The MTV Movie & TV Awards of 2023 proved to be an unforgettable event, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing writers’ strike. A star-studded gathering witnessed the presentation of coveted golden popcorn statuettes to a diverse array of talented individuals.
In the realm of scripted content, there was a fierce competition for the most nominations, with “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Stranger Things,” “The Last of Us,” “The White Lotus,” and “Wednesday” leading the pack. On the unscripted side, shows like “Jersey Shore Family Vacation,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” and “Vanderpump Rules” dominated the nominations. The remarkable Jennifer Coolidge was honored with the esteemed Comic Genius Award, while the Purple Hearts won the best musical moment award for their incredible performance of “Come Back Home.”
Originally slated to be hosted by the beloved Drew Barrymore, the show took an unexpected turn when she announced her decision to step down as a gesture of solidarity with the striking writers. Despite having some pre-taped segments featuring Barrymore, the ceremony proceeded without a formal host. However, Barrymore assured her fans that she would be returning to host the 2024 edition of the show.
Amid reports of picketing by the Writers Guild of America at the Santa Monica Barker Hangar, where the event was filmed, executive producer Bruce Gillmer made a significant announcement. In a statement to CNN, he revealed that the MTV Movie & TV Awards would deviate from their usual live format and instead air a pre-taped version of the ceremony on Sunday.
This adjustment in presentation style included captivating flashback clips from previous MTV Movie & TV Awards shows, which formed a substantial portion of the program. Additionally, winners delivered heartfelt speeches in pre-recorded segments, adding a personal touch to the evening.
Now, let’s take a look at the full list of nominees, with the winners proudly displayed in bold:
BEST MOVIE
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
“Elvis”
“Nope”
“Scream VI” – WINNER
“Smile”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
BEST SHOW
“Stranger Things”
“The Last of Us” – WINNER
“The White Lotus”
“Wednesday”
“Wolf Pack”
“Yellowstone”
“Yellowjackets”
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Austin Butler — “Elvis”
Florence Pugh — “Don’t Worry Darling:
KeKe Palmer — “Nope”
Michael B. Jordan — “Creed III”
Tom Cruise — “Top Gun: Maverick” – WINNER
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Aubrey Plaza — “The White Lotus”
Christina Ricci — “Yellowjackets”
Jenna Ortega — “Wednesday” – WINNER
Riley Keough — “Daisy Jones & The Six”
Sadie Sink — “Stranger Things”
Selena Gomez — “Only Murders in the Building”
BEST HERO
Diego Luna —”Andor”
Jenna Ortega — “Wednesday”
Paul Rudd — “Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania”
Pedro Pascal — “The Last Of Us” – WINNER
Tom Cruise — “Top Gun: Maverick”
BEST VILLAIN
Elizabeth Olsen — “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” – WINNER
Harry Styles — “Don’t Worry Darling”
Jamie Campbell Bower — “Stranger Things”
M3GAN — “M3GAN”
The Bear — “Cocaine Bear”
BEST KISS (presented by Cheetos®)
Anna Torv + Philip Prajoux — “The Last Of Us”
Harry Styles + David Dawson — “My Policeman”
Madison Bailey + Rudy Pankow — “Outer Banks” – WINNER
Riley Keough + Sam Claflin — “Daisy Jones & The Six”
Selena Gomez + Cara Delevingne — “Only Murders in the Building”
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Adam Sandler — “Murder Mystery 2” – WINNER
Dylan O’Brien — “Not Okay”
Jennifer Coolidge — “Shotgun Wedding”
KeKe Palmer — “Nope”
Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary”
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Bad Bunny — “Bullet Train”
Bella Ramsey — “The Last Of Us”
Emma D’Arcy — “House of the Dragon”
Joseph Quinn — “Stranger Things” – WINNER
Rachel Sennott — “Bodies Bodies Bodies”
BEST FIGHT
Brad Pitt (Ladybug) vs. Bad Bunny (The Wolf) — “Bullet Train”
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) vs. Ghostface — “Scream VI” – WINNER
Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) vs. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) — “Stranger Things”
Keanu Reeves (John Wick) vs. Everyone — “John Wick 4”
Escape from Narkina 5 — “Andor”
MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Coolidge – “The White Lotus” – WINNER
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – “Cocaine Bear”
Justin Long – “Barbarian”
Rachel Sennott – “Bodies Bodies Bodies”
Sosie Bacon – “Smile”
BEST DUO
Camila Mendes + Maya Hawke – “Do Revenge”
Jenna Ortega + Thing – “Wednesday”
Pedro Pascal + Bella Ramsey – “The Last Of Us” – WINNER
Simona Tabasco + Beatrice Grannò – “The White Lotus”
Tom Cruise + Miles Teller – “Top Gun: Maverick”
BEST KICK-ASS CAST
“Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
“Outer Banks”
“Stranger Things” – WINNER
“Teen Wolf: The Movie”
BEST SONG
Demi Lovato – Still Alive (“Scream VI”)
Doja Cat – Vegas (“Elvis”)
Lady Gaga – Hold My Hand (“Top Gun: Maverick”)
OneRepublic – I Ain’t Worried (“Top Gun: Maverick”)
Rihanna – Lift Me Up (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
Taylor Swift – Carolina (“Where The Crawdads Sing”) – WINNER
BEST DOCU-REALITY SERIES
“Jersey Shore Family Vacation”
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”
“Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition”
“The Kardashians” – WINNER
“Vanderpump Rules”
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
“All-Star Shore”
“Big Brother”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars” – WINNER
“The Challenge: USA”
“The Traitors”
BEST HOST
Drew Barrymore – “The Drew Barrymore Show” – WINNER
Joel Madden – “Ink Master”
Nick Cannon – “The Masked Singer”
RuPaul – “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Kelly Clarkson – “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
BEST REALITY ON-SCREEN TEAM (presented by SONIC®)
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Pauly D (MVP) – “Jersey Shore Family Vacation”
Tori Deal and Devin Walker – “The Challenge: Ride or Dies”
RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage – “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, LaLa Kent – “Vanderpump Rules” – WINNER
Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke – “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
“Halftime”
“Love, Lizzo”
“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” – WINNER
“Sheryl”
“The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie”
The MTV Movie & TV Awards of 2023 defied all odds to deliver a spectacular celebration of talent and creativity. Despite the challenges faced, the event remained true to its essence, honoring the best in scripted and unscripted entertainment. With unforgettable moments and deserving winners, this year’s awards ceremony left a lasting impact on the industry. Stay tuned for what promises to be an even more remarkable 2024 show, with Drew Barrymore returning as the gracious host.
