Jennifer Lopez will receive a top honor at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards when the pop titan takes home the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, as per an announcement on Tuesday (July 31).
Lopez celebrated the big news on MTV's Facebook Live featuring Sway Calloway, admitting she couldn't believe that she's going to receive an honor that her idols once earned. "I feel a little emotional because I see the same fans in the front row. It makes me so happy," Lopez explained to Calloway as she held back tears. "I grew up in the MTV era, so I was watching all the way back from Tina Turner, and Bruce Springsteen and Madonna and Janet [Jackson] and Michael [Jackson]. They were my inspirations to get into the music business, to do what I did. Their videos inspired me to do the videos that I did."
In addition to the honor, the triple threat will also churn out a live performance on the broadcast, marking her first number on the show since 2001. Meanwhile, she'll go head-to-head with competitors in categories like Best Collaboration and Best Latin for her Cardi B and DJ Khaled-featured "Dinero" clip. Previous Vanguard recipients include Michael Jackson, Madonna, Guns N’ Roses, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Pink.
If you want to cast your vote in 12 other VMA categories like Video Of The Year and Artist Of The Year, make sure you head to the official VMA website to make your choices before next Friday. Voting for Best New Artist will remain open until the live broadcast. The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards air live from Radio City Music Hall on Monday (August 20) at 9 PM ET/PT.
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