Drake revealed his long-time love and admiration for Rihanna as he honored her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award during the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend.
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She also took home the best female video, best pop video, breakthrough long form video, best choreography, best direction, best cinematography and best editing.
Drake won best hip hop video, for Hotline Bling, but did not collect his trophy on stage because he was stuck in traffic, presenter Sean “Diddy” Combs told the crowd.
Other performers include Britney Spears, Ariana Grande with Nicki Minaj, Future, Nick Jonas and The Chainsmokers.
And two years before that in 2001, she set pulses into overdrive when she bounded on stage with a snake draped around her neck for her performance of “I’m A Slave 4 You”.
The 29-year-old presented the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to the songstress.
Drake for his part insisted that what’s most impressive about Rihanna isn’t the endlessness of stats, awards and accomplishments but because “she succeeds by being something in which no one in this industry does which is by being herself – the same girl from Barbados surrounded by the same friends”. All his adult life he’s looked up to her, even though she’s younger than him.
Alicia Keys announced the victor of the award after giving a passionate A Capella performance of a poem on the 53rd anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech.
Superstar singer Beyonce didn’t just bring daughter Blue Ivy to the 2016 MTV VMAs; she also brought the mothers of police shooting victims Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Oscar Grant to the red carpet. This year it was awarded to Rihanna, who split up her performances throughout the night, singing hits such as “Work”, “We Found Love” and “Love on the Brain”. She then made everyone’s jaw drop when she performed with G-Eazy. “You know, people come up to me like, ‘Man, that’s right!”
Also seen naked with West in the video are Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, known for his hardline anti-immigration stance, and fashion editor Anna Wintour. The music video, which shows him looking frail in bed with bandaged eyes, was released just days before the icon’s January 10 death.
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According to the presenter, rap icon Puff Daddy, the Toronto star got stuck in NY traffic. Fifth Harmony was a double victor, taking home song of summer and best collaboration video.
