Does this update automatically?

It's refreshed by hand once each real award season, not a live feed.

Does it need an internet connection?

No — it runs entirely offline once the page loads.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

What is the Moon Person trophy?

The statuette given at the VMAs, an astronaut on the Moon, long called the Moonman and referred to by MTV as the Moon Person since the 2017 ceremony.

Who won the first Video of the Year?

The Cars, for You Might Think, at the first ceremony in 1984.

Do fans vote for the winners?

Since the 2006 awards, viewers vote online for the major categories, while earlier years used a special panel.

MTV Video Music Award Winners Screensaver

The MTV Video Music Award Winners screensaver is a real, curated archive of MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year winners. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the MTV Video Music Award Winners screensaver works

The saver rotates through a real, curated list of MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year winners, drawn from the award's own published history.

Each entry holds on screen for a few seconds before easing to the next.

The list is updated by hand once each real award season, not streamed live.

It runs entirely offline — no key and no connection needed.

What Video of the Year rewards

MTV launched in 1981 and held the first Video Music Awards in 1984 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on 14 September. The first Video of the Year went to The Cars for You Might Think. The ceremony was created to honour the music video, at a time when the channel's rotation shaped which songs became hits.

Video of the Year is the top prize. The trophy is an astronaut on the Moon, one of the network's earliest visual symbols, designed by Manhattan Design, the same firm that designed the original MTV logo. Winners traditionally called it the Moonman, and MTV has used the term Moon Person since the 2017 ceremony.

How winners are chosen has changed: early winners were picked by a special panel of music video directors, producers and record company executives, and since the 2006 awards viewers vote online for the major categories while a jury decides technical categories. The line-up reflects each era, from the 1980s onward. The year shown is the ceremony year, which may differ from when the video was first released.

A worked example

A real winner appears with its year, holds for a few seconds, then fades into the next real entry in the archive.

Settings & tips

The VMAs have run annually since 1984, honoring music video craft.
Accent recolours the text and highlights.
Video of the Year is the show's top prize.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real award history?: Yes — a real, curated archive of MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year winners, drawn from the award's own published record.
Does this update automatically?: It's refreshed by hand once each real award season, not a live feed.
Does it need an internet connection?: No — it runs entirely offline once the page loads.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
What is the Moon Person trophy?: The statuette given at the VMAs, an astronaut on the Moon, long called the Moonman and referred to by MTV as the Moon Person since the 2017 ceremony.
Who won the first Video of the Year?: The Cars, for You Might Think, at the first ceremony in 1984.
Do fans vote for the winners?: Since the 2006 awards, viewers vote online for the major categories, while earlier years used a special panel.

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