It’s late Monday (Sept. 9) night at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, and Bruce Gillmer, who is executive producing the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards alongside Jesse Ignjatovic, is hustling from one rehearsal to another.
“We’ve been going since Saturday,” says Gillmer of the preparations to throw what will be the 40th anniversary of MTV’s signature award show on Wednesday (Sept 11). On Monday, Gillmer and his team rehearsed with the rapper LL COOL J. “He’s a legendary MTV artist returning to the stage to celebrate a milestone of one of hip-hop’s most groundbreaking labels: Def Jam,” he reveals of the tribute to the label which also celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, before teasing: “He may even bring some friends along.”
In the past four decades, the VMAs have stayed steady as a culture-moving, irreverent event, frequently sending shockwaves around the music world. (Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift! Miley Cyrus twerks! Britney Spears and Madonna kiss!) But while music videos used to be in heavy rotation on the network, these days the only time a video may air on MTV is during the annual show. Nevertheless, the ceremony has managed to soldier on despite changing consumption habits (certain award categories have dropped the keyword “video,” and some voting takes place over Instagram Stories) and societal norms (its signature trophy the Moon Man is now the Moon Person).
“This might be the biggest scale production we’ve ever done,” says Gillmer of 2024’s iteration, which will acknowledge the four-decade milestone. “We’re going to be revisiting some of the show’s most iconic moments that made the VMAs the pop culture beast it is today,” he explains. That includes harkening back to its debut on Sept. 14th, 1984. (Hosts: Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler; video of the year: “You Might Think” by The Cars). “One of the look backs will be at that first show from Radio City Music Hall,” says Gillmer. “It’s a homecoming of sorts, so we’ll celebrate turning 40 by flashing back to moments on stage and screen.”
The homecoming comes in the form of the production setting up shop at UBS Arena after a stint in New Jersey last year, which marks the seventh overall VMAs in the tri-state area. (For those counting, its last west coast production occurred in 2017 when Katy Perry hosted from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.)
Straddling the border of New York City and Long Island, UBS opened in November 2021 (Harry Styles was its first musical performer). According to Gillmer, UBS was a natural choice. “It has top notch acoustics, world class tech capabilities and excellent sightlines,” he says of the arena which normally hosts NHL’s New York Islanders. “It really is built for music and allowed us to create one of our most ambitious set-ups yet.” In addition to the main stage, there will be four performance stages including what they’re dubbing a ‘fandom’ stage built into the audience. “Wait until you see how we used the Moon Person as part of our set design,” he teases. “It’s literally busting out of the screen, into the audience.” Ever the production aficionado, Gillmer can’t help but gush about the stage rigging. “I’m told we’re up to 400,000 lbs.,” he says. “The heaviest VMAs yet! I’m blown away every time I walk into the room and can’t wait for everyone to see all the ‘wow’ factors we packed into the live show.”
Much like an eclectic playlist meant to please everybody at the party, this year’s roster of performers zigzags between past and present names. In one corner, you have your MTV legends: the aforementioned LL COOL J, as well as Katy Perry who is set to take the stage to accept the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (the show’s version of the lifetime achievement award). “We also just announced Eminem will be our show opener,” says Gillmer of the legendary rapper.
But it wouldn’t be the VMAs without tapping into buzzy newcomers for possible superstar-making performances. Luckily for the producers, the past year has minted a variety of fresh talent. “(Since) the show always spotlights artists with the biggest impact over the last 12 months, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were two names we unquestionably had to have this year,” Gillmer says of snagging two of 2024’s biggest breakouts (the former had to shake up her schedule to facilitate her VMA debut). “Sabrina blew us all away with last year’s pre-show performance.”
Other first-time VMA performers this year include two artists riding breakout singles, Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and Teddy Swims (“Lose Control,” which topped the Hot 100), as well as VMA stalwarts with new albums, including Shawn Mendes (his fifth album, Shawn, drops Oct. 18) and Camila Cabello (promoting C,XOXO which came out this summer). K-pop superstar Lisa, Brazil’s Anitta and Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro will also perform.
There’s also Megan Thee Stallion, who this year serves as the ceremony’s host and continues the trend of recruiting an artist to host the ceremony (Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat have both enjoyed recent honors). According to Gillmer, the gig came after plans for a more traditional role for the star. “We actually started talking about her performance on 2024’s show first after her VMAs debut alongside Cardi B last year,” recalls Gillmer. “Our conversation evolved from there. It was easy to see she was a perfect fit: she’s quintessential MTV and is leading (her) genre. Megan is this rare artist who has an unmatched presence and dynamic personality that allows you to dominate a performance and then carry on an extraordinary event like this.”
For months, everything was booked, set and scheduled for the show to kick off Tuesday, Sept. 10. Then, a curveball: in August, the date of the first (and possibly only) Presidential Debate of the 2024 election cycle between Vice President Harris and former President Trump was announced to take place that same night. Gillmer and his team knew they wanted to steer clear.
“With our brand’s decades-long history of leading non-partisan civic engagement, it was important to encourage our fans to tune in to the debate to help make educated decisions ahead of a historic election,” he says. With that, the team went into overdrive shifting their plans by a full 24 hours, with this year’s show moving to Sept. 11. “With the date shift, it again gave us the opportunity to partner with our friends at 9/11 Day to amplify their September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance with tickets to Tuesday’s Children,” says Gillmer of the long-standing association with the charity.
Aside from streaming on Paramount+, the VMAs air on BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1, with a rebroadcast to follow. “We’re also airing a live, hosted simulcast on Univision with entertainment reporter Alejandra Espinoza who is bringing audiences in on exclusive show access and rehearsal features from some of the top Latin talent,” Gillmer says.
In any case, Gillmer is bracing for the unexpected: “Anything can happen live on Wednesday.”
