MTV Video Music Awards 2019 (VMAs): Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez and BTS give the ceremony a miss
Ariana Grande was one of the most nominated female artists at the MTV VMAs 2019, but she wasn't seen at the glitzy affair. The 'Thank You, Next' star is over in Europe for her Sweetener World Tour. She performed in Manchester last night and will be following it up with another show in Paris soon after, so it doesn't come as a surprise that she had to miss out on the Awards. Grande had tweeted when the nominations were announced that there was a slim chance she could make it. "I have shows in London the day before and after :/."
Also joining the list of notable absentees were Billie Eilish and Selena Gomez. Eilish won a VMA during the pre-show but wasn't there to receive it. After winning Push Artist of the Year, the ceremony played a pre-recorded message from the singer thanking the fans for their support. The singer is currently on tour has performance slotted in Moscow. Pretty sure that's the reason she's not at New Jersey. Gomez has two nominations as well— "I Can’t Get Enough," featuring Benny Blanco, Tainy, and J. Balvin along with "Taki Taki" featuring DJ Snake, Cardi B, and Ozuna. However, this is for collaborations she's done, rather than her own solo work, it's quite understandable why she didn't make it to the East coast. The singer was last at the VMAs in 2015 when she had posed with her good friend Taylor Swift on the red carpet.
In what doesn't come as a surprise was BTS— one of the world's hottest boy bands right now after they won the 'MTV Video Music Award’s inaugural award for Best K-pop group for their song, 'Boy With Luv.' The septet, however, didn't attend to collect their trophy. Seventeen reported that the group is on an extended break. BTS's management company, Big Hit Entertainment, announced the K-pop band would be taking a hiatus via an official statement on Twitter.
According to the statement, the company asked fans to respect the boys' privacy during their time of rest and relaxation. It also said the boys would be taking time to "enjoy the ordinary lives of young people in their 20s." BTS's VMA nominations weren't without controversy too. Fans thought that the new "Best K-pop" category by MTV was a way to justify shutting the boy band out of the award show's biggest categories.