--- description: The "Wrecking Ball" singer and the youth-oriented broadcast need each other title: Miley Cyrus Is the Perfect Host for the Video Music Awards image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Miley Cyrus Is the Perfect Host for the Video Music Awards  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 21, 2015 3:00 PM CUT  by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 21, 2015 3:00 PM CUT Miley Cyrus announced on Instagram that she [will host](http://time.com/3965385/miley-cyrus-mtv-music-video-awards-vmas/ "undefined") this year’s Video Music Awards, serving as the broadcast’s first emcee since Kevin Hart at the 2012 show. The intervening two ceremonies relied on performances and acceptance speeches to hold the audience’s interest, and both times, Cyrus herself emerged as the star of the show. She’s the perfect choice to host the show: The only question is why it hadn’t happened sooner. The singer’s status among the most talked-about stars in pop music is a relatively recent invention, dating back to the 2013 Video Music Awards. At that (host-free) ceremony, Cyrus’s booking was wedged into an awkward duet with Robin Thicke and promoted less than marquee performances by Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry. The ceremony, indeed, had been largely meant to promote a nascent rivalry between show opener Gaga and show closer Perry, but somewhere in between Cyrus ate both of their lunch, turning a few minutes onstage into a career-defining scandal and instantly establishing her as the twerking, teddy-bear-loving, problematic favorite of a generation. Cyrus has called her performance that night a [“strategic hot mess,”](http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/03/miley-dubs-her-vma-performance-a-strategic-hot-mess/ "undefined") and the gambit worked. Amidst a sea of serenely competent performers, Cyrus provided the night’s actual entertainment. Last year, again, the VMA ceremony was largely devoid of spark or excitement but for Cyrus’s impact. Ultra-competent performers like Ariana Grande, Usher, and Maroon 5 went through their paces before Cyrus won the night’s top prize, Video of the Year, for “Wrecking Ball,” in which she continued her now-established persona as a racy provocateur. The way she used her brief airtime this go-round, [ceding the stage](https://youtu.be/VW8rPKf6r3I "undefined") to a Los Angeles resident who urged greater attention to the plight of youth homelessness, provoked in a different manner entirely. As Cyrus stagily wept in the audience, other stars seemed to have no idea what was going on, up to presenter Jimmy Fallon, who grabbed the microphone, prepared to seize it away. The moment had the frisson of truly live entertainment—in which anything could happen—and an added dimension of actual substance. For two years in a row, Cyrus has taken charge of the music industry’s most youth-focused event by sheer force of will, turning brief moments in the spotlight into opportunities to radically redefine the conversation around her: From Disney starlet to aggressive party-girl chanteuse, and from _that_ to the social conscience of pop music. Who knows what she could do with an opening monologue? There’s reason to be excited to find out. Without her having been invited to the party in the past, there would have been no morning-after conversation at all. The Video Music Awards needs the sort of frank, unapologetic crudeness and outsized emotions a star as unafraid to look silly as Cyrus provides. Without her, they’d be the Grammys. _Read next:_ [_Here Are the 2015 MTV Video Music Award Nominees_](http://time.com/3965719/mtv-vma-2015-nominees/ "undefined") ### See the Evolution of Miley Cyrus  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus on Oct. 8, 1994 at Pyramid Arena in Memphis. Ron Galella, Ltd.—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in New York City on Feb. 9, 2006. Paul Hawthorne—Getty Images  Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus in Los Angeles on Apr. 30, 2006. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 23, 2006. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus in Westwood, Calif., on July 17, 2006. Vince Bucci—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana on Nov. 2, 2008. Disney  Miley Cyrus in New York City on Oct. 23, 2006. Peter Kramer—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale on MTV's TRL in New York City on June 20, 2006. Michael Loccisano—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana in Uniondale, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 2007. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 80th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton in an episode of Disney's Hannah Montana on Dec. 7, 2007. Disney/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus celebrates her 16th birthday during the 2008 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 23, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift perform onstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2009. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Disney  Tish, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2009. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2010. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2009 Teen Choice Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2009. Kevin Winter—Fox/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 21st Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto on June 20, 2010. George Pimentel—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2009 VH1 Divas in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Aug. 31, 2010. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on an episode of ABC's Dancing with the Stars on May 2010. Adam Larkey—ABC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in the 2010 film The Last Song. Touchstone Pictures  Miley and Tish Cyrus at The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011. Lester Cohen—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2012. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2012. Christopher Polk—VF/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 20, 2012. Denise Truscello—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 6, 2012. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during 2012 VH1 Divas in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2012. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus poses with fans in London on July 18, 2013. Ben Pruchnie—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the Fashion Group International's 30th annual "Night Of Stars" awards gala in New York City on Oct. 22, 2013. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP  Miley Cyrus performs on NBC's Today show on Oct. 7, 2013 in New York City. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus dances at Compound Entertainment and Malibu Red Grammy Midnight Brunch at Bagatelle/STK in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2013. Johnny Nunez—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 6, 2013. Stephen Lovekin—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus arrives at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 19, 2013. Jon Kopaloff—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends Rachel Zoe during Fall 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center in New York City on Feb. 13, 2013. Jamie McCarthy—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on June 27, 2013. Slaven Vlasic—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus perform during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Rick Diamond—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2013. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the Time Square's New Year's Eve 2014 ball drop celebration in New York City on Dec. 31, 2013. Steve Mack—FilmMagic/Getty Image  Miley Cyrus at the 56th annual Grammy Awards Pre-Grammy Gala in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2014. Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during Miley Cyrus: MTV Unplugged in Los Angeles on Jan. 28, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on Aug. 1, 2014. Taylor Hill—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips perform in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2014. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Miley Cyrus and My Friend's Place representative Jesse Helt at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus walks with Jeremy Scott after a presentation of his Spring/Summer 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 10, 2014. Lucas Jackson—Reuters  Miley Cyrus attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 4, 2015 . Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus hosts the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on Saturday Night Live in New York City on Oct. 3, 2015. Dana Edelson—Getty Images  Honoree Miley Cyrus accepts the Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles LGBT Center 46th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards on Nov. 7, 2015 in Century City, Calif. Joe Scarnici—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus on The Voice on Feb. 4, 2016. 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