Chapitre 211: Chapter 209: The Furious Walkout
"Hey, Em, congratulations!"
After Eminem's performance, Link approached him and said.
"Thanks! Link, you've got a chance," Eminem replied, giving him a fist bump and sitting down with his 'Moonman' trophy.
"What chance?"
"They gave me this, so they won't give me the Best Male Video award," Eminem said, shaking his trophy.
Link thought about it for a moment. His chances of winning that award were slim.
This year, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga were the top contenders, each with nine nominations.
Link was competing with Lady Gaga for Best New Artist, but since Lady Gaga had a better chance at Best Female Video, his chances were even smaller. The nominations were from his debut album, which wasn't as strong as his second album. He might have a better chance next year.
"Hey, Em, you're kidding, right? With that crappy MV of his, how could he win Best Male Video? MTV only nominated him because he rode MJ's coattails."
Hearing Eminem, Lil Wayne and others complained.
"Have you seen the 'Unstoppable' MV? It's really good. I suggest you check it out," Eminem said.
"I don't watch those plot-heavy MVs. They're not cool," Lil Wayne dismissed.
"Exactly. If the voting committee gives him the award, I swear I'll never attend an MTV award show again," T.I. said, showing his teeth.
"Me too!" 50 Cent and others nodded in agreement.
Just then, Jennifer Lopez and Australian actress Rose Byrne walked onto the stage to present the award.
"And the Best Male Video goes to Link Beck for 'Unstoppable'!"
"NOOOOO!!!"
As Jennifer Lopez announced Link's name, angry shouts erupted from the audience. Kanye, Lil Wayne, and 50 Cent stood up, furious, with even Jay-Z, usually unflappable, turning to glare at Link.
Link himself was surprised. 'Unstoppable' was a narrative MV, more like a five-minute short film. It wasn't as flashy, and its special effects were minimal. It didn't have the dazzling visuals or dance routines typical of rap videos. MTV usually favored more visually impressive MVs, so the win was unexpected.
"Link, I told you so. You really won!" Eminem said, surprised and nudging him.
"Em, maybe it's your luck rubbing off on me," Link chuckled, bumping shoulders with Eminem and Wiz.
"Hey, Link, congrats on the win!" Beyoncé and Rihanna said from the front.
"Thanks!"
After leaving his seat, he hugged the 'Unstoppable' MV's lead actress, Dorchen Coloss, and then greeted Taylor, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry, receiving hugs from them.
As he made his way back, Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and T.I. followed, causing quite a stir in the audience.
The news about the 26th MTV Music Awards soared to the top of news websites. When Link won the award, Twitter activity spiked to 1.2 million tweets within ten minutes. After Kanye and his group stormed out, the activity jumped to 4 million, surpassing even the drama surrounding Kanye's earlier mic-snatching.
TV ratings for the show hit peaks at various points: Link's piano performance with MJ's hologram reached 14 million viewers; the Kanye and Link mic incident saw 22 million; and after Kanye's departure, the ratings soared to a record 28.72 million, nearing the Super Bowl levels.
"Wow! Link's upset win! Kanye, Lil Wayne walking out—so thrilling."
"Is this for real? It feels scripted."
"I agree! They knew about the tension between Link and the East Coast rappers. There's no way this isn't planned."
"It can't be scripted. Given Link's past with East Coast rappers, they wouldn't play along."
"Support Kanye for the win! Link, put down that trophy."
"Definitely scripted. If it wasn't, Link would have already hit Kanye. This MTV show is like a grand performance."
The buzz online intensified as people who'd never watched MTV before tuned in to see if tonight's drama was staged. The conversation continued to thrive as Link took the stage to accept his award, with the ratings breaking 28 million.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone! This is a wonderful moment. Standing here, receiving this important award is the best encouragement for my work over the past year.
Thanks to MTV, thanks to all the viewers and fans. I love you all. Without your votes, I wouldn't be here today."
Though he'd won other awards before, none had the prestige of this one, nor did the ceremonies compare in scale.
Standing before the audience of hundreds, including stars like Taylor, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Eminem, Shakira, Ashley Green, Paris Hilton, Ana Beatriz Barros, Green Day, and Coldplay, Link felt the gravity of this achievement.
It was different from holding a championship belt or an Olympic gold medal.
Receiving this trophy, he felt he truly belonged in the American entertainment industry, not just as a boxer who dabbled in music.
"Also, thanks to Director Herick. You're the first and most important director I've worked with. Thank you to the beautiful Dorchen Coloss and the entire 'Unstoppable' MV crew. Thank you for all your hard work.
And a special thanks to my partner, Miss Ivanka, and everyone at Link Music. This award belongs to you as well."
Link's gaze lingered on Director Stephen Herick, Dorchen Coloss, and finally Taylor.
"Last but not least, I must thank my girlfriend, Taylor Swift. She has taught me so much about music and songwriting. She is and will always be my mentor in music."
"Link, I love you!"
Taylor blew a series of hot kisses towards him.
"Wow, a massive public display of affection. I was hoping to see Kanye and his group storm the stage and get knocked out by Link. Instead, we get this?"
"Link, you're the best!"
"This award should have gone to T.I. and Rihanna. Clearly, there's some backstage politics."
"Jay-Z is the king of New York. Support Jay-Z for the win!"
As Link delivered his acceptance speech, his fan site saw a surge in activity with thousands of fans online, celebrating his major win.
"Catherine, Link won the MTV Best Male Video award," Selena called out to the study.
"Got it!"
"I want to sing too. One day I'll win an award," Selena said, picking up her guitar and starting to play.
She had planned to release her single "Let It Go" in June, but Disney's music department was so impressed with her performance that they decided to help her produce an album, scheduled for release in November. So, she was now a semi-professional singer.
"Ivanka, how did Link win this award?" Lana asked, turning to Ivanka, who was reading a magazine.
"I'm not sure, but it's likely to boost MTV's viewership. MTV is looking to increase its impact on the music industry. Link's rivalry with East Coast rappers created an opportunity for them," Ivanka explained.
"Letting Link win and creating buzz? It feels like they deliberately set up a scenario to heighten the drama," Lana suggested.
"Who cares? Controversy creates news. MTV is part of the Viacom media group. Link's ongoing feud with East Coast rappers benefits them. And giving awards to long-established artists doesn't generate as much buzz as giving it to a rising star like Link."
Ivanka yawned lightly, checking her watch.
"I've got a busy day tomorrow. I'm heading to bed now."
"Not watching Link's performance?" Lana asked.
"Just dancing. Nothing much to see," Ivanka replied, stretching and swaying her curvy figure as she walked into the bedroom.
(The end of this chapter)
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