The MTV VMAs stuck to home ground for the fourth straight year, this year MTV pulled out Chris Rock from the SNL stables to be the master of ceremony. The MTV VMAs was the first major Awards that Chris Rock had hosted subsequent to his fame as an actor and one of the greatest comedians of all-time. Chris took to the stage like a fish to water, so there was nothing on that front that MTV had to worry about. The show was back at what it did best, coupling disparate personalities together to present the awards, this time they pooled in Martha Stewart and Busta Rhymes to give up the award for Best Dance Video to the hugely popular Spice Girls.
Beck reaped four shiny Moonmen including the Best Direction and Best Male Video awards for his Devil’s Haircut. Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity also snapped up four awards of which two were the all important, Video of The Year and Breakthrough Video. The Viewer’s Choice went home with Prodigy for their hit single Breathe. The 1997 VMAs had the feel of a mini tribute to then recently felled rap star Notorious B.I.G.. P.Diddy, Faith Evans, 112, and Sting did a live rendition of I’ll Be Missing You dedicated to the memory of B.I.G.
The show also featured performances by the Spice Girls, Jamiroquai, Bruce Springsteen and The Wallflowers, U2, Marilyn Manson and The Prodigy. This was one hell of a party- some of the biggest stars in the 90’s were in it and one of the best new age comedians was hosting it. MTV was definitely playing their cards right.
List of Nominees and Winners at the MTV Video Music Awards 1997
Video of the Year
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Beck - The New Pollution
- Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
- Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
- No Doubt - Don't Speak
Best Male Video
- Beck - Devil's Haircut
- Babyface - Everytime I Close My Eyes
- R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
- Will Smith - Men In Black
Best Female Video
- Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
- Erykah Badu - On & On
- Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart
- Meredith Brooks - Bitch
- Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone
Best Group Video
- No Doubt - Don't Speak
- Blur - Song 2
- Counting Crows - A Long December
- Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
- The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Best Rap Video
- The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
- Blackstreet f/ Dr. Dre - No Diggity
- Dr. Dre - Been There, Done That
- Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
Best R&B Video
- Puff Daddy & The Family f/ Faith Evans & 112 - I'll Be Missing You
- Babyface With Stevie Wonder - How Come, How Long
- Erykah Badu - On & On
- Blackstreet f/ Dr. Dre - No Diggity
- Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart
Best Dance Video
- Spice Girls - Wannabe
- The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
- Freak Nasty - Da Dip
- Prodigy – Breathe
Best Rock Video
- Aerosmith
- Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
- Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
- Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
- Rage Against The Machine - People of the Sun
Viewer's Choice
- Prodigy - Breathe
- Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
- Puff Daddy & The Family f/ Faith Evans & 112 - I'll Be Missing You
- Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There
- The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Best New Artist
- Fiona Apple - Sleep To Dream
- Meredith Brooks - Bitch
- Hanson - MMMBop
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Breakthrough Video
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
- Daft Punk - Da Funk
- Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
- Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Best Alternative Video
- Sublime - What I Got
- Beck - Song 2
- Blur - Push It
- Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
- Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
Best Video From A Film
- Will Smith
- Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
- R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
- Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden
Best Direction
- Beck - The New Pollution
- Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
- The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End
Best Choreography
- Beck - The New Pollution
- Cibo Matto - Sugar Water
- Dr. Dre - Been There, Done That
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Will Smith - Men In Black
Best Special Effects
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Eels - novocaine for the soul
- Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
- The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End
- Will Smith - Men In Black
Best Art Direction
- Beck - The New Pollution
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
- Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
Best Editing
- Beck - Devil's Haircut
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End
- The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Best Cinematography
- Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
- Eels - novocaine for the soul
- Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
- The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End