The MTV Video Music Awards are a pop culture time capsule, and they always have been.
Yes, the 2016 awards ceremony will go down in history as the night Beyoncé won eight moonman trophies, Drake professed his eternal love for Rihanna — who was rightfully feted as a music icon — Britney Spears returned to the stage, and Kanye West gave yet another memorable speech before introducing another controversial music video.
Oh, and American swimmer Ryan Lochte's apparent lie about being robbed in Rio de Janeiro at gunpoint became the night's biggest trump card and funniest joke.
Comedian and talk show host Jimmy Fallon presented the biggest-non-Rihanna-related award of the night, "Video of the Year," on Sunday while dressed as Lochte. He wore a platinum blonde wig, a (fake) silver medal and a U.S. Olympic track suit to make light of the swimmer's ongoing apology tour.
While in character, Fallon quoted none other than Justin Bieber — a nominee for the night's top prize — as he reached the microphone:
"Is it too late now to say sorry?" sang Fallon. "That's my jam!"
Embellishments or non-truths appear to be this Lochte parody's speciality.
"In fact, I directed all five nominees for 'Video of the Year.' I'm the one that gave Adele the flip phone! I taught Drake the 'Hotline Bling' dance! I had a thirty-way with Kanye West, and I made 'Lemonade' with Queen Bey."
The "Tonight Show" host's Lochte lampoon kept going, and when he tried to answer which video he thought was best, he said he could not make the choice even if "there was a gun to [his] head."
Beyoncé emerged victorious, and won "Video of the Year" for "Formation."
Fallon's reference and impression was not entirely random either, as several Olympians were on-hand to present at the VMAs, including Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman.
Much like how Fallon's version of Lochte tried to take credit for Bieber's lyrics or director Xavier Dolan's vision for Adele's "Hello," Canada remained at top of mind throughout the awards ceremony. When Sean "Diddy" Combs hit the stage to present "Best Hip Hop Video," he paid homage to Drake and gave a shout out to the hip hop scene "all the way up in Toronto."
Drake ended up winning the "Best Hip Hop Video" award for "Hotline Bling," which was directed by Canadian auteur Director X, A.K.A. Julien Christian Lutz. While the "One Dance" rapper was reportedly "stuck in traffic" and could not receive his award in person, Combs said stories like his are "proof that when you follow your dreams, you can achieve greatness."
Director X also received a special mention from Fifth Harmony when they accepted their moonman statue for "Best Collaboration" for their video for "Work From Home." He directed that video too, and received even more love when Drake gave him a special mention before he presented Rihanna with her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award later in the night.
Canadian love aside, it was Beyoncé who made the strongest impression at the VMAs.
She not only performed a 16-minute medley of songs from her long form video, "Lemonade," but she also left as the night's biggest winner, earning six wins for "Formation" alone.
Other honours went to Calvin Harris, and the late David Bowie, whose video for "Blackstar" won "Best Art Direction."
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards:
MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Rihanna
Video of the Year:
Adele, "Hello"
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation"
Drake, "Hotline Bling"
Justin Bieber, "Sorry"
Kanye West, "Famous"
Best Female Video:
Adele, "Hello"
Ariana Grande, "Into You"
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Hold Up"
Rihanna ft. Drake, "Work"
Sia, "Cheap Thrills"
Best Male Video:
Bryson Tiller, "Don't"
WINNER: Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna, "This Is What You Came For"
Drake, "Hotline Bling"
Kanye West, "Famous"
The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"
Best Collaboration:
Ariana Grande ft. Lil Wayne, "Let Me Love You"
Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar, "Freedom"
Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna, "This Is What You Came For"
WINNER: Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign, "Work From Home"
Rihanna ft. Drake, "Work"
Best Hip Hop Video:
2 Chainz, "Watch Out"
Bryson Tiller, "Don't"
Chance The Rapper, "Angels"
Desiigner, "Panda"
WINNER: Drake, "Hotline Bling"
Best Pop Video:
Adele, "Hello"
Alessia Cara, "Wild Things"
Ariana Grande, "Into You"
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation"
Justin Bieber, "Sorry"
Best Rock Video:
All Time Low, "Missing You"
Coldplay, "Adventure Of A Lifetime"
Fall Out Boy ft. Demi Lovato, "Irresistible"
Panic! At The Disco, "Victorious"
WINNER: twenty one pilots, "Heathens"
Best Electronic Video:
99 Souls ft. Destiny's Child & Brandy, "The Girl Is Mine"
Afrojack, "SummerThing!"
WINNER: Calvin Harris & Disciples, "How Deep Is Your Love"
Mike Posner, "I Took A Pill In Ibiza"
The Chainsmokers ft. Daya, "Don't Let Me Down"
Breakthrough Long Form Video:
WINNER: Beyoncé, Lemonade
Chris Brown, Royalty
Florence + The Machine, The Odyssey
Justin Bieber, PURPOSE: The Movement
Troye Sivan, Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy
Best New Artist:
Bryson Tiller
Desiigner
WINNER: DNCE
Lukas Graham
Zara Larsson
Best Art Direction:
Adele, "Hello" (Art Production Designer: Colombe Raby)
Beyoncé, "Hold Up" (Production Designer: Jason Hougaard)
WINNER: David Bowie, "Blackstar" (Production Designer: Jan Houllevigue)
Drake "Hotline Bling" (Production Designer: Jeremy MacFarlane)
Fergie, "M.I.L.F. $" (Production Designer: Alexander Delgado)
Best Choreography:
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation" (Choreographer: Chris Grant, JaQuel Knight, Dana Foglia)
Beyoncé, "Sorry" (Choreographer: Chris Grant, JaQuel Knight, Dana Foglia, Anthony Burrell, Beyoncé Knowles Carter)
FKA Twigs, "M3LL155X" (Choreographer: FKA Twigs)
Florence + The Machine, "Delilah" (Choreographer: Holly Blakey)
Missy Elliott ft. Pharrell, "WTF (Where They From)" (Choreographer: Hi-Hat)
Best Direction:
Adele, "Hello" (Director: Xavier Dolan)
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation" (Director: Melina Matsoukas)
Coldplay, "Up&Up" (Director: Vania Heymann, Gal Muggia)
David Bowie, "Lazarus" (Director: Johan Renck)
Tame Impala, "The Less I Know The Better" (Director: Canada)
Best Cinematography:
Adele, "Hello" (Cinematographer: André Turpin)
Alesso, "I Wanna Know" (Cinematographer: Corey Jennings)
Ariana Grande, "Into You" (Cinematographer: Paul Laufer)
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation" (Cinematographer: Malik Sayeed)
David Bowie, "Lazarus" (Cinematographer: Crille Forsberg)
Best Editing:
Adele, "Hello" (Editor: Xavier Dolan)
Ariana Grande, "Into You" (Editor: Hannah Lux Davis)
WINNER: Beyoncé, "Formation" (Editor: Jeff Selis)
David Bowie, "Lazarus" (Editor: Johan Söderberg)
Fergie, "M.I.L.F. $" (Editor: Vinnie Hobbs)
Best Visual Effects:
Adele, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" (VFX Editor: Sam Sneade)
WINNER: Coldplay, "Up&Up" (VFX Editor: Vania Heymann)
FKA Twigs, "M3LL155X" (VFX Editor: Lewis Saunders, Jihoon Yoo)
The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face" (VFX Editor: Bryan Smaller)
Zayn, "PILLOWTALK" (VFX Editor: David Smith)
Song of the Summer:
Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For”
Drake, “One Dance”
WINNER: Fifth Harmony ft. Fetty Wap, “All In My Head”
Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”
Kent Jones, “Don’t Mind”
Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber, “Cold Water”
Nick Jonas ft. Ty Dolla $ign, “Bacon”
Selena Gomez, “Kill ‘Em With Kindness”
Sia, “Cheap Thrills”
The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey, “Closer”
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