1998 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1997, to June 12, 1998. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
| 1998 MTV Video Music Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, September 10, 1998 |
| Location | Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles |
| Country | United States |
| Hosted by | Ben Stiller |
| Most awards | Madonna (6) |
| Most nominations | Madonna (9) Garbage (8) |
| Website | http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/past-vmas/1998/ |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | MTV |
| Produced by | Salli Frattini |
| Directed by | Beth McCarthy |
Madonna was the most successful winner and nominee of the night, winning six awards out of a total nine nominations: five (out of eight) for "Ray of Light", including Video of the Year and Best Female Video, and one for "Frozen" (its only nomination). Other than Madonna, only Will Smith and The Prodigy won multiple awards that night, winning two apiece.
With regard to nominations, the two biggest nominees aside from Madonna were alt-rock band Garbage and rapper Will Smith. Smith split his nominations between two videos: "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" (five) and "Just the Two of Us" (one), each of which earned a Moonman. In contrast, Garbage received all eight nominations for "Push It" but went home completely empty-handed at the end of the night.
The mesh dress that actress Rose McGowan wore to the award show was the subject of much media attention following the awards. The dress went on to become one of the most iconic and controversial outfits in the history of the VMA's.