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.
| 1987 MTV Video Music Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | Friday, September 11, 1987 |
| Location | Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles |
| Country | United States |
| Hosted by | Downtown Julie Brown Carolyne Heldman Kevin Seal Michael Tomioka and Dweezil Zappa |
| Most awards | Peter Gabriel (10) |
| Most nominations | Peter Gabriel (12) |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | MTV |
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.
Peter Gabriel received a record-setting ten awards, including Video of the Year and the Video Vanguard award. Gabriel's video for "Sledgehammer" earned nine awards out of the ten it was in the running for, making it the most nominated video of the night, as well as the most rewarded video in VMA history. Gabriel also set a record for the most VMA nominations in a single year, as along with the ten nominations for "Sledgehammer", his video for "Big Time" also received two, bringing his total up to twelve nominations in 1987. This record would go uncontested until 2010, when Lady Gaga received thirteen nominations.
The ceremony's other major nominees were fellow Video of the Year nominees Genesis, Paul Simon, Steve Winwood, and U2, as well as two-time Best Female Video nominee Madonna. Genesis, Winwood, and U2 all received seven nominations for their videos "Land of Confusion", "Higher Love", and "With or Without You", respectively. Meanwhile, Simon and Madonna split their six nominations: the former between "The Boy in the Bubble" and "You Can Call Me Al", and the latter between "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart."
Nominations
Winners are in bold text.
Video of the Year
Best Male Video
Best Female Video
- Kate Bush – "The Big Sky"
- Janet Jackson – "Nasty"
- Cyndi Lauper – "True Colors"
- Madonna – "Open Your Heart"
Best Group Video
Best New Artist in a Video
Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"
- Robert Cray – "Smoking Gun"
- 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
Best Video from a Film
Talking Heads – "Wild Wild Life" (from True Stories)
- 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)
Most Experimental Video
Best Stage Performance in a Video
Bon Jovi – "Livin' on a Prayer"
- Bon Jovi – "You Give Love a Bad Name"
- Run-D.M.C. – "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. – "Walk This Way"
- U2 – "With or Without You"
Best Direction in a Video
Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Director: Stephen R. Johnson)
- Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over" (Director: Alex Proyas)
- Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Directors: Jim Yukich and John Lloyd)
- U2 – "With or Without You" (Director: Meiert Avis)
- Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Directors: Peter Kagan and Paula Greif)
Best Choreography in a Video
Janet Jackson – "Nasty" (Choreographer: Paula Abdul)
- The Bangles – "Walk Like an Egyptian" (Choreographer: Wendy Biller)
- Janet Jackson – "When I Think of You" (Choreographers: Paula Abdul and Michael Kidd)
- Madonna – "Open Your Heart" (Choreographer: Brad Jeffries)
- Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Choreographer: Ed Love)
Best Special Effects in a Video
Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Special Effects: Peter Lord)
- Eurythmics – "Missionary Man" (Special Effects: Willy Smax)
- Peter Gabriel – "Big Time" (Special Effects: Peter Wallach)
- Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Special Effects: Jim Yukich and John Lloyd)
- Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble" (Special Effects: Jim Blashfield)
Best Art Direction in a Video
Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Art Directors: Stephen Quay and Timothy Quay)
- Breakfast Club – "Right on Track" (Art Directors: Allie Willis and Bryan Jones)
- Genesis – "Land of Confusion" (Art Directors: John Lloyd, Jim Yukich and Stephen Bendelack)
- Madonna – "Open Your Heart" (Art Director: Mike Hanan)
- Paul Simon – "The Boy in the Bubble" (Art Director: Jim Blashfield)
Best Editing in a Video
Peter Gabriel – "Sledgehammer" (Editor: Colin Green)
- Bon Jovi – "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Editor: Lisa Hendricks)
- Eurythmics – "Missionary Man" (Editor: John Carroll)
- Robbie Nevil – "C'est la Vie" (Editor: Rick Elgood)
- U2 – "With or Without You" (Editor: Meiert Avis)
- Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Editors: Peter Kagan, Laura Israel and Glen Lazzarro)
Best Cinematography in a Video
Robbie Nevil – "C'est la Vie" (Director of Photography: Mark Plummer)
- Cyndi Lauper – "What's Going On" (Director of Photography: Juan Ruiz Anchía)
- Madonna – "Papa Don't Preach" (Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus)
- U2 – "With or Without You" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl and Matt Mahurin)
- Steve Winwood – "Higher Love" (Director of Photography: Peter Kagan)
Viewer's Choice
Video Vanguard Award
Special Recognition Award
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" (live from New York City)
- Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"/"Now We're Getting Somewhere"
- Madonna – "Causing a Commotion" (live from Italy)
- Whitesnake – "Still of the Night"
- Whitney Houston – "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (live from Saratoga Springs, New York)
- The Cars – "You Are the Girl"/"Double Trouble"
- David Bowie – "Never Let Me Down" (live from Montreal)
- Prince – "Sign o' the Times"/"Play in the Sunshine"
- Whitney Houston – "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (live from Saratoga Springs, New York)
- 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
- Dweezil Zappa – introduced the nominees of the Viewer's Choice award and later briefly interviewed Los Lobos
- Laurie Anderson – presented the Video Vanguard Award to Peter Gabriel
- Richard Wilkins – briefly interviewed Glenn Frey and introduced the next presenter
- Cyndi Lauper – presented Most Experimental Video
- Tina Turner – presented Best Male Video
- Blake Clark – performed a short stand-up routine and introduced a "Randee of the Redwoods" video package
- Robbie Nevil – presented Best Overall Performance in a Video
- Kevin Seal – briefly interviewed Richard Page and introduced the next presenter
- Whoopi Goldberg – presented Best Stage Performance in a Video
- Vanna White – presented Best Choreography in a Video
- Marcel Vanthilt – briefly interviewed Herbie Hancock and introduced the next presenters
- Poison – presented Best Female Video
- Carolyne Heldman – briefly interviewed Cher, Ally Sheedy, Dan Schneider and Brian Robbins
- Bobcat Goldthwait – performed a short stand-up routine and introduced the winner of Best Art Direction in a Video
- Glenn Frey – presented the Special Recognition Award
- Kenny Loggins – presented Best Direction in a Video
- Steve Guttenberg – presented Best Video from a Film
- Sandra Bernhard – presented Best Concept Video
- Eddie Money – introduced the winner of Best Special Effects in a Video
- Michael Tomioka – briefly interviewed "Weird Al" Yankovic and introduced the next presenter
- Judy Tenuta – introduced he winners of Best Editing in a Video and Best Cinematography in a Video
- Robin Leach – introduced a video package on show-business scandals
- Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie – presented Best Group Video
- David Bowie – presented the Video Vanguard Award to Julien Temple
- Cher – presented Viewer's Choice
- Huey Lewis – presented Video of the Year