MTV Europe Music Awards | |
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2016 MTV Europe Music Awards | |
Awarded for | viewers' favorite musicians |
Presented by | MTV Europe |
First awarded | 1994 |
Official website | http://ema.mtv.tv/ |
The MTV Europe Music Awards ("EMAs" or "EMA") is an event presented by MTV Networks Europe which awards prizes to musicians and performers. Since 2007, the winners are chosen by the viewers and fans by visiting the EMAs' website. The first EMAs ceremony was held in 1994 in Berlin, Germany.
Though it was originally conceived as an alternative to the MTV Video Music Awards, the winners and presenters have often been American artists. The MTV Europe Music Awards are held every year in a different country. It has been hosted mostly in the United Kingdom. Since 2011 other worldwide/regional nominations have been added. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on MTV Europe, MTV Live HD and most of the international MTV channels as well as online.
1994: The first MTV Europe Music Awards in 1994 were held on 24 November; five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. George Michael performed "Jesus To A Child" and "Freedom" surrounded by many famous models including Naomi Campbell and Bono received the Free Your Mind Award on behalf of Amnesty International.
1995: French nuclear testing in the South Pacific got the most attention at the 1995 ceremony. During his acceptance speech after winning the award for Best Rock, Bon Jovi lead singer Jon Bon Jovi said: "The only enemy is ignorance. Peace, people. Let's get rid of all this nuclear testing." and U2's Bono said: "What a city, what a night, what a crowd, what a bomb, what a mistake, what a wanker you have for a President." referring to nuclear testing. Greenpeace, the environmental group that has staged creative and controversial protests around the testing site at Mururoa Atoll, took the Free Your Mind award for its campaign against the underground nuclear blasts. "Stop abusing the earth," urged Madonna in a videotaped segment before designer agnès b. picked up the award for Greenpeace.