1989 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1989 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1989, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles^[1].

Nominations

Winners are in bold text.

Video of the Year

• Fine Young Cannibals — "She Drives Me Crazy"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Madonna — "Like a Prayer"
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"
• Neil Young — "This Note's for You"

Best Male Video

• Bobby Brown — "Every Little Step"
• Elvis Costello — "Veronica"
• Lou Reed — "Dirty Blvd."
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"

Best Female Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Tracy Chapman — "Fast Car"
• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Tanita Tikaram — "Twist in My Sobriety"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"

Best Group Video

• Fine Young Cannibals — "She Drives Me Crazy"
• Guns N' Roses — "Sweet Child o' Mine"
• Living Colour — "Cult of Personality"
• Traveling Wilburys — "Handle with Care"

Best New Artist in a Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Edie Brickell & New Bohemians — "What I Am"
• Neneh Cherry — "Buffalo Stance"
• Living Colour — "Cult of Personality"

Best Heavy Metal Video

• Aerosmith — "Rag Doll"
• Def Leppard — "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
• Guns N' Roses — "Sweet Child o' Mine"
• Metallica — "One"

Best Rap Video

• DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — "Parents Just Don't Understand"
• Ice-T — "Colors"
• Kool Moe Dee — "How Ya Like Me Now"
• MC Hammer — "Turn This Mutha Out"
• Tone Lōc — "Wild Thing"

Best Dance Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Bobby Brown — "Every Little Step"
• Michael Jackson — "Smooth Criminal"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"

Best Post-Modern Video

• The Cure — "Fascination Street"
• The Escape Club — "Wild, Wild West"
• Love and Rockets — "So Alive"
• R.E.M. — "Orange Crush"
• Siouxsie & the Banshees — "Peek-a-Boo"

Best Video from a Film

• The Belle Stars — "Iko Iko" (from Rain Man)
• Ice-T — "Colors" (from Colors)
• Annie Lennox and Al Green — "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (from Scrooged)
• U2 with B. B. King — "When Love Comes to Town" (from Rattle and Hum)

Breakthrough Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Art of Noise (featuring Tom Jones) — "Kiss"
• Elvis Costello — "Veronica"
• The Escape Club — "Wild, Wild West"
• Fine Young Cannibals — "She Drives Me Crazy"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"

Best Stage Performance in a Video

• Bobby Brown — "My Prerogative"
• Def Leppard — "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
• Guns N' Roses — "Paradise City"
• Living Colour — "Cult of Personality"

Best Direction in a Video

• DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — "Parents Just Don't Understand"
• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Van Halen — "Finish What Ya Started"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"

Best Choreography in a Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Bobby Brown — "Every Little Step"
• Michael Jackson — "Smooth Criminal"
• New Kids on the Block — "You Got It (The Right Stuff)"

Best Special Effects in a Video

• Adrian Belew — "Oh Daddy"
• The Escape Club — "Wild, Wild West"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Prince — "I Wish U Heaven"

Best Art Direction in a Video

• DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — "Parents Just Don't Understand"
• Debbie Gibson — "Electric Youth"
• INXS — "New Sensation"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"

Best Editing in a Video

• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Jody Watley — "Real Love"
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"

Best Cinematography in a Video

• Michael Jackson — "Smooth Criminal"
• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Tanita Tikaram — "Twist in My Sobriety"
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"

Viewer's Choice

• Fine Young Cannibals — "She Drives Me Crazy"
• Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
• Madonna — "Like a Prayer"
• Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"
• Neil Young — "This Note's for You"

International Viewer's Choice Awards ^[2]

• MTV Europe: Roxette — "The Look"
• MTV Internacional: Chayanne — "Este Ritmo Se Baila Así"
• MTV Japan: Kome Kome Club — "Kome Kome War"

Performances

• Madonna — "Express Yourself"
• Bobby Brown — "On Our Own"
• Def Leppard — "Tear It Down"
• Tone-Loc — "Wild Thing"
• The Cult — "Fire Woman"
• Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"/"Cold Hearted"/"Forever Your Girl"
• Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora — "Livin' on a Prayer"/"Wanted Dead or Alive"
• The Cure — "Just Like Heaven"
• Cher — "If I Could Turn Back Time"
• The Rolling Stones — "Mixed Emotions"
• Axl Rose and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Free Fallin'"/"Heartbreak Hotel"

References

1. ^ [1] Past VMAs - 1989. Retrieved October 12, 2007
2. ^ "YouTube - komekome『MTV Video Music Awards』". Archived from the original on 2009-05-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5gcv8cluH. Retrieved 2009-03-22.