MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video

Last updated
MTV Video Music Award
for Best Alternative
Awarded for Alternative rock music videos
CountryUnited States
Presented by MTV
First awarded1991
Currently held by Benson Boone – "Beautiful Things" (2024)
Most awards Nirvana (3)
Most nominationsVarious (3)
Website VMA website

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative (also known as Best Alternative Music Video) was first given out at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Prior to being called Best Alternative Video, it was known as Best Post-Modern Video in 1989 and 1990.

Contents

After the 1998 ceremony, this award was eliminated, and it was not presented until over two decades later, when it was brought back for the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, under the name Best Alternative. During its discontinuation, artists and videos who would have normally been eligible for this award became eligible for other genre categories, including Best Rock Video.

Nirvana is the biggest winner of this award, winning all three of their consecutive bids for the Moonman from 1992 to 1994. In terms of nominations, though, there are a multitude of artists all with three nominations. These include Green Day, Nirvana, Willow, Machine Gun Kelly, Imagine Dragons and Twenty One Pilots.

Recipients

1990s

Recipients
Year [lower-alpha 1] Winner(s)VideoNomineesRef.
1991 Jane's Addiction "Been Caught Stealing" [1]
1992 Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" [2]
1993 Nirvana "In Bloom" [3]
1994 Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" [4]
1995 Weezer "Buddy Holly" [5]
1996 The Smashing Pumpkins "1979" [6]
1997 Sublime "What I Got" [7]
1998 Green Day "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" [8]
1999

2020s

Recipients
Year [lower-alpha 2] Winner(s)VideoNomineesRef.
2020 Machine Gun Kelly "Bloody Valentine" [9]
2021 Machine Gun Kelly (featuring Blackbear)"My Ex's Best Friend" [10]
2022 Måneskin "I Wanna Be Your Slave" [11]
2023 Lana Del Rey (featuring Jon Batiste)"Candy Necklace" [12]
2024 Benson Boone "Beautiful Things" [13]

See also

Notes

    1. Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.
    2. Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.

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    References

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    4. "MTV Video Music Awards 1994". MTV. Archived from the original on September 1, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
    5. "MTV Video Music Awards 1995". MTV. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
    6. "MTV Video Music Awards 1996". MTV. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
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    9. "MTV Video Music Awards 2020". MTV. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
    10. Serrano, Athena (August 11, 2021). "The 2021 VMA Nominations Are Here: Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, and More". MTV News. MTV. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
    11. Grein, Paul (July 26, 2022). "Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow & Kendrick Lamar Lead 2022 MTV VMA Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
    12. Tinoco, Armando (8 August 2023). "MTV VMA Nominations: Taylor Swift Leads Pack With Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith & More Close By". Deadline. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
    13. Atkinson, Kaite (September 11, 2024). "Here's a Full List of 2024 MTV VMAs Winners (Updating Live)". Billboard . Retrieved September 12, 2024.