The annual MTV Video Music Awards are famous for having some of the most outrageous moments in pop culture history. From meat dresses to foam fingers, here is a countdown of some of the most iconic moments from the VMAs. 

5. Beyoncé announces pregnancy, 2011: After giving a flawless performance of her 2011 hit “Love on Top,” Beyoncé unbuttoned her purple, sequined tuxedo to reveal a large baby bump. Her first child, Blue Ivy Carter was later born in January of 2012.

4. Miley Cyrus performs with Robin Thicke, 2013: Miley Cyrus performed a risqué rendition of her song “We Can’t Stop” with “Blurred Lines” singer Robin Thicke at the 2013 VMAs. Although Cyrus does recognize the implications of being part of a performance so controversial, she said in a 2018 interview with Wonderland magazine, “It inspired me to use my platform for something much bigger. If the world is going to focus on me and what I am doing, then what I am doing should be impactful and it should be great.”

3.  Taylor Swift’s refusal to perform, 2019: Taylor Swift’s music video for her hit “You Need to Calm Down” swept the awards at the 2019 VMAs. Despite her immense amount of recognition at this years Video Music Awards, she refused to perform unless everyone that took part in the music video was also recognized. As a result, each person in the video will be receiving a Moonman with their name engraved on it.

2.Lady Gaga’s meat dress, 2010: Gaga is undeniably one of the most fearless women of our generation when it comes to sense of style. She proved this by wearing a dress made of raw beef to the 2010 show. She later told Ellen Degeneres the reason for her outfit choice, “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in, if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.”

1. Kanye West is going to let Taylor finish, 2009: While Taylor Swift was accepting the award for Best Female Video, Kanye West took the microphone from her to express how he thought Beyoncé was more deserving of it. This made for an extremely awkward moment for everyone involved, but nonetheless, it was perhaps the most shocking moment in MTV Video Music Awards history.