fair treatment of Nick Jonas' \"Bacon.\" The hosts also address whether the VMAs have ever managed to match the scale and impact of the 2016 ceremony in the years since.",
  "summary": "This Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of 'Greatest Pop Stars' looks at the VMAs of 10 years ago, when it felt like the center of the pop universe.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}