Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have given the VMAs some of the event's most infamous and talked-about moments

Since the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, the awards show has been the site of countless iconic celebrity moments.

While the ceremony is well known for its A-list performances, sometimes the most drama actually happens off stage, whether that’s a shocking feud coming to the boil, a hair-raising outfit choice turning heads on the red carpet or a bold outburst on stage from one of the show’s famous guests.

From Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears to Kanye West and Madonna, here are just some of the most outrageous, shocking and memorable VMAs moments ever...

Nicki Minaj puts Miley Cyrus on the spot (2015)

Weeks before the VMAs in 2015, Miley – who was hosting that year – commented in an interview that Nicki had been “not very polite”, when the rapper suggested that the lack of nominations for her Anaconda music video was because of racism.

Miley said at the time: “If you want to make it about race, there’s a way you could do that. But don’t make it just about yourself.“

What the We Can’t Stop singer probably didn’t count on was Nicki calling her out at the ceremony itself.

After winning one of the first awards of the night, Nicki remarked: “Now back to... this bitch that had a lot to say to me the other day in the press. Miley, what’s good?”

A flustered Miley responded: “Hey, we’re all in this industry. We all do interviews. And we all know how they manipulate shit. Nicki, congratulations.”

Michael Jackson makes a very embarrassing blunder (2002)

File this under: “toe-curlingly awkward”.

The 2002 VMAs were held on Michael Jackson’s birthday, so producers couldn’t let it slip by without bringing him out on stage, so that Britney Spears could present him with a cake.

What they hadn’t banked on was that when Britney called him the “artist of the millennium”, Michael would mistakenly think he’d been given an award with that title, and promptly start making an acceptance speech.

Chappell Roan puts a photographer in his place (2024)

Chappell Roan was told by a #vmas photographer to “shut the f**k up”, leading to her response. pic.twitter.com/jXaTfIH7yR

Whether it’s taking a risky stand politically, speaking out against certain expectations fans have of their idols or even just forging her own path when it comes to release schedules, Chappell Roan has made it clear since her meteoric rise to fame that there are certain things she just isn’t going to put up with.

At her first VMAs, Chappell famously took time........

© HuffPost