2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the MTV EMA awards – one of the most iconic celebrations of musical talent in the calendar. The past quarter century has seen it travel to a different European city every year, from Berlin back in 1994 to Copenhagen in 2006 and London in 2017. This year it is heading to Seville in Spain, hosted by singer, songwriter and actress Becky G and world-class performers such as Niall Horan, Green Day, Halsey, Ava Max and Mabel will be gracing the stage.
When speaking of the decision to host the 2019 ceremony in Seville, D. Juan Espadas, Seville’s mayor said:
“The decision to bring the MTV EMA to Seville confirms the great momentum this city experiences in terms of international projection. This is thanks to our culture, heritage and logistic capabilities to organize A-list congresses and events, which help us to showcase our city to attract investments and put Seville on the map.”
For while the MTV EMA awards are a celebration of music, they are also a celebration of bringing cultures together, uniting countries and raising awareness of the hosting city. With this, it has brought with it some of the most iconic moments in music history. Here is a look at some of the most memorable moments…
THE RISE OF GIRL POWER
The MTV EMA’s helped to put the spotlight on women stars, highlighting the rise of pop girl power.
The Spice Girls walked away with two awards in 1998 (best pop act and best group) Britney won four awards in 1999 then the Spice Girls did their (supposed!) final performance in 2000. Over the years Lady Gaga and Britney Spears have both accumulated a whopping eight awards each, placing them join third as the artists to take home the most trophies.
THE BEST STAGE ENTRANCES
Over the years there have been some jaw-dropping stage entrances, with stars ripping up the rulebook of how to commence their performances. In 2000 J-Lo entered the stage to perform her hit single “love don’t cost a thing” from an aeroplane that descended to the stage from the ceiling.
In 2017 Stormzy entered via a police car and Travis Scott on the back of an animatronic bird. Nicki Minaj descended from the ceiling surrounded by showers of golden sparks and wearing an embellished pink leotard in 2018, while Madonna made her entrance in a giant mirror ball in 2005.
ICONIC FASHION MOMENTS
The MTV EMA’s have hosted many iconic fashion moments over the years, with stars pushing the boat out to dress to impress. Katy Perry had 12 outfit changes when she hosted the awards in 2008 and Hailee Steinfeld had eight changes in 2018.
Rita Ora turned heads when she wore a bathrobe and towel in the London awards in 2017 and Katy Perry’s half bride, half groom outfit was one to remember in 2008. In 2011 Lady Gaga wore a dress made from metallic squares that was not only utterly unique but must have been super heavy too!
There are so many iconic moments at this prestigious ceremony and there are sure to be more to come when it heads to Seville on Sunday 3rd November. And there’s no better way to celebrate these moments than with a truly iconic print.
In true My Icon Story style, we’ve capture the history of the EMAs through the European cities that have hosted this phenomenal music ceremony.
Unofficial icon poster design celebrating the history of the MTV EMAs through the cities that have hosted the awards. Created by My Icon Story.
Our unique EMA designs celebrate the wonderful and memorable moments of this prestigious ceremony and highlights our unique ability to visually story-tell through the power of icons. Simple yet powerful, our icon prints can be applied to documenting anything in an aesthetically pleasing and stylish way. From history to artists’ careers or world tours, My Icon Story is a great way to capture memories and create a keepsake of these important moments in a treasure you can keep forever.
Unofficial icon poster design celebrating the history of the MTV EMAs through the cities that have hosted the awards. Created by My Icon Story.
To find out all the latest news for Sunday’s upcoming EMAs, check out everything you need to know here
To vote for your favourite artists and bands you can vote here and to watch the awards, tune into Channel 5 at 10pm on Sunday 3rd November to catch all the action as it happens.
