BEYONCE won top honours at MTV’s Video Music Awards in New York, where rapper Drake professed his “love” for Rihanna as she collected a lifetime achievement award.
The star-studded show in Madison Square Garden saw Beyonce take home video of the year for Formation and best female video for Hold Up. She also delivered a 16-minute performance of tracks from her hit album Lemonade.
The Single Ladies singer arrived at the event with her four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, including Sybrina Fulton, the mother of murdered teenager Trayvon Martin.
After winning video of the year, Beyonce thanked her daughter and “incredible” husband Jay Z for their support. “I dedicate this award to the people of New Orleans,” she said.
Rihanna performed four separate medleys of her biggest hits throughout the show after she was named the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, MTV’s equivalent of a lifetime achievement honour.
The Barbadian singer, 28, was presented with her Moonman trophy by Drake, her long-time collaborator and rumoured love interest.
Drake told the crowd: “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old. She’s one of my best friends in the world. All of my adult life I’ve looked up to her even though she’s younger than me.”
Rihanna thanked her family, friends and her home town of Saint Michael on Barbados for helping her succeed in her 11-year career.
“My success started as my dream, but now my success is not my own. It’s my family, my fans, my country ... it’s women, it’s black women,” she said.
Kanye West took to the stage for a six-minute speech before introducing the video to his new song Fade, in which he compared himself to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Walt Disney.
He also addressed his recent war of words with Taylor Swift, insisting he informed the pop singer about the lyrics to his single Famous in which he raps: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous.”
West said: “I love all y’all. That’s why I called her.”
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