Ed Sheeran sits in the winners room during the MTV EMAs 2021 at the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sports Arena on Nov. 14, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.
John Phillips/Getty Images for MTVBTS and Ed Sheeran each won multiple awards at the 2021 MTV EMAs, which were broadcast live from the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday (Nov. 14).
BTS won best pop, best K-Pop, best group and biggest fans. Sheeran took best artist and best song for his smash “Bad Habits.” Sheeran opened the show with his latest single, “Overpass Graffiti.” Later in the show, the British superstar performed his hit “Shivers.”
Lil Nas X won best video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)." The pop star accepted his video via a funny and imaginative film clip in which he played an order-filler at a fast-food restaurant, wearing a "Montero" name tag. A customer in the drive-through handed him the award through his car window.
Justin Bieber, who led the field with eight nominations, didn’t win in any categories. Nor did The Kid LAROI, who had five nominations.
Saweetie, who hosted the show, won best new (beating Olivia Rodrigo, who at least managed to win best push). This is the sixth consecutive year that a female solo artist has won best new. Saweetie follows Zara Larsson, Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Eilish and Doja Cat. Saweetie also performed a medley of her hits “Best Friend,” “Tap In” and “OUT OUT.”
Three other artists both won awards and performed on the show. Colombian heartthrob Maluma won best Latin and also performed his new single “Mama Tetema,” joined by Tanzanian singer Rayvanny. The Italian rock band Måneskin, whose “Beggin’” is in the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, won best rock and also performed “Mammamia.” YUNGBLUD won best alternative and closed the show with a pyrotechnics-filled performance of his latest single “fleabag.”
Awards were also presented to artists representing various countries. Taylor Swift won as best American act. She accepted in a video clip she filmed in New York on Friday.
Kim Petras made EMAs history as the first trans artist to perform at the show. Petras sang a medley of two new unreleased songs, “Coconuts” and “Hit It From the Back.”
Imagine Dragons performed their new single “Enemy,” alongside Grammy-nominated rapper and artist J.I.D. British rising star Griff made her EMA debut performing “One Night.” Norwegian indie pop musician girl in red made her EMA debut performing her hit single “Serotonin.” WorldStage headliners OneRepublic performed “Run” at Heroes Square in Budapest complete with a fireworks finale.
The show also featured appearances by Rita Ora, model Winnie Harlow, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, WWE star Drew McIntyre, Olly Alexander (Years & Years), DJ and producer Joel Corry, and Brazilian singer Manu Gavassi.
For the first time, the MTV EMA Generation Change Award winners were recognized during the EMAs main show. This year’s honorees are five young people who are fighting anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore honored the recipients in a taped piece where she spoke about equality. The MTV EMA Generation Change Award is a part of an expanded partnership between MTV Entertainment (MTVE), a division of ViacomCBS, and All Out, a leading global LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and part of ViacomCBS’ Content for Change initiative.
The event aired on MTV in 180 countries.
Here’s the full list of 2021 MTV EMA winners:
Best Artist
Doja Cat
WINNER: Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd
Best Pop
WINNER: BTS
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
Best Song
Doja Cat featuring SZA – “Kiss Me More”
WINNER: Ed Sheeran – “Bad Habits”
Justin Bieber – “Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar, Giveon
Lil Nas X – “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
Olivia Rodrigo – “drivers license”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay”
Best Video
Doja Cat featuring SZA – “Kiss Me More”
Ed Sheeran – “Bad Habits”
Justin Bieber – “Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar, Giveon
WINNER: Lil Nas X – “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
Normani featuring Cardi B – “Wild Side”
Taylor Swift – “willow”
Best Collaboration
Black Eyed Peas, Shakira – “Girl Like Me”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) – “Leave the Door Open”
WINNER: Doja Cat featuring SZA – “Kiss Me More”
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande – “Save Your Tears” (Remix)
Best New
Giveon
Griff
Olivia Rodrigo
Rauw Alejandro
WINNER: Saweetie
The Kid LAROI
Best Electronic
Calvin Harris
WINNER: David Guetta
Joel Corry
Marshmello
Skrillex
Swedish House Mafia
Best Rock
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Kings Of Leon
WINNER: Måneskin
The Killers
Best Alternative
Halsey
Lorde
Machine Gun Kelly
Twenty One Pilots
Willow
WINNER: YUNGBLUD
Best Latin
Bad Bunny
J. Balvin
WINNER: Maluma
Rauw Alejandro
Rosalía
Shakira
Best Hip Hop
Cardi B
DJ Khaled
Drake
Kanye West
Megan Thee Stallion
WINNER: Nicki Minaj
Best K-Pop
WINNER: BTS
Lisa
Monsta X
NCT 127
ROSÉ
Twice
Best Group
WINNER: BTS
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
Little Mix
Måneskin
Silk Sonic
Best Push
24KGoldn
Fousheé
girl in red
Griff
JC Stewart
JXDN
Latto
Madison Beer
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
Remi Wolf
SAINt JHN
The Kid LAROI
Biggest Fans
Ariana Grande
Blackpink
WINNER: BTS
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
Video for Good
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “Your Power”
Demi Lovato – “Dancing With the Devil”
girl in red – “Serotonin”
H.E.R. – “Fight for You”
Harry Styles – “Treat People With Kindness”
Lil Nas X – “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
MTV EMA Generation Change Award
(All are award recipients)
Amir Ashour (Iraq)
Matthew Blaise (Nigeria)
Sage Dolan-Sandrino (U.S.)
Erika Hilton (Brazil)
Viktória Radványi (Hungary)
NEWS
Placebo have kicked off their 30th anniversary tour by dusting off some tracks for the first time in over 20 years, and also playing new single ‘Helen Keller’ live for the first time.
The new dates come as the band are celebrating the 30 years since they dropped their 1996 debut album. To mark the occasion, they have announced a huge UK and European arena tour, where they have vowed to predominantly play material from their first album and their sophomore record ‘Without You I’m Nothing’.
At the opening night at Krakatoa in Mérignac, France, Brian Molko and co. delivered a stacked 19-song set, which began with ‘Pure Morning’, and immediately went into the first rendition of ‘Come Home’ in 20 years.
Another rarity came straight after, with the first live performance of ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ since 2001, as well as ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ and ‘Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth)’ which were played for the first time since 2018 and 2014 respectively.
‘Drowning by Numbers’, ‘Bruise Pristine’ and ‘My Sweet Prince’ were all introduced into the setlist for the first time since 2001, ‘Brick Shithouse’ was aired out for the first time since 2003, ‘Scared Of Girls’ was played for the first time since 2010, and both ‘Lady Of The Flowers’ and ‘36 Degrees’ were broken out for the first time in nine years.
The rest of the set was made up of ‘Teenage Angst’, ‘Bionic’, ‘I Know’ and ‘Every You Every Me’, and the band wrapped up the performance with two covers: Depeche Mode’s ‘I Feel You’, and Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’.
It wasn’t until a later show at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, that Placebo broke out their new song ‘Helen Keller’ for the first time – playing it 13 songs into the setlist.
Check out more footage from the tour so far below, as well as the setlist from night one.
‘Pure Morning’
‘Come Home’ (First time since 2006)
‘You Don’t Care About Us'(First Time Since 2001)
‘Teenage Angst’
‘Bionic’
‘Without You I’m Nothing” (First Time Since 2018)
‘Allergic (to Thoughts of Mother Earth)” (First Time Since 2014)
‘Drowning by Numbers” (First Time Since 2001)
’36 Degrees” (Alternate Version – First Time Since 2017)
‘I Know’
‘Brick Shithouse’ (First Time Since 2003)
‘Scared of Girls’ (First Time Since 2010)
‘Bruise Pristine” (First Time Since 2001)
‘My Sweet Prince’ (First Time Since 2001)
‘Lady of the Flowers’ (First time since 2017)
‘Nancy Boy’
‘Every You Every Me’
‘I Feel You’ (Depeche Mode cover, live debut)
‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (Kate Bush cover)
Placebo dropped the single ‘Helen Keller’ on September 28, and it sees them reach back to ‘H.K. Farewell’, a hidden instrumental from the era of their self-titled 1996 debut. In the track, they retain the eerie keyboard melody from the original, and push it to new dimensions with a heavier, more anguished feeling.
The title refers to the American author, who was also a disability rights advocate and political activist, who became deafblind as a young child and went on to become an internationally renowned writer and campaigner.
As well as the tour, Placebo also celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut by releasing a reimagined version of the record. For the LP, Molko and Stefan Olsdal returned to the original master tapes and reworked all 10 songs from the 1996 record – describing it as a “director’s cut” that helped them inject the original songs with three decades more experience.
The ongoing tour will reach the UK and Ireland in late November and early December, where they will play Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff. See all the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
Dates will head to Latin America in 2027, beginning in São Paulo on February 20 and running through Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia before wrapping up with shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
Placebo dropped their last album of new material in 2022, with ‘Never Let Me Go’. That record was given a four-star review by NME, which described it as “a renaissance rock record with an experimental edge”, adding that it found Placebo “inspired and ready for a new era”.
