MTV VMAs 2016

They were perhaps the saddest words ever glimpsed on MTV: “Britney Spears returns to the VMA stage in 10 minutes.”

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For an idea of the buzz-worthy moments that might play out onstage during Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, look to past years of the network’s annual pop spectacle.

The MTV Video Music Awards have provided some of pop culture’s most-discussed moments in recent years, from Kanye West crashing the stage during Taylor Swift’s speech to Nicki Minaj calling out Miley Cyrus for talking trash.

With over 200 million records sold worldwide and eight Grammy Awards, Rihanna has become one of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century.

Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” has emerged as a serious award season contender.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Britney Spears will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Rihanna fans seething that the singer didn’t make it into the video of the year race at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards should fret not: The singer is set to get the night’s highest honor.

For much of the modern era, the word music in the MTV acronym has been an afterthought, a vestige of an earlier time and identity.

Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards had fashion hits and misses.