A red carpet fight and... gimp masks: The 11 biggest moments from the 2021 VMAs.

In 2021, the MTV VMAs are a... weird concept.

I mean, firstly, there's the... pandemic, which is STILL HAPPENING despite most of the US pretending it is... not, and secondly, when was the last time MTV played a music video? Exactly. We only turn to MTV to watch Catfish.

But look, I'm not complaining. The return of red carpets and awards shows is the thing keeping me going in this locked down corner of the world. Bless the VMAs and their tendency to bring out people I've never heard of wearing outfits that in any other place would get them arrested.

It's the most ridiculous event in the calendar and I bloody love it.

Like... the red carpet hadn't even properly started when THIS HAPPENED:

AN ICON. Image: Getty.

A VISION. Image: Getty.

We do not deserve Lil Nas X. 

Someone else who does not deserve Lil Nas X is the MTV red carpet reporter Jamila, who straight up shaded his outfit to his face.

"Look, I'm not going to say I'm hating on the fit," she said, "but let's move on."

LIKE WHAT https://t.co/TYK0sLdKXt pic.twitter.com/P3mBMJBV1R

— . (@blairsmani) September 12, 2021

EXCUSE YOU. Does it look a bit like a chic grandma's wedding outfit? Yes. 

But the absolute audacity of saying that to his face. WHY WOULD YOU NOT JUST LIE?

The red carpet only got weirder from there, and then of course there was the actual show. Here are the biggest moments from the 2021 VMAs:

Lewks only the VMAs could get away with.

The VMA red carpet is SO FREAKING WEIRD every year because there doesn't seem to be any... rules. Like, this is the red carpet that allowed Lady Gaga to turn up in raw meat. 

Drag Race stars Symone and Kandy Muse?? Image: Getty.

This is someone called Kim Petras and tbh I wouldn't know who she is even without the RANDOM GIMP MASK? Image: Getty.

Avril Lavigne is still a thing. 11-year-old me is SHAKING. Image: Getty.

When you have the VMAs at 7 but are going to get lost in the woods at 9. Image: Getty.

I love how Billie Eilish just came in a... knit. Image: Getty.

These no-context photos of Conor McGregor and Machine Gun Kelly having a fight on the red carpet.

There was NO MENTION of this on the red carpet show. But the PHOTOS are just SO FUNNY.

HE MAD. Image: Getty.

OH SHIT HE REAL MAD. Image: Getty.

WHAT IS HAPPENING? Image: Getty.

TMZ 'sources' said they were fighting after Conor asked MGK for a photo and MGK turned him down, with Conor allegedly throwing a drink at MGK and Megan Fox. 

What is a red carpet without a lil toxicity? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

The HORNY performances.

I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID ABOUT GIMP MASKS EARLIER.

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow's performance of 'Industry Baby', then mashed up with Lil Nas' 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)' was the horniest performance of the night, and this is the VMAs so... that's a high bar.

There was bumping, grinding, and a prison shower orgy. 

I take back what I said earlier about gimp masks. Image: Getty.

YAS. Image: Getty.

Lil Nas X popping that booty in the prison shower on the VMA stage. So proud of him. #VMAs pic.twitter.com/gxK6bI5ZEl

— ClockOutWars (@clockoutwars) September 13, 2021

Then Chloe performed a song that includes the line "booty so big, Lord have mercy".

Like her butt? Geddit? Image: Getty.

And Normani did... this...

normani and teyana changed my life, i want y’all to praise the lord pic.twitter.com/MT1mALPFpa

— g🪐 (@guiyocore) September 13, 2021

Are there cold showers backstage???

Doja Cat's outfit.

Doja Cat performed with a glowing vulva last year, so she (and her vulva?) had a lot to live up to. This year, she was hosting, which gave her lots of outfit opportunities.

Her vulva remained... non-glowy.

A normal start. Image: Getty.

Things then got... weird???????????? Image: Getty.

And then... functional. Image: Getty.

Billie Eilish's moving acceptance speech.

Billie Eilish won the Video For Good award, acknowledging music videos with an important message behind them, for 'Your Power', which is about someone who is abusing his power and holding it over a woman.

When she released the song in April, she said "This is about many different situations that we’ve all either witnessed or experienced. I hope this can inspire change. Try not to abuse your power."

Image: Getty.

In her speech, she reiterated the message of the song.

"I just want to say that we need to protect our young women at all costs. For real," she said. "We also need to remember that we all have power, and we have to remember to not abuse it."

Justin Bieber accepted an award dressed as the robbers from Home Alone.

He is wearing three separate outfits, and none of them are good. Image: 20th Century Fox/Getty.

Someone get a blowtorch.

Bieber used his Artist of the Year acceptance speech to acknowledge 'this COVID thing', saying: "I know you guys have probably heard it a lot, but we are in unprecedented times right now, with this, um, COVID thing that’s happening."

"We're all here together, you know? And we got a lot more in common than we don't. And I look around here and I see so many beautiful faces, and I really do believe the best is yet to come."

Alicia Key's New York City and 9/11 tribute.

The show took place on September 12 in the US, the day after the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.

Image: Getty.

The show marked the occasion with a special performance by Alicia Keys singing her and Jay-Z's NYC anthem 'Empire State of Mind'.

Olivia Rodrigo had a huge night.

If you've ever felt under-accomplished.... 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo won the night with three awards: Push Performance of the Year, Song of the Year for 'Drivers Licence' and Best New Artist.

She also performed single 'Good 4 U'.

WELL GOOD FOR YOU, YOU LOOK HAPPY AND HEALTHY NOT ME IF YOU EVER CARED TO ASK!!! Image: Getty.

"This has been the most magical year of my life and this is all because of you guys," she said during her Song of the Year speech.

"I wanna dedicate this award to all of the other girls who write songs on their bedroom floor. There are a lot of people who will try to dim your light, but speaking your mind and sharing your heart are the most beautiful things in the world." 

WHOLESOME.

Lil Nas X won Video of the Year.

The show's biggest award went to Lil Nas X for 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)'. 

"LET'S GO GAY AGENDA." Image: Getty.

Considering how much controversy the video courted when it was released (I wrote this explainer at the time), I bloody love that he started his speech by thanking "the gay agenda". No one can out-troll Lil Nas X.

Lil Nas X: "I wanna say thank you to the gay agenda, let's go gay agenda!!!!" #VMAs pic.twitter.com/rq6hkvuYqt

— eric (@MrEAnders) September 13, 2021

GO AWF NIECE @LilNasX !!! Video of the year!!! 😭😭😭 #VMAs pic.twitter.com/dhtG8822JJ

— Twiggy Pucci Garçon (@SimplyTwiggy) September 13, 2021

Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian introduced their 'future baby daddies'.

UMMM.

The show was rounded out by a performance from Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker and they were introduced by their girlfriends Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian. 

"Give it up for our future baby daddies," Fox said.

💀 @kourtneykardash @meganfox #VMAs pic.twitter.com/4unO1L7U8D

— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 13, 2021

megan fox: “give it up for our future baby daddies”

kourtney kardashian: “machine gun kelly and travis barker”

scott disick at home watching: #VMAs pic.twitter.com/5SrMVP9Wx5

— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) September 13, 2021

The TikTokers are already making pregnancy conspiracy theories, I just know it.

And just like that, the most chaotic awards show of the season was over. 

I feel like... not much happened.

But not much is still something, and considering we have barely left our house in months, I give nothing but thanks to MTV, the music television channel that hasn't played music in more than a decade.

Thanks, pal.

Feature image: Getty.