ACTIVISM

The Weeknd Wins ‘Best R&B’ Award at MTV’s VMAs, Pays Tribute to Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake

by Glitter Staff posted on August 31, 2020
MTV

The Weeknd won big at last night’s MTV’s VMAs and used his acceptance speech to shed light on victims of police brutality.

Last night’s VMAs were a bit different this year thanks to COVID-19, with no large scale show in an arena filled with thousands of celebrities and music fans. The Weeknd was a fan favorite as he started the highly anticipated show with a bang with his rooftop performance of “Blinding Lights” at Edge at Hudson Yards in New York City. His show-stopping performance ended with a fireworks display and a panoramic view of the city skyline.

The pop star took home two awards at the show, ‘Best R&B’ and ‘Video of the Year,’ both for his chart-topping single “Blinding Lights” off of his latest #1 album After Hours. Even though the singer won the most important award of the night, it was difficult for him to enjoy his accomplishments with the current racial tensions across the country.

 

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I forgot to thank my fans. None of this exists without ya’ll. Xo

A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) on

When accepting his ‘Best R&B’ award, The Weeknd gave a somber speech dedicated to Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake, two Black people that were murdered at the hands of police officers this year.
“It’s really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment, so I’m just going to say justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor,” he said.

Earlier this summer, The Weeknd donated $500,000 to multiple Black Lives Matter organizations, and since then he’s been using his platform to speak up against police brutality and racial injustice. Fans have expressed their support of the singer using his voice to bring about change and shed light on important issues in the Black community, and they’re calling for other celebrities that have been silent to do the same.

Like The Weeknd, there are many others also struggling to remain positive in such chaotic times, but his VMAs speech is a reminder for us to use our voices to spread awareness and uplift the Black community as best as we can. Be sure to use your resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement and combat racism in your communities.

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