Illustration by Nuestro Stories
Shakira’s hips didn’t lie as the 46-year-old superstar sang a medley of her Spanish and English hits, danced with knives and crowd surfed, all before winning the prestigious Music Television Vanguard Video Award last week.
“Her Video Vanguard Award, long overdue, is a testament to the U.S. finally recognizing what the rest of the world has long known: Shakira is one of our most transformative, A-list pop stars, with an eccentricism and unpredictability that has long made her singular,” a recent article in NPR noted.
The clip of Shakira’s live performance – "Hips Don't Lie" / "Objection (Tango)" / "Whenever, Wherever" & More | 2023 VMAs – received over 10 million views on YouTube just 24 hours after it aired on television.
The star sang and danced to her most popular songs during the 10-minute long set – with an adoring crowd full of celebrities, like singers Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, singing and dancing along.
She is the first South American artist to be honored with this award, Rolling Stone online pointed out. But she’s not the first Latin American star to make VMA history.
Jennifer Lopez was the first Latinx star to win the award, in 2019. And, on the same night Shakira received her award, Peso Pluma reached a VMA milestone.
“The just over two-minute performance helped make 24-year-old Peso Pluma, born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, the first Mexican artist to perform on the vaunted VMA stage since the show's inception in 1984,” the local publication from Texas, mySanAntonio.com, reported.
Back to Shakira’s big award night: to the surprise of no one, Shakira was all smiles, out of breath (from performing), and unapologetically bilingual when she addressed the live audience and viewers. The Colombian pop star held onto her new award waiting to address the crowd, which chanted “Shakira! Shakira!”
“Thank you MTV. Thank you for being such a big part of my career .. since I was 18 years old.” Sharika began, and continued, “I want to thank my parents. I want to thank my kids, Milan and Sasha, who are here. Thank you so much for cheering me up, and making me feel that mama can do it all.”
She went on to thank her fans, who she called her “army” and her “gente.” “Esto es para ustedes,” Shakira announced, as she held up the award. “Mi gente. Mi gente Latino Americana, dentro y fuera de este pais. Gracias por inspirarme y por inyectarme tanta fuerza y tantas ganas de salir adelante. Los quieros muchisimos.”
Adding more Spanish flair to the night, Star Karol G, also a Shakira collaborator, took a break from her world tour to perform her Reggaeton hit "Oki Doki"/"Ta OK."
The MTV Video Vanguard Award, often simply referred to as the Vanguard Award, is a prestigious honor presented by MTV (Music Television) as part of its annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) ceremony. The award is given to individuals or groups in recognition of their outstanding and lasting contributions to the world of music and music videos. It is considered one of the highest honors in the music and entertainment industry, specifically celebrating achievements in the field of music videos and the overall impact on popular culture.
The MTV Vanguard Award is not presented every year, and recipients are chosen based on their influence, innovation, and significant contributions to the music industry.
The award's name has evolved over the years and has been referred to as the "Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award" in honor of Michael Jackson, one of the most iconic and influential figures in music video history. The name was later shortened to the "Video Vanguard Award."
Previous Vanguard Award recipients include David Bowie, The Beatles, and Madonna.
