The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.
In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work for that year rather than a specific video. In 2008, though, the award returned to its original name and was once again awarded for a specific video.
The category would become defunct beginning with the 2017 ceremony after the gender specific categories would be merged into the Artist of the Year category.
Madonna, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are the biggest winners with three wins each, while the former also holds the record for most nominations with 12. Meanwhile, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and Lady Gaga are the only artists to win the award for two consecutive years.
Recipients
+Key Marks winners of the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year Marks nominees of the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
1980s + Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Tina Turner "What's Love Got to Do with It" Whitney Houston "How Will I Know" Madonna "Papa Don't Preach" Suzanne Vega "Luka" Paula Abdul "Straight Up"
1990s + Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Sinéad O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U" Janet Jackson "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" Annie Lennox "Why" k.d. lang "Constant Craving" Janet Jackson "If" Madonna "Take a Bow" Alanis Morissette "Ironic" Jewel "You Were Meant for Me" Madonna "Ray of Light" Lauryn Hill "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
2000s + Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Aaliyah "Try Again" Eve "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" P!nk "Get the Party Started" Beyoncé "Crazy in Love" Beyoncé "Naughty Girl" Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" Kelly Clarkson "Because of You" Fergie Britney Spears "Piece of Me" Taylor Swift "You Belong with Me"
2010s + Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" Lady Gaga "Born This Way" Nicki Minaj "Starships" Taylor Swift "I Knew You Were Trouble" Katy Perry "Dark Horse" Taylor Swift "Blank Space" Beyoncé "Hold Up"
Statistics Artists with multiple wins
3 wins Beyoncé Madonna Taylor Swift
2 wins Kelly Clarkson Janet Jackson Lady Gaga
Artists with multiple nominations
12 nominations Madonna
10 nominations Beyoncé
6 nominations Janet Jackson Katy Perry
5 nominations Rihanna Britney Spears
4 nominations Christina Aguilera Cyndi Lauper Taylor Swift
3 nominations Paula Abdul Mariah Carey Kelly Clarkson Annie Lennox Jennifer Lopez Nicki Minaj P!nk Lady Gaga Shakira
See also List of music awards honoring women MTV Europe Music Award for Best Female
Notes
References