1985 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1985 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 13, 1985, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1984, to May 1, 1985. The show was hosted by Eddie Murphy at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Don Henley was the night's biggest winner, taking home four Moonmen, including Video of the Year. In fact, his video for "The Boys of Summer" was also the year's most nominated video, receiving seven nominations in total. Lastly, David Lee Roth turned out to be the most nominated artist that night, receiving eight nominations for two of his videos: five for "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" and three for "California Girls." Nevertheless, Roth came out of the ceremony empty-handed that night.

Nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More"
• David Lee Roth — "California Girls"
• David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"
• USA for Africa — "We Are the World"

Best Male Video

• Glenn Frey — "Smuggler's Blues"
• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer"
• David Lee Roth — "California Girls"
• David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"
• Bruce Springsteen — "I'm on Fire"

Best Female Video

• Cyndi Lauper — "She Bop"
• Madonna — "Material Girl"
• Sade — "Smooth Operator"
• Sheila E. — "The Glamorous Life"
• Tina Turner — "What's Love Got to Do with It"

Best Group Video

• The Cars — "Drive"
• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?"
• Huey Lewis and the News — "If This Is It"
• U2 — "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
• USA for Africa — "We Are the World"

Best New Artist in a Video

• Frankie Goes to Hollywood — "Two Tribes"
• Julian Lennon — "Too Late for Goodbyes"
• Sade — "Smooth Operator"
• Sheila E. — "The Glamorous Life"
• 'Til Tuesday — "Voices Carry"

Best Concept Video

• Frankie Goes to Hollywood — "Two Tribes"
• Glenn Frey — "Smuggler's Blues"
• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More"
• David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"

Most Experimental Video

• Art of Noise — "Close (To the Edit)"
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Go Insane"
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Slow Dancing"
• Chris Isaak — "Dancin'"
• Lone Justice — "Ways to Be Wicked"

Best Stage Performance in a Video

• David Bowie — "Blue Jean (live)"
• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?"
• Bruce Springsteen — "Dancing in the Dark"
• Talking Heads — "Once in a Lifetime (live)"
• Tina Turner — "Better Be Good to Me"

Best Overall Performance in a Video

• Phillip Bailey and Phil Collins — "Easy Lover"
• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?"
• David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"
• Bruce Springsteen — "Dancing in the Dark"
• USA for Africa — "We Are the World"

Best Direction in a Video

• Bryan Adams — "Run to You" (Director: Steven Barron)
• Duran Duran — "The Wild Boys" (Director: Russell Mulcahy)
• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer" (Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino)
• Chris Isaak — "Dancin'" (Director: Mary Lambert)
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More" (Director: Jeff Stein)
• Simple Minds — "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Director: Daniel Kleinman)
• Toto — "Stranger in Town" (Director: Steven Barron)

Best Choreography in a Video

• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?" (Choreographer: Eddie Baytos)
• Elton John — "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (Choreographer: David Atkins)
• Madonna — "Like a Virgin" (Choreographer: Madonna)
• Madonna — "Material Girl" (Choreographer: Kenny Ortega)
• Prince and The Revolution — "When Doves Cry" (Choreographer: Prince)
• Sheila E. — "The Glamorous Life" (Choreographer: Lesli Glatter)
• Tina Turner — "Private Dancer" (Choreographer: Arlene Phillips)

Best Special Effects in a Video

• Bryan Adams — "Run to You" (Special Effects: Cinebuild)
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Go Insane" (Special Effects: David Yardley)
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Slow Dancing" (Special Effects: David Yardley)
• Culture Club — "It's a Miracle" (Special Effects: David Yardley)
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More" (Special Effects: Tony Mitchell, Kathy Dougherty, and Peter Cohen)

Best Art Direction in a Video

• Bryan Adams — "Run to You" (Art Director: Steven Barron)
• Peter Brown — "Zie Zie Won't Dance" (Art Director: John Jolly)
• Culture Club — "It's a Miracle" (Art Director: Bruce Hill)
• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer" (Art Director: Bryan Jones)
• Madonna — "Like a Virgin" (Art Director: John Ebdon)
• Simple Minds — "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Art Director: Mark Rimmell)

Best Editing in a Video

• Bryan Adams — "Run to You" (Editor: John Mister)
• Art of Noise — "Close (to the Edit)" (Editor: Zbigniew Rybczyński)
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Go Insane" (Editor: David Yardley)
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Slow Dancing" (Editor: David Yardley)
• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?" (Editor: Glenn Morgan)

Best Cinematography in a Video

• Bryan Adams — "Heaven (version 2)" (Director of Photography: Peter MacDonald)
• Bryan Adams — "Run to You" (Director of Photography: Frank Gell)
• Lindsey Buckingham — "Go Insane" (Director of Photography: Oliver Stapleton)
• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer" (Director of Photography: Pascal Lebegue)
• Madonna — "Like a Virgin" (Director of Photography: Peter Sinclair)

Viewer's Choice

• Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More"
• David Lee Roth — "California Girls"
• David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"
• USA for Africa — "We Are the World"

Video Vanguard Award

• David Byrne
• Russell Mulcahy
• Godley & Creme

Special Recognition Award

• Bob Geldof [1]

Performances

• Eurythmics — "Would I Lie to You?"
• David Ruffin, Eddie Kendrick and Hall & Oates — "The Way You Do the Things You Do"/"My Girl"
• Tears for Fears — "Shout"
• John Cougar Mellencamp — "Lonely Ol' Night"
• Pat Benatar — "7 Rooms of Gloom"
• Sting — "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free"
• Eddie Murphy — "Party All the Time"

External links

• Official MTV site
• 1985 MTV Video Music Awards at the Internet Movie Database

References