Referred to as “music’s most iconic night,” the Video Music Awards, or VMAs, is a red carpet award show celebrating the art of creating music videos. For 40 years, these awards have been responsible for some of the most iconic moments in pop culture, such as Britney Spears’ 2001 performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U” with a live snake around her body, or Kanye West interrupting a 19-year-old Taylor Swift receiving an award for the prestigious Video of the Year, sparking a decade-long feud between them and proving that “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.”
One thing many people do not know about this iconic event is that a number of everyday fans can sign up to receive free pit filler or seated tickets to see the show. When I discovered I had been chosen as a pit filler only two days before the event, I was absolutely ecstatic. I have been a huge Chappell Roan fan since 2021, but I had never seen her live. On top of that, I would get to see artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Lisa, Karol G and many others perform, all with the Hot Girl Coach herself, Megan Thee Stallion, hosting.
After leaving work and getting ready for the night, I arrived at UBS Arena around 2:30pm, when they had just begun checking in ticket holders. I ended up seated next to a French Dua Lipa fan and a teacher who was likely going to make her students jealous with the stories of the night. These girls and I kept each other company through the long hours of waiting outside and walking around the venue while the event was being prepared.
After several hours of queuing and reviewing rules for how to behave on television, the event had finally started. Eminem kicked off the show with a powerful performance of his comeback hit “Houdini,” setting the stage before Megan Thee Stallion officially opened the night. The atmosphere in the arena was absolutely electric. I was screaming and dancing for artists I didn’t even know. A highlight of the night was Sabrina Carpenter’s set featuring singles from her newest album, “Short ‘N Sweet,” complete with an homage to Britney Spears, the queen of the VMAs.While all of the performances were fantastic, none compared to the excitement I felt when Chappell Roan hit the stage just 15 feet away from me. As a longtime listener, it was a beautiful full-circle moment to see her for the first time at her VMA debut as one of the night’s most anticipated performers. Her fiery performance of “Good Luck Babe,” inspired by French heroine Joan of Arc and 17th century opera singer Julie d’Aubigny — infamous for burning down a convent in order to escape with her lesbian lover — set the crowd ablaze and sparked countless beautiful art pieces shared on social media. I couldn’t help but to cry a bit when Roan won Best New Artist and pulled out her diary to read her speech. Her heartfelt gratitude for the award encapsulates why I love these events so much: fans coming together to celebrate truly deserving artists and their hard work, fostering a genuine symbiotic relationship between fans and fame.