Over the course of MTV history, the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award has been presented to exemplary musicians who have made an incredible and long-lasting impact on pop culture. When it came time to choose the 2014 VMA recipient, one particular name stood out above the rest — global entertainer, singer-songwriter and philanthropist, Beyoncé.
Not many singers have the power or ability to command such a massive legion of fans, drop a number one album out of literally nowhere and take the world by storm tour after tour. Queen Bey seems to do it with ease and at the same damn time. As both a solo artist and a member of the chart-topping Destiny's Child, she's won an astounding eleven Moonmen and was the first female artist to top both the singles and albums charts simultaneously in the US and the UK.
Her latest studio album, Beyoncé, is a testament to how much she continues to push and redefine boundaries with her music. While no one can forget Destiny's Child's iconic castaway ensembles in the video for "Survivor," or the Charlie's Angels themed "Independent Woman," B really came into her own when she went solo and rocked the hell out of a simple white tank-top in "Crazy In Love." From there, she introduced her Sasha Fierce alter ego in "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" and ultimately evolved into the indisputably #flawless performer she is today, nailing 17 artistically captivating music videos from "Pretty Hurts" to the eye-popping, jaw-dropping "Drunk In Love."
Thanks to her never-ending supply of unique, original videos and ridiculously powerful pipes, Beyoncé has proved time and time again that she is the standard to which all other performers must measure up. MTV is ecstatic to have Beyoncé, a true force of nature, join an exclusive list of past superstar recipients of the Video Vanguard, joining legends Madonna, Beastie Boys, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Congrats, Bey! You really do run this.