Halsey Opened Up About Why She Skipped The 2018 MTV VMAs

21 August 2018, 15:55

Halsey Halsey VMA
Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

Halsey released 'Hopeless Fountain Kindom' last year and shared gorgeous visuals with fans.

The 2018 MTV VMAs saw musicians, producers, and other A-list stars come together to celebrate the artists and videos that made an impact in the last year.

One artist who should have been there celebrating among her peers was Halsey. The singer released her album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom in 2017, along with a visually stunning set of music videos crafted to tell a wider story.

When a fan asked Halsey why she didn't attend the ceremony this year, the singer's answer was simple. Despite her hard work over the the last 12 months, she actually wasn't nominated for any awards.

"[Because] I directed all my own music videos this album just to have MTV "wcw" me to death and not nominate me for anything," the singer tweeted.

Halsey created a whole kingdom of references tied together with beautiful Baz Luhrmann inspired visuals, and a storyline that spanned most of the HFK era. Not to mention the fact that Halsey co-directed the videos with the help of other creatives like Sing J Lee, Hannah Lux Davis, and Jessie Hill.

via Astralwerks

While the eligibility period for the VMAs can be confusing, it's likely that the videos considered this year would have covered videos released from late June 2017 to June 2018, putting much of Halsey's work last year well within the cut off period.

Halsey performed "Closer" with the Chainsmokers at the VMAs in 2016 and was nominated for an award for the same song/video in 2017. Halsey's 'Now or Never', which fell into the 2017 eligibility period, was also nominated for an award last year.

Despite her absence, Halsey acknowledged that she was happy that her fans liked the videos. To be honest, it's good to know that creating something for her fans was a first priority.

Should there be expanded categories at the VMAs? Perhaps a category for artists who direct/co-direct their own videos? Maybe a best video series category? Tell us what you think!