9 most awkward moments from the MTV VMAs

The MTV VMAs went down in New York City last night [12 September], and had all the usual things you'd expect from an award show. Yep, there were amazing red carpet dresses. Sure, there was some celebrity PDA. And boy, were there many awkward moments.

Here's a round up of the most cringeworthy things to go down at the MTV VMAs 2021. Yay for award shows being back in real life!

Madonna's surprise opening speech

Madonna showed up without warning to introduce the MTV VMAs, and it was pretty awkward. She made a reference to when Michael Jackson similarly made a surprise appearance to the 1994 award show, which didn't go down that well on social media. The throwing-her-coat-to-the-side looked a bit uncomfortable, too.

Billie Eilish's reaction to Jennifer Lopez

When J Lo walked on stage to present 'Song Of The Year' to Olivia Rodrigo, the camera panned to Billie and her brother Finneas. And, er, it's safe to say the singer wasn't particularly amused / happy / showing any emotion at the time.

Justin Bieber's huge hood

Is it just us or could it have been anyone under that giant hood? And why did he wear it ALL night? "Wait why is Justin Bieber wearing a hood?? Did he get a bad haircut or something?" one fan asked on social media, while another put, "Why is Justin Bieber covering his face with a hood during this whole performance… #VMAs"

Travis Scott failing to mention Kylie Jenner

After Travis Scott won Best Hip-Hop Video, he took to the stage with an acceptance speech and shouted out Stormi, his mum, God, and "all the amazing fans out there." He failed to thank girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who is pregnant with their second child. "Is it weird Travis Scott didn’t mention Kylie #VMA," one person asked.

Justin Bieber's acceptance speech

Social media users also called out the singer for his slightly uncomfortable acceptance speech, with one writing, "Ok @justinbieber's acceptance was very awkward," and another adding, "That acceptance speech by Justin Bieber was so awkward."

Jack Harlow and Tinashe flirting

Singer Tinashe interviewed Jack Harlow on the red carpet, and fans couldn't help but notice the pair flirting. "Tinashe and Jack interaction was so awkward lmaooooo," one person wrote, while another put, "NOT JACK HARLOW FLIRTING WITH TINASHE BAHAHAH [sic]."

Olivia Rodrigo and Camila Cabello in matching dresses

The pink/red combination. The strapless detail. This is probably not what you want when you've been planning an outfit for months. Still, they both look incredible.

And Rita Ora and Dixie D'Amelio's twinning looks

Olivia and Camila weren't the only ones taking similar inspiration: We loved the black bra-meets-maxi-dress vibes of Dixie and Rita's matching dresses, too.

Machine Gun Kelly and Conor McGregor's altercation

Nothing says 'fun evening at an awards ceremony' like a scrap on the red carpet.

TMZ say the pair had an argument when boxer McGregor asked singer MGK (real name Colson Baker) for a photo, but MGK refused. Bet that made for awkward viewing.

You Might Also Like

• A ranking of the very best hair straighteners - according to our Beauty Editors

• Best party dresses to shop in the UK right now

• 11 products you'd be mad to miss from the Net A Porter beauty sale