MTV has announced that Jennifer Lopez will receive the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard” award during the 2018 VMAs. The singer, actress, and philanthropist will also perform live at the show.
The award is given to those who demonstrate accomplishments in music and film. It was first received at the inaugural 1984 MTV VMAs by David Bowie, The Beatles, and Richard Lester. It was renamed in honor of Michael Jackson in 1991. Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Rihanna, P!nk, and Guns N’ Roses are previous recipients of the award.
In the past two decades, J. Lo has sold over 80 million records worldwide, earned widespread acclaim in her portrayal of the late Latin music sensation Selena, and made a mark on the romantic-comedy world in Maid in Manhattan (2002). Her company, Nuyorican Productions, helmed popular TV dramas The Fosters and Shades of Blue.
Lopez has also dedicated her time and wealth to support humanitarian causes. Most recently, after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, she personally donated $1 million to affected residents. And she launched a humanitarian relief campaign called “Somos Una Voz” and a star-studded telethon event titled “One Voice: Somos Live!” which raised over $35 million for the hurricane victims.
This April, Lopez was named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People”. Her upcoming work includes an STX feature film “Second Act,” alongside Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, and Milo Ventimiglia. Its release is set for November 2018.
The 2018 VMAs is the first time a major awards show will partner with Amazon to use Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, to allow audience voting. To cast a vote during the show just say, “Alexa, vote for the VMAs” on Alexa-compatible devices.
The “VMAs” will air live from Radio City Music Hall on Monday, August 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT
