MTV Movie and TV Awards host Zachary Levi. Photo / AP
MTV Movie and TV Awards host Zachary Levi. Photo / AP
As far as award shows go, the MTV Movie & TV Awards tends to get lost in the shuffle - it doesn't have the same prestige or drama as the MTV Video Music Awards, which airs later in the summer. Still, the show typically has its fair share of oddities. In case you missed the two-hour telecast Monday night, here are some of the best and worst moments. (A complete list of winners and nominees is below.)
BEST:
Jada Pinkett Smith's award.
While presenting her Girls Trip co-star with the Trailblazer Award, Tiffany Haddish said that Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk, with discussions about everything from religion to sex to race, is "setting the standard for talk shows in this next century." That's really not an exaggeration: Pinkett Smith's captivating show, streamed on Facebook Watch, has made the kind of headlines that televised shows could only dream about - and is no doubt sparking conversations in Hollywood about how to replicate its success. (More than 7.5 million people watched at least a minute of the Jordyn Woods episode.)
Jada Pinkett Smith accepts the trailblazer award as her son Jaden Smith and presenter Tiffany Haddish look on at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. Photo / AP
Anyway, Pinkett Smith admitted that at first, she wasn't sure she deserved the "trailblazer" title, until she realized that the word can have many meanings. "Often we applaud the trails people blaze in the external world that we can see, but very rarely do we applaud the trails that are blazed in the hidden rooms of the mind that are full of uncertainty, false beliefs and pain," she told the crowd. "It's these internal obstacles that must be challenged in order to muster the courage to forge new paths that we can see in the world."
Brie Larson applauding her stunt doubles.
Brie Larson and her stunt doubles Ingrid Kleinig (left) and Joanna Bennett accept the Best Fight award for Captain Marvel. Photo / Getty Images
In one hilarious (while much-deserved) instance, the "best fight" category included "Ruth Bader Ginsburg versus inequality" from the RBG documentary... though unfortunately, it didn't stand a chance next to the fight sequences in movies such as Captain Marvel, which won the prize. Onstage, Larson quickly turned the attention to her stunt doubles, Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker. "They are the living embodiment of Captain Marvel," she said, before giving both women the chance to make a speech of their own.
The Rock's speech.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got a bit emotional as he accepted the Generation Award, presented to an actor "whose diverse contributions to both film and television have turned them into household names in the industry," as MTV put it.
"The most powerful thing that we can be is ourselves," Johnson urged the audience. "When I first got to Hollywood, they didn't know what the hell to do with me. I mean, I was this half-black, half-Samoan, 6-foot-4, 275-pound pro wrestler."
Johnson, who arrived onstage accompanied by a Samoan dance performance to Queen's We Will Rock You, said he decided to ignore his critics' questionable advice to lose weight, stop working out and not use a nickname like "The Rock." Looks like it worked out pretty well! "I wasn't gonna conform to Hollywood," he said. "Hollywood was gonna conform to me."
Bullock picked up the trophy for Most Frightened Performance for her role in Netflix's Bird Box, in which a mother navigates her children through a world where you literally can't open your eyes or you will immediately die. After Bullock thanked Netflix for "allowing us to make an educational video on the horrors of parenting," she explained that she took the role because her kids asked why she never made any movies for them.
"When I finished the film, I went to my babies and I said, 'Here, Mommy made this for you.' And even though you can't see it until you're 21, because apparently a movie about being a mommy is a horror film, you will know when you see it that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you," said Bullock, who has two adopted children. "I wanted you to see what being a family looks like. Sometimes you are born into a family and sometimes you need to go find it. Sometimes it finds you. But no matter how it comes together, but when it does, family is what you fight for." (Of course, she joked, her son later explained that what he really meant was he wished she would star in a superhero movie.)
Sandra Bullock accepts the award for most frightened performance for Bird Box. Photo / AP
Noah Centineo's candid speech.
Netflix had a great night with multiple awards, including two for the much-lauded rom-com To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Stars Noah Centineo and Lana Condor were adorable as they accepted the trophy for Best Kiss together; later, Centineo also won Breakthrough Performance for playing the Internet's New Favorite Fictional Boyfriend, Peter Kavinsky.
In a surprisingly candid speech, the 23-year-old revealed a lesson that he's already learned from Hollywood: "External things don't actually make you happy." Centineo admitted that during his breakout role on Freeform's The Fosters, he was actually miserable. "The show is an amazing show," he quickly added. "I just wasn't happy with all of these things outside of myself. And I found that truly, the thing that made me happy, the thing that actually fulfilled me was not having a successful career; it was doing what I love and giving back to other people." The audience loved it.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. Photo / supplied
WORST
Zachary Levi's Ray J joke.
Levi, host of the show and the star of Shazam!, promptly earned some awkward silence during his monologue when he referenced R&B star Ray J, who was in the audience to promote VH1′s "Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood."
"I'm sure some of you are more familiar with his work as a cameraman," Levi cracked, a reference to the infamous sex tape with Kim Kardashian from many years ago. Ray J sat expressionless while his wife, Princess, held up two middle fingers in response.
Those unnecessarily lengthy parodies of Us and Game of Thrones.
Not to pile on Levi, but why did these largely unfunny skits take so long when there could have been other performances or awards handed out?
The tease of a "power quintet" table and then... nothing.
Early in the show, Levi pointed out that Elisabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish, Melissa McCarthy, Sandra Bullock and singer Lizzo were all sitting together, which we assumed was setting up some sort of bit. Except then it wasn't! Moss, Haddish and McCarthy (co-stars in the upcoming drama "The Kitchen") eventually introduced Lizzo's performance, but who wouldn't have wanted to overhear the conversations at that table?
From left: Tiffany Haddish, Melissa McCarthy and Elisabeth Moss introduced Lizzo at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. Photo / AP
The lack of airtime for the Most Meme-able Moment award.
Obviously, this iconic TV moment beat all the others in that category. Why did Colton Underwood (who was in attendance) not accept his award onstage or, better yet, recreate this incredible and extremely viral gif?
Alex Wolff, Hereditary Linda Cardellini, The Curse of La Llorona Rhian Rees, Halloween Sandra Bullock, Bird Box (Netflix) - winner Victoria Pedretti, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
Best Host
Gayle King, CBS This Morning Nick Cannon, Wild 'n Out (MTV) - winner Nick Cannon, The Masked Singer (Fox) RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo) Trevor Noah, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation (MTV) Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (VH1)- winner The Bachelor (ABC) The Challenge (MTV) Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)
Best Fight
Avengers: Endgame: Captain America vs. Thanos Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel vs. Minn-Erva - winner Game of Thrones (HBO): Arya Stark vs. the White Walkers RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg vs. Inequality WWE Wrestlemania: Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
Best Performance in a Movie
Amandla Stenberg, The Hate U Give Lady Gaga, A Star is Born - winner Lupita Nyong'o, Us Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody Sandra Bullock, Bird Box
Camila Mendes and Charles Melton, Riverdale (CW) Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, Aquaman Ncuti Gatwa and Connor Swindells, Sex Education (Netflix) Noah Centineo and Lana Condor, To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Netflix) - winner Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams, Venom
Best Documentary
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal McQueen Minding the Gap RBG Surviving R. Kelly - winner
Best Performance in a Show
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu) - winner Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Kiernan Shipka, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)
Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians Haley Lu Richardson, Five Feet Apart Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX) Ncuti Gatwa, Sex Education (Netflix) Noah Centineo, To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Netflix) - winner
Best Comedic Performance
Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians Daniel Levy, Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) - winner John Mulaney, Big Mouth (Netflix) Marsai Martin, Little Zachary Levi, Shazam!
Best Movie
Avengers: Endgame - winner BlacKkKlansman Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse To All the Boys I've Loved Before Us
Big Mouth (Netflix) Game of Thrones (HBO) - winner Riverdale (CW) Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
Best Hero
Brie Larson, Captain Marvel John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO) Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame - winner Zachary Levi, Shazam!
Best Villain
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America) Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu) Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame - winner Lupita Nyong'o, Us Penn Badgley, You (Lifetime)
Alex Honnold, Free Solo Hannah Gadsby, Nanette Roman Reigns, WWE SmackDown Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RBG - winner Serena Williams, Being Serena
Most Meme-able Moment
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (MTV): The Lilo Dance Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (VH1): Ray J's Hat RBG: The Notorious RBG RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo): Asia O'Hara's butterfly finale fail The Bachelor (ABC): Colton Underwood jumps the fence - winner
Best Musical Moment
A Star is Born: Shallow - winner Bohemian Rhapsody: Live Aid Concert Captain Marvel: Just a Girl Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix): Masquerade On My Block (Netflix): Look at that Butt Riverdale (CW): Seventeen Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Sunflower The Umbrella Academy (Netflix): I Think We're Alone Now
