RESPECT. Takes You Back Stage at the 2016 iHeart MMVA’s

RESPECT. Mag was live at the 2016 iHeart Much Music Video Awards on June 19th in Toronto, Canada. Hosted by super model, Gigi Hadid, the annual TV event showcased some of the biggest and brightest stars from television, music and cinema. 

Canadian broadcast channel and digital content creator MUCH MUSIC and iHeart Radio once again seamlessly transformed downtown Toronto into the ultimate destination for media, fans and talent from all walks of life.

At any major awards show, the red carpet pre-show is always exciting, however the MMVAs year in and year out take red carpet festivities to new heights. This year, after host, Gigi Hadid arrived first to kick things off, she was followed by numerous surprise entrances ranging from simply walking in with an entourage to arriving in style like Amber Rose in a bright, lime green, convertible Lamborghini. Fifth Harmony easily had one of the most memorable entrances arriving hanging onto the side of an enormous armored truck. Mariana’s Trench made their triumphant return to the MMVA’s via golf cart, while Nick Jonas arrived solo in a vintage convertible, and Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson lit up the red carpet as the stars of TV Series, Pretty Little Liars. 

Toronto, a city home to millions of people, is also a vibrant blend of culture, talent and dedicated fans, unparalleled north of the boarder. As early as 8 hours before the event even began, hundreds of fans lined the sidewalks of downtown Toronto amidst a heat wave warning to show love and support. 

Gigi Hadid, while not Canadian herself, did provide the type of hospitality Canadians are known worldwide for in effortless fashion. Assisting Hadid with hosting duties were MUCH MUSIC’s own Tyrone Edward and Liz Trinnear. Throughout the night fans enjoyed a mesmerizing lineup of presenters and performers with a chemistry that fans just can’t experience anywhere else.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with the help of celebrity personality, Amber Rose, were the first to perform with their hit single “Downtown.” A befitting way to prime downtown Toronto for the night to come. Alessia Cara’s performance stood out among the rest and while much younger than her fellow performing artists, she managed to showcase her talent in a powerful way. In many ways this was the night of “shawn” as both Shawn Mendes and Shawn Hook stole the hearts of many fans that night with their impressive performances, and with the assistance of Hailee Steinfeld.

International artists of the year, Nick Jonas, managed to get closer to fans than ever before while performing his new hit single “Close” as he mingled and danced through the screaming crowd before finally reaching the main stage. Desiigner gave his Canadian fans memories they won’t soon forget and a glimpse into why this young Brooklyn talent is one of the most electrifying performers in Hip-Hop right now. To no real surprise, Desiigner ended his set by jumping into the crowd and gave as much love as he could back to his fans. This years iHeart MMVA’s was a fantastic mix of old faces fans love, and new faces they’ve fallen for. 

While the 2016 iHeart MMVA’s have put the spotlight on Canadian talent more than ever this year, it has also allowed Toronto to further solidify itself on an international stage as an entertainment haven. MUCH MUSIC has also made excellent use of their new digital content creators, as they’ve spent the last year scooping up the most talented personalities from Youtube, Vine and Instagram. Jus Reign and Lilly Singh, two of the top social media personalities in Canada were present at the awards and showed why Toronto is a power-house of all facets.