Beyonce won MTV’s Video of the Year for “Formation,” her career’s most politically charged work which showed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I dedicate this award to the people of New Orleans. God bless you guys,” Beyonce said of the video shot in the southern US city which took musical inspiration from its bounce hip-hop scene.
The award marked a night of triumph for Beyonce, who awed the crowd with a fiery performance of more than 16 minutes and won Best Female Video for another track, “Hold Up.”
She was up for Video of the Year against “Hotline Bling,” the viral song by Drake that won in the rap category, as well as Kanye West’s controversial “Famous” that showed the outspoken star in bed with a naked woman resembling Taylor Swift despite her criticism.