1987 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1987 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 11, 1987, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1986, to May 1, 1987. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Carolyne Heldman, Kevin Seal, Michael Tomioka, and Dweezil Zappa, and it took place at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. [1]

This year featured the debut of the award for Best Video from a Film, which recognized the most outstanding video of a song taken from a movie soundtrack. Concurrently, 1987 also saw the elimination of the Special Recognition award that had been given out every year since 1984. Unlike Video Vanguard, which could go a few years without being handed out and then return, the Special Recognition award was never again given out at the VMAs.

In terms of awards, meanwhile, Peter Gabriel was undoubtedly the night's biggest winner, as he took home a record-setting ten moonmen that night, including Video of the Year and the Video Vanguard award. Gabriel's video for "Sledgehammer" earned nine moonmen out of the ten it was in the running for, making it the night's most nominated video of the night, as well as the most rewarded video in VMA history. Lastly, Gabriel also set a record for the most VMA nominations in a single year, as along with the ten nominations for "Sledgehammer," Gabriel's video for "Big Time" also received two nominations, bringing his total up to twelve nominations in 1987. This record would go uncontested until 2010, when Lady Gaga received thirteen nominations.

Nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble"
• U2 — "With or Without You"
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love"

Best Male Video

• David Bowie — "Day-In Day-Out"
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Robert Palmer — "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On"
• Paul Simon — "You Can Call Me Al"
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love"

Best Female Video

• Kate Bush — "The Big Sky"
• Janet Jackson — "Nasty"
• Cyndi Lauper — "True Colors"
• Madonna — "Open Your Heart"
• Madonna — "Papa Don't Preach"

Best Group Video

• The Bangles — "Walk Like an Egyptian"
• Crowded House — "Don't Dream It's Over"
• Eurythmics — "Missionary Man"
• Talking Heads — "Wild Wild Life"
• U2 — "With or Without You"

Best New Artist in a Video

• Robert Cray — "Smoking Gun"
• Crowded House — "Don't Dream It's Over"
• The Georgia Satellites — "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"
• Bruce Hornsby and the Range — "The Way It Is"
• Timbuk3 — "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"

Best Concept Video

• Eurythmics — "Missionary Man"
• Peter Gabriel — "Big Time"
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Talking Heads — "Wild Wild Life"

Best Video from a Film

• Eric Clapton — "It's in the Way That You Use It" (from The Color of Money)
• Rodney Dangerfield — "Twist and Shout" (from Back to School)
• Aretha Franklin — "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (from Jumpin' Jack Flash)
• Ben E. King — "Stand by Me" (from Stand by Me)
• Talking Heads — "Wild Wild Life" (from True Stories)

Most Experimental Video

• Eurythmics — "Missionary Man"
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Huey Lewis and the News — "Hip to Be Square"
• Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble"

Best Stage Performance in a Video

• Bon Jovi — "Livin' on a Prayer"
• Bon Jovi — "You Give Love a Bad Name"
• Run-D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith) — "Walk This Way"
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — "Born to Run"
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — "War"

Best Overall Performance in a Video

• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Janet Jackson — "Nasty"
• Madonna — "Papa Don't Preach"
• Run-D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith) — "Walk This Way"
• U2 — "With or Without You"

Best Direction in a Video

• Crowded House — "Don't Dream It's Over" (Director: Alex Proyas)
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer" (Director: Stephen R. Johnson)
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion" (Directors: John Lloyd and Jim Yukich)
• U2 — "With or Without You" (Director: Meiert Avis)
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love" (Directors: Peter Kagan and Paula Greif)

Best Choreography in a Video

• The Bangles — "Walk Like an Egyptian"
• Janet Jackson — "Nasty" (Choreographer: Paula Abdul)
• Janet Jackson — "When I Think of You" (Choreographers: Paula Abdul and Michael Kidd)
• Madonna — "Open Your Heart"
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love" (Choreographer: Roberta Mathes)

Best Special Effects in a Video

• Eurythmics — "Missionary Man"
• Peter Gabriel — "Big Time" (Special Effect: David Daniels)
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer" (Special Effects: Stephen R. Johnson and Peter Lord)
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble" (Special Effect: Jim Blashfield)

Best Art Direction in a Video

• Breakfast Club — "Right on Track" (Art Director: Ally Willis)
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer" (Art Directors: Stephen R. Johnson, Stephen Quay, and Timothy Quay)
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Madonna — "Open Your Heart"
• Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble"

Best Editing in a Video

• Bon Jovi — "Wanted Dead or Alive"
• Eurythmics — "Missionary Man"
• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer" (Editors: Stephen R. Johnson and Colin Green)
• Robbie Nevil — "C'est La Vie"
• U2 — "With or Without You"
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love" (Editors: Glenn Lazzaro and Laura Israel)

Best Cinematography in a Video

• Cyndi Lauper — "What's Going On" (Director of Photography: Juan Ruiz Anchia)
• Madonna — "Papa Don't Preach" (Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus)
• Robbie Nevil — "C'est La Vie" (Director of Photography: Mark Plummer)
• U2 — "With or Without You" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl)
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love" (Director of Photography: Rob Haggart)

Viewer's Choice

• Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"
• Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
• Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble"
• U2 — "With or Without You"
• Steve Winwood — "Higher Love"

Video Vanguard Award

• Peter Gabriel
• Julien Temple

Performances

• Los Lobos — "La Bamba"
• Bryan Adams — "Only the Strong Survive"/"Victim of Love"
• The Bangles — "Walk Like an Egyptian"/"Walking Down Your Street"
• Bon Jovi — "Livin' on a Prayer"
• Crowded House — "Don't Dream It's Over"/"Now We're Getting Somewhere"
• Madonna — "Causing a Commotion"
• Whitesnake — "Still of the Night"
• Whitney Houston — "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"/"Didn't We Almost Have It All"
• The Cars — "You Are the Girl"/"Double Trouble"
• David Bowie — "Never Let Me Down"
• Prince — "Sign o' the Times"/"Play in the Sunshine"
• Cyndi Lauper — "Change of Heart"/"True Colors"
• Run-D.M.C. (featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) — "Walk This Way"

Appearances

• Howie Mandel - Presented Best New Artist In A Video
• Cyndi Lauper - Presented Best Stage Performance In A Video
• Herbie Hancock - Presented Most Experimental Video
• Weird Al Yankovic - Presented Best Concept Video
• Cher - Presented Viewer's Choice
• Poison - Presented Best Female Video

External links

• Official MTV site