MTV's O Music Awards Surprisingly Short on Speeches, Big on Fun

Posted on Apr 29th 2011 1:59AM by Benjy Eisen
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Ethan Miller, Getty Images

MTV's first ever O Music Awards offered an epiphany in the form of a reminder -- awards shows used to be fun. Not contrived, overly affected, stale, shocking, predictable or periodically interrupted by Kanye or some other artist behaving badly. No, awards shows used to just be... fun.

Such was the case with the O Music Awards, MTV's celebration of music online. If there's an irony in that statement, it became trampled under foot of the dancing fans lined up around a cube-like stage on Fremont Street in Las Vegas where Matt & Kim (pictured) took on the role of both house band and street performers. And although they, themselves, didn't win a cubed O Music Award, per-se, Matt & Kim did take home countless new fans, thanks to the live stream which could be viewed in living rooms anywhere.

The great thing about the O Music Awards -- at least, for the participating artists, presenters and even award winners -- is that they could phone it in. Or, rather, Skype it in. 30 Seconds to Mars accepted their award for NSFW Music Video (for the song 'Hurricane') in a bathroom. "It was the most appropriate place we could find," explained frontman Jared Leto, "because we're on tour right now."

In addition to Matt & Kim's intermittent songs and humorous banter, Foster the People performed their Internet hit, 'Helena Beat,' live from a venue in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the entire Railroad Revival Tour -- Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show -- performed Woody Guthrie's take on 'This Train is Bound For Glory' in a freewheeling hootenanny style from a stop in Austin, Texas. And all within sight -- and camera-shot -- of the California Zephyr rail car that they first boarded in Oakland, Calif. last week, traveling across the heartland at a speed considerably slower than dial-up.

While there were some surprises and upsets (like Andy Grammer defeating Arcade Fire, OK Go and Yuck to take home the Most Innovative Music Video Award), no one artist cleaned house, as is often the case at more traditional awards shows. However, Lady Gaga did emerge as the night's breadwinner, taking home the award for Innovative Artist (which, she claimed, was the one she most wanted to win), and also for Must Follow Artist on Twitter. Oddly, her acceptance speech was way longer than 140 characters.

Check out the O Music Awards official website for a full list of the winners and to watch special O Music Awards features.

Watch This O Music Video Awards Special Feature