The iHeartRadio MMVAs are getting bigger and better every year, with international celebrities starting to flock to Toronto for the annual awards show and fans packing the CP24 parking lot stage. This year, some of our favourite people were both performing and presenting, from Riverdale’s KJ Apa to the one and only Niall Horan. Missed the show? Don’t worry – CelebMix was there and saw it all. All performances can be found on the full show stream linked below. Here are some highlights!
10. Camila Cabello’s Performance of “I Have Questions” and “Crying in the Club”
so proud of our talented girl ???@camila_cabello
#CamilaCabelloMMVAs #MMVAs https://t.co/CZmbRr2i2k
— Marta (@cabelloswine) June 19, 2017
Toronto has heard her rehearsals down Queen Street in the days before the show, but nothing could compare to the official performance itself. Camila started off the performance with a bit of “I Have Questions” before launching into “Crying in the Club”, complete with dancers in comic book-esque makeup and pyrotechnics.
9. JinJoo Lee’s guitar solo during DNCE’s performance of “Kissing Strangers”
JinJoo may not be very tall, but her stage presence is massive. She brings an electrifying energy to every performance with DNCE thanks to her incredible guitar skills and stage presence. This year’s iHeartRadio MMVAs were no exception, and she filled the gap of Nicki Minaj’s rap by reminding the world of another incredibly talented woman – herself.
8. Arkells’ performance of “Knocking At The Door”
Arkells have done it all, going from local shows to tours worldwide, and even playing the Coachella festival. This year, they brought it back to Toronto for the iHeartRadio MMVAs and definitely delivered an incredible interview that got audiences rocking out. The band also took home the award for Fan Fave Video with the music video for “Knocking At The Door”!
7. Niall Horan’s performance of “This Town” and “Slow Hands”
This is Niall’s first time taking the stage at a Canadian awards show solo, so what better place to make that happen than at the iHeartRadio MMVAs? The audience hung onto the heartfelt lyrics of “This Town”, and it was a magical moment. Just Niall, his guitar, and the fans. Later on, everyone was grooving to “Slow Hands”.
6. Marianas Trench’s Red Carpet Entrance
Special delivery, courtesy of @mtrench. ? https://t.co/Cia8o5sR5P @iHeartRadioCA #MMVAs pic.twitter.com/SsRGJLpzu7
— MuchMusic (@Much) June 19, 2017
Is it really the iHeartRadio MMVAs if Marianas Trench dosen’t show up in a showstopping way? No. it’s not. They’ve done it all. They’ve done the most. Past arrivals include being in a hot tub, hamster balls, as (not in) a boat with jetskiiers, and even in bed. This year marked their tenth year at the show. So naturally, Marianas Trench showed up as their own birthday party. Matt, Mike and Ian were attached to clusters of balloons, and pushed a birthday cake with Josh inside, who was wearing nothing but a whipped cream bikini set and a party hat. His first words after popping out of the cake? “I feel delicious”.
5. Lorde’s Performance of “Green Light” and “Perfect Places”
The last time Lorde rocked the MMVA stage was in 2014 with “Tennis Court” and “Team”. Fresh from the release of her new album Melodrama, Lorde shut it down with her performance of “Green Light”, the leading single from the album and “Perfect Places” contrasting her previous performance with a bright disco floor and a choir. The performance ended with fireworks above the stage, wrapping up the night.
4. Lilly Singh’s red carpet entrance
Lilly "SUPERWOMAN" Singh!!! ???? She Totally Did That!!! #MMVAs #MMVAs2017 #Superwoman #LillySingh pic.twitter.com/x1HEnBDTO0
— Harbir ???? (@TS_WestCoast) June 19, 2017
We all know that while Lilly (aka Superwoman)’s channel is fun and makes people worldwide laugh, she still uses her platform to tackle some serious topics. She is iconic for being unapologetically fierce and always promoting girl love and girl power. Her pink carpet entrance made such a statement. She. Did. THAT. It was simple yet powerful, representing girl power and intersectional feminism with girls of all backgrounds and ages by her side wearing shirts with “LOVE THY SISTER” printed on them.
3. Julia Michaels’ performance of “Issues”
There was no shortage of goosebumps last night during Julia Michaels’ performance of “Issues”. The simple backing track allows her voice to be the star of every show, and her voice did just that. Her performance was accompanied by two dancers capturing the emotions of the song and the crowd singing along to every word. The performance in two words? Beautiful chills.
2. Brandon Flynn on 13 Reasons Why and its impact on mental health
13 Reasons Why has had its fair share of positive and negative reviews since its Netflix release. Based on the novel by Jay Asher, both the series and the book tackle the issues of mental health, bullying, and consent. Brandon Flynn made an appearance at this year’s iHeartRadio MMVAs, and CelebMix were lucky enough to be there and ask him a question.
CM: How do you think 13 Reasons Why has affected the dialogue about mental health, and what can we also expect from season 2?
Brandon: I think it’s really getting people to focus in on that mental health and mental illness are actually real things. That they’re not just some kind of speculation, some kind of weird thing we’re just getting our kids medicated for, that we’re having actual problems. And if you look around in the world, it’s not that far-fetched, that people dealing with anxiety, depression, and fears about being alone, and fears about not feeling together. Because our world kind of reflects that right now in who’s in power, and et cetera. So I’m very happy that our show is doing that. As far as season two, you’ll be able to binge watch it, that’s all I can say.
1. Tasha The Amazon Wins the iHeart MMVA for Best Hip-Hop Video
Tasha the Amazon is not an artist to be slept on. If you don’t know her now, you definitely should. Directed by Colin G. Cooper, the “Picasso Leaning” video provides a visual element to the song and emphasizes every powerful lyric. Tasha, Danthrax and Colin Cooper dropped by the press room, chatting about the influence of Picasso’s cubist art movement to the rise of the Toronto hip-hop scene. By winning this award, Tasha the Amazon has become the first woman to win an iHeartRadio MMVA for best-hip hop video and leads the way for generations to come.
You can watch the full show here.
What did you think of this year’s show? Are you excited to see what’s coming next year? Let us know by tweeting us at @CelebMix