After nominations for the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards were released via Instagram's IGTV feature, speculations regarding the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award began looping the internet. Previous recipients include David Bowie, The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Rihanna. Fans took to Twitter to share predictions as to which icon in music will actually receive the award. Some have argued that Lady Gaga's artistic and detail-driven videography over the past ten years are deserving of the honorable award, while others believe that Missy Elliott has served as countless inspiration with her distinctive choreography and visuals. Some even figured that since she was snubbed in all the major categories, Taylor Swift would take home the golden moon-person.
Gaga Magazine/Twitter
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While the three stars were the most popular candidates in the eyes of "Stan Twitter," MTV revealed on July 31st that Jennifer Lopez would be receiving the notable lifetime achievement award. This makes Lopez only the seventh woman to receive the award since the show first aired in 1984.
Lopez, a Puerto-Rican woman from the Bronx (as we've learned in her 2002 hit "Jenny from the Block"), is a worldwide phenomenon. The Boricua began her career as a Fly Girl dancer on the show "In Living Color," where she was a regular until she pursued an acting career in 1993. By the early 2000s, J-Lo was inspired by her role as Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 biopic "Selena" and became a singer in both mainstream and Latin music. Since then, she's also taken on roles as a producer and fashion designer. She was also the first Latina celebrity to release a fragrance, Glow by J-Lo, and has gone on to release 16 more throughout her career. Lopez has broken records left and right, so it's no surprise that she is a pioneer in Hollywood.
J-Lo is also known for her famed relationship with actor Ben Affleck, which kickstarted the celebrity ship name craze (R.I.P Bennifer). Following her relationship with Affleck, she was married to salsa singer Marc Anthony for eight years and has two children with him.
While the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award is an honor in the music industry, it is not the first award of this kind that J-Lo has under her belt. In 2014, Lopez was the first woman to receive Billboard's Icon Award, which celebrated her lifetime achievements in her career.
Notable hits from J-Lo's repertoire include "Waiting for Tonight," "I'm Real (feat. Ja Rule)," "Love Don't Cost a Thing," and "On the Floor (feat. Pitbull)." Lopez's career has been thriving for nearly three decades and has served as significant inspiration for Latinas and women everywhere.
J-Lo currently has a hit primetime cop show on NBC, "Shades of Blue" and serves as a judge on the dance competition show "World of Dance." She also has a Las Vegas residency show, released a makeup collaboration with Inglot Cosmetics, and is producing and starring in a comedy film set for release in November 2018, "Second Act." That's not all – she also has two singles on the charts right now, "Dinero" with DJ Khaled and Cardi B and a remix of "El Anillo" with Ozuna. There's no stopping J-Lo!
Recipients of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award typically perform their greatest hits in medleys (a la Beyonce circa 2014), throughout the ceremony (a la Rihanna circa 2016), or are featured in a dancing tribute highlighting their career (Britney Spears circa 2011).
Jennifer Lopez is performing at the 2018 MTV VMAs on Monday, August 20th at 9:00 p.m.
Energetic dance performance under the spotlight.
Taylor Swift in a purple coat, captivating the crowd on stage.
Taylor Swift shines on stage in a sparkling outfit and boots.
Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers sharing a joyful duet on stage.
