1984 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1984 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 14, 1984, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1983, to May 2, 1984. The show was hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Herbie Hancock was the night's biggest winner, taking home five awards, followed by Michael Jackson, who won three. The night's main award, though, went The Cars for "You Might Think," making this the first of a very small number of times in which the winner of Video of the Year did not take home any other awards that night.

In terms of nominations, meanwhile, Hancock's "Rockit" and The Police's "Every Breath You Take" were the year's most nominated videos, with each receiving eight nominations apiece. Finally, the most nominated artist of 1984 was Cyndi Lauper, who aside from winning the Best Female Video moonman received nine nominations that year for two of her videos: six for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and three for "Time After Time."

Nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

• The Cars — "You Might Think"
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take"

Best Male Video

• David Bowie — "China Girl"
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
• Billy Joel — "Uptown Girl"
• Lionel Richie — "All Night Long (All Night)"

Best Female Video

• Pat Benatar — "Love Is a Battlefield"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Time After Time"
• Bette Midler — "Beast of Burden"
• Donna Summer — "She Works Hard for the Money"

Best Group Video

• Huey Lewis and the News — "The Heart of Rock & Roll"
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take"
• Van Halen — "Jump"
• ZZ Top — "Legs"
• ZZ Top — "Sharp Dressed Man"

Best New Artist in a Video

• Eurythmics — "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Time After Time"
• Madonna — "Borderline"
• Wang Chung — "Dance Hall Days"

Best Concept Video

• The Cars — "You Might Think"
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• The Rolling Stones — "Undercover of the Night"

Most Experimental Video

• The Alan Parsons Project — "Don't Answer Me"
• The Cars — "You Might Think"
• Thomas Dolby — "Hyperactive!"
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
• Neil Young — "Wonderin'"

Best Stage Performance in a Video

• David Bowie — "Modern Love"
• Duran Duran — "The Reflex"
• Bette Midler — "Beast of Burden"
• The Pretenders — "Middle of the Road"
• Van Halen — "Jump"

Best Overall Performance in a Video

• David Bowie — "China Girl"
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take"
• Van Halen — "Jump"

Best Direction in a Video

• The Bongos — "Numbers with Wings" (Director: Juliano Waldman)
• Ian Hunter — "All of the Good Ones Are Taken" (Director: Martin Kahan)
• Billy Idol — "Dancing with Myself" (Director: Tobe Hooper)
• Cyndi Lauper — "Time After Time" (Director: Edd Griles)
• Huey Lewis and the News — "I Want a New Drug" (Director: David Rathod)
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take" (Directors: Godley & Creme)
• ZZ Top — "Gimme All Your Lovin'" (Director: Tim Newman)
• ZZ Top — "Sharp Dressed Man" (Director: Tim Newman)

Best Choreography in a Video

• Toni Basil — "Over My Head" (Choreographer: Toni Basil)
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller" (Choreographers: Michael Jackson and Michael Peters)
• Elton John — "I'm Still Standing" (Choreographer: Arlene Phillips)
• Bette Midler — "Beast of Burden" (Choreographers: Bette Midler and Toni Basil)
• Donna Summer — "She Works Hard for the Money" (Choreographer: Arlene Phillips)

Best Special Effects in a Video

• The Cars — "You Might Think" (Special Effects: Charlex)
• Thomas Dolby — "Hyperactive!" (Special Effects: Dave Yardley)
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit" (Special Effects: Godley & Creme)
• Billy Idol — "Dancing with Myself" (Special Effects: Eric Critchley)
• Talking Heads — "Burning Down the House" (Special Effects: David Byrne and Julia Hayward)

Best Art Direction in a Video

• The Cars — "You Might Think" (Art Director: Bob Ryzner)
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit" (Art Directors: Jim Whiting and Godley & Creme)
• Billy Idol — "Dancing with Myself" (Art Director: Kim Colefax)
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take" (Art Directors: Kim Colefax and Godley & Creme)
• Queen — "Radio Ga Ga" (Art Director: Bryce Walmsley)

Best Editing in a Video

• Duran Duran — "The Reflex" (Editor: Steven Priest)
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit" (Editors: Roo Aiken and Godley & Creme)
• Billy Idol — "Eyes Without a Face" (Editor: Chris Trexler)
• Elton John — "I'm Still Standing" (Editor: Warren Lynch)
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take" (Editors: Roo Aiken and Godley & Creme)
• ZZ Top — "Legs" (Editor: Sim Sadler and Bob Sarles)
• ZZ Top — "Sharp Dressed Man" (Editor: Sim Sadler)

Best Cinematography in a Video

• David Bowie — "China Girl" (Director of Photography: John Metcalf)
• Billy Idol — "Eyes Without a Face" (Director of Photography: Tony Mitchell)
• Kiss — "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" (Directors of Photography: Tony Mitchell and Jim Crispi)
• John Cougar Mellencamp — "Authority Song" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl)
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl)
• Stray Cats — "(She's) Sexy + 17" (Director of Photography: Harry Lake)

Viewer's Choice

• The Cars — "You Might Think"
• Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
• Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
• The Police — "Every Breath You Take"

Video Vanguard Award

• The Beatles
• David Bowie
• Richard Lester

Special Recognition Award

• Quincy Jones ^[1]

Performances

• Rod Stewart — "Infatuation"
• Madonna — "Like a Virgin"
• Huey Lewis and the News — "I Want a New Drug"
• David Bowie — "Blue Jean"
• Tina Turner — "What's Love Got to Do with It"
• ZZ Top — "Sharp Dressed Man"
• Ray Parker, Jr. — "Ghostbusters"

Appearances

• Ed Koch — proclaimed that Radio City Music Hall would be renamed "Video City Music Hall" for the night
• Cyndi Lauper — read the eligibility and voting rules in "ancient Babylonian"
• Roger Daltrey — presented Best Overall Performance in a Video
• Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas — presented Best New Artist in a Video
• J.J. Jackson — appeared in a backstage segment before a commercial break
• Ronnie Wood — presented Best Stage Performance in a Video
• Daryl Hall and John Oates — introduced the winners of the professional categories
• Peter Wolf — presented Best Choreography in a Video (with ballerina Cynthia Gregory)
• Alan Hunter — appeared in a segment from the mezzanine after a commercial break
• Dale Bozzio — presented Most Experimental Video
• Ric Ocasek — presented Best Group Video
• Mick Jagger — introduced the next presenters via a taped message
• The Police (Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland) — presented Video Vanguard to The Beatles and Richard Lester
• Herbie Hancock — presented Video Vanguard to David Bowie
• John Cougar Mellencamp — interviewed by Mark Goodman from his seat before a commercial break
• John Landis — presented Best Direction in a Video
• Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood — presented the Special Recognition Award
• David Lee Roth — interviewed by Martha Quinn from his seat before a commercial break
• Fee Waybill — presented Best Concept Video
• Billy Idol — presented Viewer's Choice
• Carly Simon — interviewed by Nina Blackwood backstage before a commercial break
• Duran Duran (Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes) — presented Best Female Video
• The Go-Go's (Belinda Carlisle and Kathy Valentine) — presented Best Male Video
• Iggy Pop — accepted the award for Best Male Video on behalf of David Bowie
• Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo — presented Video of the Year

References

External links

• http://www.mtv.com MTV official site
• http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/1984 MTV Video Music Awards 1984
• http://www.instyle.com/instyle/parties/party/0,,20053852_20083005,00.html In Style's Most Memorable Moments of the VMAs
• 1984 MTV Video Music Awards at the Internet Movie Database