Watch all of the VMA Video of the Year nominees

Originally published on Aug. 27, 2015.

Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” video is up for the VMAs’ top award.

The five nominees for the top prize at this year's MTV Video Music Awards run the gamut, from simple efforts and themes to big-budget blockbusters. Catch up on them before Sunday’s broadcast.

Beyoncé: 7/11

With the help of a selfie stick and some killer dance moves, Beyoncé made the world’s coolest home video.

Ed Sheeran: Thinking Out Loud

The British singer reportedly trained five hours a day during his U.S. tour to prepare for this video, and it shows. Next stop: Dancing With the Stars?

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Kendrick Lamar: Alright

The almost seven-minute long video, filled with striking images that reference the conflict between African-Americans and the police, ends on a surreal note.

Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars: Uptown Funk

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars don their ‘80s gear and have a whole lot of fun dancing in the streets. Don’t believe me? Just watch.

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Taylor Swift Ft. Kendrick Lamar: Bad Blood

If star power alone merits a win, then Swift has this one in the bag. "Bad Blood" broke Vevo’s 24-hour viewing record with 20.1 million views on its first day and boasts a host of famous faces, including Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham, Cindy Crawford, and more.

HONORABLE MENTION

Nicki Minaj: Anaconda

The bootylicious video was arguably the hottest of 2014, setting the Vevo 24-hour viewing record with 19.6 million views before “Bad Blood” broke it, and Minaj didn’t hide her disappointment at being left out of the VMAs' marquee category. With the following tweet she set off a brief Twitter war with Taylor Swift and sparked a debate about race, beauty, and sexuality in the music industry:

If I was a different "kind" of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well. 😊😊😊

— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ)

July 21, 2015

Nicki Minaj Tweet Sets Off Twitter Skirmish with Taylor Swift

So was Minaj robbed? You be the judge. (explicit)

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—By Pauline Vu

Top 5 moments from Season 20 of ‘DWTS’

Originally published on Sept. 13, 2015.

Season 20 winner Rumer Willis dances with pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

Dancing With the Stars is back, with an eclectic group of contestants that includes controversial celebrity chef Paula Deen, Steve Irwin’s daughter Bindi, and one of the heroes of the French train attack. Before tuning into the new season on Sept. 14, check out some highlights from Season 20.

5.  Riker Lynch channels Captain Jack Sparrow
During the show’s Disney Week, the R5 singer (and eventual 2^nd place finisher) doubled down on the drama of his paso doble by dancing in full pirate costume.

4.  Robert Herjavec kisses partner Kym Johnson
The Shark Tank panelist and dancer Kym Johnson said they were in the moment when they kissed passionately during a routine and denied there was anything more to it. But the duo later confirmed that they were, indeed, dating (and still are).

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3.  Awwwww, Noah and Jamie are in love
Army veteran and motivational speaker Noah Galloway got a huge surprise when his girlfriend, U.S. Army Reservist Jamie Boyd, got out of Basic Training early to come watch him dance live; later Galloway gave her an even bigger surprise: a marriage proposal.

2.  Rumer and Val earn the season’s first perfect score
Rumer Willis and pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy scored big with a sensual rumba that wowed the judges, the audience, and her cheering mom, Demi Moore. The duo continued to dazzle through the season and ultimately took home the Mirror Ball Trophy.

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1.  Bruno Toniolli totally disses Charlotte McKinney
The judge isn’t know for pulling punches, but the sexist digs he threw at the model/actress (known for a risqué Carl’s Jr. Super Bowl commercial) after a lackluster performance didn’t please the audience or the other judges. McKinney had quite a few things to say the following day about his comments.

Honorable Mentions:
Noah Galloway dances an inspirational freestyle

The double-amputee only expected to last a few weeks in the competition, and instead he made it to the finals. This emotional performance captured his difficult journey — and his resilience.

NFL players do a group paso doble

In the middle of the season the show ran its 10^th anniversary special, featuring a host of former contestants and dancers performing. Our personal favorite? This paso doble performed by seven former NFL players and contestants to the tune of the Monday Night Football theme song.

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—By Pauline Vu

SNL’s 5 best Donald Trump skits

Originally published on Nov. 4, 2015.

Donald Trump is hosting SNL’s Nov. 7 episode. (AP)

GOP presidential candidate and reality TV star Donald Trump hosts Saturday Night Live this weekend (in spite of the backlash against his hosting). But will it live up to his previous entries on the show, both in person and as played by a cast member? We count down his best SNL moments.

5. Trump and his wife clear up some misconceptions (Oct. 4, 2015)

Taran Killan is the latest SNL comedian to take on The Donald’s trademark squint and pout. Here, he and wife Melania (played in all her European glory by Cecily Strong) explain Trump’s real views on immigrants and women. For example, on his perceived gibe about Fox News’ Megyn Kelly: “He was worried, she’s bleeding everywhere, she should go to hospital!”

4. Ross Perot interviews Trump and Pat Buchanan (Oct. 2, 1999)

Darrell Hammond hadn’t perfected his impersonation yet, but the skit’s still hilarious as conservative icon Pat Buchanan (Chris Parnell) and Trump compete for control of the Reform Party then helmed by Ross Perot (Cheri Oteri). Not only that, but this version of Trump actually defended illegal immigration … sort of.

3. Trump makes a cameo on Days of Our Lives (Oct. 29, 2005)

By this point Hammond had his Trump impression down pat, and his version of the businessman just won’t listen to instructions. Stay to the end of the sketch to see what the soap opera’s producers had to do to make up for Trump’s obstinacy.

2. Trump goes on Live With Regis and Kelly (April 3, 2004)

But no one does Trump better than The Donald himself. He goes on the morning show (with Hammond playing Regis while Amy Poehler plays Kelly) and brags about all the TV shows that got their “highest ratings ever” because he was on. Considering his effect on debate numbers, he’s not wrong. No wonder Regis and Kelly wouldn’t let him leave.

1. Trump plugs cheeseburger pizza (May 7, 2005)

This hilarious fake commercial, based on an actual ad, showed the hyper-confident mogul repeatedly disregarding instructions (such as the correct way to pronounce “Domino’s”). This was just one of several SNL skits in this vein (check out Trump’s promos for the Halloween- and Christmas-themed episodes of The Apprentice).  

Honorable Mention

Trump’s first SNL monologue (April 3, 2004)

In his only other hosting appearance, Trump garnered laughs as he urged his doppelgänger (Hammond) to keep saying his trademark “You’re fired” phrase.

—By Pauline Vu

Top 5 moments on Season 21 of ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Originally published on Nov. 20, 2015.

The season comes down to four finalists. (Good Morning America)

A champion will be announced at the end of Tuesday night’s Dancing With the Stars finale, but for now the Mirror Ball Trophy is still up for grabs. Will the winner be Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin, American hero Alek Skarlatos, former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, or actor/singer Carlos VegaPena?  

Before tuning into the finale, check out some of this season’s highlights.

5. Tamar Braxton re-creates “Rhythm Nation”
The singer and TV host did a spot-on rendition of Janet Jackson’s iconic music video, right down to the black-and-white filter. Despite her obvious talent, though, Braxton won’t be in the finale — she had to drop out due to blood clots in both her lungs.

4. Alek Skarlatos dances after tragedy
The National Guardsman shot to prominence after helping to take down a shooter on a Paris-bound train, but in the middle of the season, tragedy struck — a mass shooting at his school, Umpqua Community College, left 10 dead. Skarlatos flew home to be with his family and friends, and then returned to the show and performed a paso doble that he dedicated to the grieving Roseburg, Ore., community.

3. Bindi Irwin performs blindfolded
The 17-year-old has routinely wowed the judges, and this flawless Viennese waltz earned her and pro partner Derek Hough a series of perfect 10s.

2. An emotional husband-and-wife elimination
This season featured DWTS’ first-ever married couple, Carlos and Alexa PenaVega. On the Week 9 episode, the duo found themselves in the bottom two, and the tears flowed freely when it was announced that Alexa was eliminated. “I wish it had been me,” Carlos sobbed.

1. Bindi Irwin pays tribute to her dad
Irwin’s father, beloved wildlife expert Steve Irwin, died in 2006 at age 44 of a stingray attack. Here, Bindi discusses his legacy and its impact on her.

Her contemporary dance in her father’s honor had the judges holding back tears.

Honorable Mentions

Nick Carter announces wife’s pregnancy
The former Backstreet Boy announced on the show that his wife Lauren was expecting the couple’s first child, and then performed a moving contemporary dance dedicated to her.

Paula Deen flashes the audience
Well, not really. But her jive got a little frisky.

—By Pauline Vu

Best performances on Season 9 of ‘The Voice’

Originally published on Dec. 11, 2015.

Jordan Smith is one of the show’s four finalists. (Scripps)

The latest season of NBC’s hit singing competition has come down to the final four: Team Adam’s Jordan Smith, Team Gwen’s Jeffrey Austin, and Emily Ann Roberts and Barrett Baber from Team Blake (Pharell has no singers in the finals). The season has been filled with jaw-dropping performances (along with some behind-the-scenes drama over Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s new romance), but here are our picks for the best.

5. Emily Ann Roberts: “In the Garden”
The country chanteuse’s beautiful take on the classic gospel hymn during the show’s first Live Playoff round propelled her into the Top 12.

4. Barrett Baber: “Ghost,” by Halsey
The country singer showed he can also do rock when he opened the Dec. 7 episode with this passionate performance.

3. Madi Davis: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” by Cyndi Lauper
It’s a shame the 16-year-old, Team Pharrell’s last hope, didn’t make the finals. Her unique spin on every song she sings was in full force when she turned Cyndi Lauper’s famous pop song into a haunting ballad about female empowerment.

2. Jeffery Austin: “Make It Rain,” by Ed Sheeren
Unlike the other three finalists, Austin wasn’t a shoo-in for the finals; he had to go up against Madi Davis and Zach Seabaugh to win the show’s final Instant Save. But Austin’s powerful version of Sheeren’s song had America picking him by a big margin.

1. Jordan Smith: “Somebody to Love,” by Queen
From his first performance, Smith proved he was the one to beat, and he got better week after week. His Queen cover in the semifinals not only received more votes than any other Voice contestant ever, it knocked Adele from the top of the iTunes chart (which she’d been leading for five straight weeks).

HONORABLE MENTION

Amy Vachal: “Hotline Bling,” by Drake
Vachal deserves a nod for her breezy take on Drake’s booty call classic.

—By Pauline Vu