MTV EMAs show in Hungary highlights support for LGBTQ people
ABC News
The 2021 MTV European Music Awards show has been held in Hungary's capital of Budapest where some performers expressed their support and solidarity to the country's embattled LGBTQ community
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Pyrotechnics, elaborate costumes and aerial acrobatics ruled the night at the 2021 MTV European Music Awards show in Hungary's capital Sunday, a ceremony that was both a celebration of the year's biggest musical artists and a statement of support for LGBTQ people in the event's host country.
The show at the Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Budapest, which aired live on MTV in 180 countries, featured performances by some of the world’s most popular artists — some of them LGBTQ musicians that used their stage time to speak out against policies in Hungary that are widely seen as curtailing LGBTQ rights.
Opening the night was English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran with a performance of his newly released song “Overpass Graffiti." Then the show’s host, American rapper Saweetie, descended onto the stage riding a giant snowflake for her own medley of songs.
Saweetie, after speaking out on the need to show “respect for the LGBTQ community,” presented Sheeran with the award for best artist.