Who Won VMAs for Best Female Video?
From Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" in 1984 to "Hold Up" by Beyonce in 2016, MTV awarded their VMA for Best Female Video. Madonna has won MTV's Best Female Video three times ("Papa Don't Preach" in 1987, "Take A Bow" in 1995, and "Ray Of Light" in 1998. Beyonce and Taylor Swift have also won three times. Best Female Video was not awarded in 2007. Instead a more generic Female Artist of the Year Award was given to Fergie. In 2017 the award was combined with Best Male Video to create Artist Of The Year.
| 2016 Beyonce ("Hold Up") | |
| Other Nominees: Adele (Hello); Ariana Grande (Into You); Rihanna (Work); Sia (Cheap Thrills) | |
| 2015 Taylor Swift ("Blank Space") | |
| Other Nominees: Beyonce (7/11); Ellie Goulding (Love Me Like You Do); Nicki Minaj (Anaconda); Sia (Elastic Heart) | |
| 2014 Katy Perry ("Dark Horse") | |
| Other Nominees: Ariana Grande (Problem); Beyonce (Partition); Iggy Azalea (Fancy); Lorde (Royals) | |
| 2013 Taylor Swift ("I Knew You Were Trouble") | |
| Other Nominees: Demi Lovato (Heart Attack); Miley Cyrus (We Can't Stop); P!nk (Just Give Me A Reason); Rihanna (Stay) | |
| 2012 Nicki Minaj ("Starships") | |
| Other Nominees: Beyonce (Love On Top); Katy Perry (Part Of Me); Rihanna (We Found Love); Selena Gomez (Love You Like A Love Song) | |
| 2011 Lady Gaga ("Born This Way") | |
| Other Nominees: Adele (Rolling In The Deep); Beyonce (Run The World); Katy Perry (Firework); Nicki Minaj (Super Bass) | |
| 2010 Lady Gaga ("Bad Romance") | |
| Other Nominees: Beyonce (Video Phone); Katy Perry (California Gurls); Kesha (Tik Tok); Taylor Swift (Fifteen) | |
| 2009 Taylor Swift ("You Belong With Me") | |
| Other Nominees: Beyonce (Single Ladies); Katy Perry (Hot N Cold); Kelly Clarkson (My Life Would Suck Without You); Lady Gaga (Poker Face); Pink (So What) | |
| 2008 Britney Spears ("Piece Of Me") | |
| Other Nominees: Mariah Carey (Touch My Body); Katy Perry (I Kissed A Girl); Rihanna (Take A Bow); Jordin Sparks (No Air) | |
| 2006 Kelly Clarkson ("Because Of You") | |
| Other Nominees: Christina Aguilera (Ain't No Other Man); Madonna (Hung Up); Nelly Furtado (Promiscuous); Shakira (Hips Don't Lie) | |
| 2005 Kelly Clarkson ("Since U Been Gone") | |
| Other Nominees: Amerie (1 Thing); Mariah Carey (We Belong Together); Shakira (La Tortura); Gwen Stefani (Hollaback Girl) | |
| 2004 Beyonce ("Naughty Girl") | |
| Other Nominees: Christina Aguilera (The Voice Within); Alicia Keys (If I Ain't Got You); Jessica Simpson (With You); Britney Spears (Toxic) | |
| 2003 Beyonce ("Crazy In Love") | |
| Other Nominees: Christina Aguilera (Dirrty); Missy Elliott (Work It); Avril Lavigne (I'm With You); Jennifer Lopez (I'm Glad) | |
| 2002 Pink ("Get the Party Started") | |
| Other Nominees: Ashanti (Foolish); Michelle Branch (All You Wanted); Shakira (Whenever Wherever); Britney Spears (I'm A Slave 4 U) | |
| 2001 Eve ("Let Me Blow Ya Mind") | |
| with Gwen Stefani | |
| Other Nominees: Madonna (Don't Tell Me); Janet Jackson (All For You); Missy Elliott (Get Ur Freak On); Dido (Thank You); Jennifer Lopez (Love Don't Cost A Thing) | |
| 2000 Aaliyah ("Try Again") | |
| Other Nominees: Britney Spears (Oops!...I Did It Again); Christina Aguilera (What A Girl Wants); Macy Gray (I Try); Toni Braxton (He Wasn't Man Enough) | |
| 1999 Lauryn Hill ("Doo Wop (That Thing)") | |
| Other Nominees: Jennifer Lopez (If You Had My Love); Madonna (Beautiful Stranger); Britney Spears (Baby One More Time) | |
| 1998 Madonna ("Ray Of Light") | |
| Other Nominees: Fiona Apple (Criminal); Mariah Carey (Honey); Natalie Imbruglia (Torn); Shania Twain (You're Still the One) | |
| 1997 Jewel ("You Were Meant For Me") | |
| Other Nominees: Erykah Badu (On & On); Toni Braxton (Un-Break My Heart); Meredith Brooks (Bitch); Paula Cole (Where Have All the Cowboys Gone) | |
| 1996 Alanis Morissette ("Ironic") | |
| Other Nominees: Bjork (It's Oh So Quiet); Tracy Chapman (Give Me One Reason); Jewel (Who Will Save Your Soul) | |
| 1995 Madonna ("Take A Bow") | |
| Other Nominees: Des'ree (You Gotta Be); PJ Harvey (Down By the Water); Annie Lennox (No More I Love You's) | |
| 1994 Janet Jackson ("If") | |
| Other Nominees: Bjork (Human Behavior); Sheryl Crow (Leaving Las Vegas); Me'Shell NdegeOcello (If That's Your Boyfriend) | |
| 1993 kd lang ("Constant Craving") | |
| Other Nominees: Neneh Cherry (Buddy X); Janet Jackson (That's the Way Love Goes); Annie Lennox (Walking On Broken Glass) | |
| 1992 Annie Lennox ("Why") | |
| Other Nominees: Tori Amos (Silent All These Years); Madonna (Holiday); Vanessa Williams (Saved The Best For Last) | |
| 1991 Janet Jackson ("Love Will Never Do (Without You)") | |
| Other Nominees: Paula Abdul (Rush Rush); Neneh Cherry (I've Got You Under My Skin); Amy Grant (Baby Baby); Madonna (Like A Virgin) | |
| 1990 Sinead O'Connor ("Nothing Compares 2 U") | |
| Other Nominees: Paula Abdul (Opposites Attract); Madonna (Vogue); Alannah Myles (Black Velvet); Michelle Shocked (On the Greener Side) | |
| 1989 Paula Abdul ("Straight Up") | |
| Other Nominees: Tracy Chapman (Fast Car); Madonna (Express Yourself); Tanita Tikaram (Twist In My Sobriety); Jody Watley (Real Love) | |
| 1988 Suzanne Vega ("Luka") | |
| Other Nominees: Cher (I Found Someone); Lita Ford (Kiss Me Deadly); Janet Jackson (The Pleasure Principle); Jody Watley (Some Kind Of Lover) | |
| 1987 Madonna ("Papa Don't Preach") | |
| Other Nominees: Kate Bush (Big Sky); Janet Jackson (Nasty); Cyndi Lauper (True Colors); Madonna (Open Your Heart) | |
| 1986 Whitney Houston ("How Will I Know") | |
| Other Nominees: Aretha Franklin (Freeway Of Love); Grace Jones (Slave To the Rhythm); Tina Turner (We Don't Need Another Hero) | |
| 1985 Tina Turner ("What's Love Got To Do With It") | |
| Other Nominees: Cyndi Lauper (She Bop); Madonna (Material Girl); Sade (Smooth Operator); Sheila E (The Glamorous Life) | |
| 1984 Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun") | |
| Other Nominees: Pat Benatar (Love Is A Battlefield); Cyndi Lauper (Time After Time); Bette Midler (Beast of Burden); Donna Summer (She Works Hard For the Money) | |