The MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 28. This was a television event I used to enjoy watching, but a lot has changed with it over the years. The awards show is still pretty good. After all, it gives music fans a chance to see some of their favorite performers. It also helps keep music relevant in popular culture. However, my interest in the show has definitely waned. The main reason for this is that music videos aren’t easy to find anymore. MTV has changed its image from music shows to original programming over the years. It used to be that a person could flip on a music channel and see their favorite videos. Those days are gone. As a result, the Video Music Awards aren’t quite the same.
MTV used to always show music videos. But as the years went by, the network changed. Music videos were only shown a few hours a day. Now, they are essentially gone. In fact, the network no longer uses the word “music” in its official name. It was a good decision for the business of MTV. The network has thrived with its original programming. But music videos have suffered. MTV 2 used to show videos regularly, but that has changed as well. Another network, VH1, got out of the video business some time ago. Now, watching music videos requires a lot of effort. People have to watch them on the internet, which can be tedious for some. There are music videos on demand, but navigating to find them can be difficult. Plus, you might not be able to find your favorite ones.
This all comes back to the Video Music Awards. It is difficult to attract casual viewers to a show based around things that people don’t watch. I understand the importance of the digital age, but are music videos really that important? I’m a little surprised that people still spend money to make them. MTV was built around music videos yet they don’t show them anymore. That should tell everyone all they need to know about the art form.
I think the Video Music Awards should just admit that it needs to change the format. It might as well just be another version of the Grammys. MTV can still host top musical acts and hand out awards, but it should abandon any notion that music videos matter. Instead, they should set the theme similar to their movie awards. MTV should create unique music categories and hand out awards in a similar manner. They should make the show a hip version of the Grammys. The first thing that needs to go is the title. It’s time for MTV to catch this ceremony up to everything else the network has. Music videos are gone. There is no reason to acknowledge them with an awards show.