MTV, Universal Music in row over ‘Despacito’ VMA absence

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MTV says the uber-popular video for “Despacito” didn’t earn a nomination at its Video Music Awards (VMA) because it wasn’t submitted for consideration, but Universal Music Latin Entertainment (UMLE) said the network didn’t ask the label to submit the video until last week — two weeks after the network announced its VMA nominees.

“Despacito” has not aired on MTV or MTV2, but it is being played on MTV Tres, the company’s Latin channel.

As for the VMAs, MTV said “the ‘Despacito’ video was not submitted for consideration”, in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday.

Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi's “Despacito” is now the most watched video music of all time on YouTube with more than three billion views. It is also the most streamed track of all-time and is spending its 14th week at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Screenshot from Despacito Music video. /Photo via the Inquirer.Net

“Until last week, MTV hadn’t solicited UMLE to submit the video for consideration,” a spokesperson for the record label said in a statement to the AP after it published a story on the reason for “Despacito’s” exclusion from the awards show.

It is unclear why the network solicited the label for a submission after the nominations had already been announced. MTV did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday afternoon.

MTV announced its VMA nominees on July 25. The network said Monday that “Despacito” — the song not the video — will be acknowledged at the VMAs as a nominee in its song of summer category. That category and its nominees will be officially announced the week of August 21.

The label said it hopes MTV will air the video at some point.

“Despacito” missed out on VMA nominations such as video of the year, best collaboration, best editing and other more.

Nominees for the top VMA prize, video of the year, include Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble,” Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic,” the Weeknd’s “Reminder,” Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful,” and DJ Khaled and Rihanna’s “Wild Thoughts,” which was released in June, a month before MTV announced its nominees.

The 2017 VMAs will air live from the Forum in Inglewood, California on August 27. Lamar is the top nominee with eight, while the Weeknd and Katy Perry — who is hosting the show — each earned five nominations.

Source(s): AP