James winner at the MTV EMAs

The big news out here is that Pinoy pop idol James Reid is the winner of the Best Southeast Asian Act trophy at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2017. This was the second time that the Philippines copped the trophy since the category was introduced by the MTV EMAs last 2012. Our first winner was Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo in 2014. 

James was up against Malaysian rocker Faizal Tahir; Vietnamese pop star Dam Vinh Hung; soprano Isyana Sarasvati from Indonesia; Thai rock band Slot Machine; Singaporean pop band The Sam Willows; and pop star and TV host Palitchoke Ayanaputra who is also from Thailand. Isn’t it great that he won?

But James was not all there was at the MTV EMAs show, which was held last Nov. 12 at the SSE Arena Wembley in London, England. One of pop music’s major events the EMAs show this year suffered badly from a lot with lengthy audience interviews and musical numbers that failed to take off. But the ones that did turned out to be the eye-popping sight and sound celebrations MTV has become known for many years. Watch the replays or check these out on the web.

Take the case of the biggest winner, Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes. I wondered how he would fare against the spectacles prepared by the other guests but thanks to his innate star power and the timeless charm of a handsome young man with a guitar singing a love song, Shawn’s rendition of There’s Nothing Holding Me Back turned out to be one of the evening’s highlights.

Incredibly daring is how I would describe Travis Scott who performed his big hit Butterfly Effect while perched on a metallic bird with big red eyes that was flying about 25-feet above the floor. 

There was underwater swimming, too, or what passed for one by the Busby Berkeley influenced dancers that backed up Camila Cabello’s hot live version of her big selling Havana. There was more swimming but against the current by the hair-tossing Kesha and her dancers for Learn To Let Go.

Rita Ora did not only do a great job of her hosting duties, she also gave the audience a mini-fashion show with one cool outfit after another, starting with, would you believe, a bathrobe and towel worn with diamonds and stilettoes. She also did two numbers, Your Song and Anywhere with visually arresting choreography. Watch out for the spinning wheel.

David Guetta did not DJ. He only clapped his hands for Dirty Sexy Money. Beyoncé was a no-show for the live launch of Walk On Water her single with Eminem. And those new singles performed by U2, Get Out Of Your Own Way and by The Killers, The Man do not sound like hit material.

By the way, you too, might wonder why Eminem won for Best Hip-Hop when he only released a song a month ago after two years or how 30 Seconds to Mars won over Lorde, Imagine Dragons, etc. for Best Alternative. 

But that is what happens when fans vote. So be happy if your idols won and enjoy the performances. Make sure you watch that sweet “thank you” message by Coldplay. The band did it with the melody of Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine and the touching closer, the footage of George Michael performing Freedom ’90 at the first MTV EMAs in Berlin in 1994.

Until the 2018 MTV European Awards in Lisbon, Portugal. 

And now, here is the Honor Roll of the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards:

Best Song: Shawn Mendes, There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.

Best Video: Kendrick Lamar, Humble

Best Artist: Shawn Mendes

Best New Artist: Dua Lipa

Best Pop: Camila Cabello

Best Electronic: David Guetta

Best Rock: Coldplay

Best Alternative: Thirty Seconds to Mars

Best Hip Hop: Eminem

Best Live: Ed Sheeran

Best World Stage: The Chainsmokers

Best Push: Hailee Steinfeld

Biggest Fans: Shawn Mendes

Best Look: Zayn Malik

•Asia

Best Indian Act: Hard Kaur

Best Japanese Act: Babymetal

Best Korean Act: Gfriend

Best Greater China Act: Huo Zun

Best US Act: Fifth Harmony

Best Canadian Act: Shawn Mendes

Best Australian Act: Jessica Mauboy

Best UK Act: Louis Tomlinson

Best New Zealand Act: Tapz