MTV EMA awards rock the Hydro in Glasgow

Host Nicki Minaj collected the Best Hip Hop award. Picture: Getty

One Direction landed three of the most coveted honours at the MTV Europe Music Awards, which brought a host of the world’s biggest stars to the stage of the new Hydro arena for the “time travel” themed show.

Dazzling lighting shows and pyrotechnics were deployed during the showpiece event, which was being held in Scotland for a second time and was predicted to generate at least £10 million for the city’s economy.

The event is another huge boost to Glasgow’s global profile just a few months after the Commonwealth Games. The 20th annual event – “MTV’s global celebration of the hottest stars in music” – was shown across its global network to a combined audience of almost 700 million.

One Direction, who appeared by video link from Austria, won the worldwide poll for having the biggest fan base, as well as the honours for best pop act and best live artist. Superstar Nicki Minaj, the event’s host – who appeared in a blizzard of fireworks at the start of the show – was one of a string of female American singers to win top awards.

She was named best hip hop act, while Katy Perry was honoured for both best look and best video, for her hit Dark Horse.

Ariane Grande, who was named best female singer and honoured for best song for Problem, was the first performer to appear, floating above the audience inside a plastic “bubble chair”.

Other highlights included a typically raunchy extended routine from Minaj, who joked with the audience: “I’m on the lookout for some hot Scots so I can get a Glasgow kiss.”

The singer, who also showered the audience with her own “currency” at one point, told them: “I can promise you Glasgow that tonight will be the mother of all parties.”

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTSMAN

• Subscribe to our daily newsletter (requires registration) and get the latest news, sport and business headlines delivered to your inbox every morning

• You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google +

The audience were also treated to an intimate performance from Irish rock giants U2, as well as live appearances from heart-throbs Ed Sheeran and Enrique Iglesias but there was no sign of Canadian bad boy Justin Bieber, named best male singer.

And Scottish superstar Calvin Harris – who was forced to pull out of a planned live performance was just over 24 hours to go due to a health scare – was unable to pick up his award for best electronic act.

The Dumfries-born DJ and producer told his Twitter followers he had been suffering “heart problems”.

Speaking on the red carpet, Biffy Clyro singer Simon Neil – who appeared at the climax of the show in a special tribute to global icon recipient Ozzy Osbourne – was among those to pass on their best wishes to Harris. He said: “I hope he is alright and gets better, it is a shame when any young man has problems with his heart. I have had a few health scares myself.

“I basically have to be at death’s door to cancel a show. But we had to cancel a few last year and I was under doctor’s orders to stay in bed for a week.

“It is horrific, you feel terrible and so helpless, and the last thing you want to do is let down people who like your music.”

Speaking before collecting his global icon award, rock legend Osbourne said: “It’s great to be back in Scotland.

“I remember playing the Apollo years ago, I loved it and I was really ****** off when they tore it down, it was a great gig.

“I’ve had many memorable shows in Glasgow and they are my kind of people. They love their music here.”

Some of the best spots in the 13,000 capacity arena had been secured by 2,000 Glasgow-based fans who landed free tickets after taking part in special “casting” sessions.

Some members of the audience were held in specially-constructed cages overlooking the main arena, which was dominated by a giant video screen.

Hundred of fans had earlier secured VIP passes allowing them to snap up “selfies” and serenade the stars with their own hits during a frenetic 90-minute red carpet arrivals event in the neighbouring SECC before the official two and a half hour ceremony got under way.

Emile Sande, one of a host of Scottish celebrities at the event, said: “It’s great to showcase such a wonderful city and for people to learn more about the Glasgow crowds.

“They are super-warm, really enthusiastic and they have a raw energy. I think all the artists will receive that energy and will want to come back.”

Fellow singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald said: “It is great seeing all these people here and everyone so excited about this event being in Glasgow.

“For an event like this to be on my own doorstep is amazing. I know everyone says it, but the audiences here really are the best. The Hydro is also purpose built for music and is perfect for a performer. It is the perfect setting.”

Ed Sheeran said: “Everyone knows Scotland is a great night out. I didn’t get to bed to 7am last night. The crowd in Glasgow is the most mental in the world.”

Speaking before the awards show kicked off, Bob Bakish, the chief executive of American entertainment giants Viacom, the parent company of MTV, praised the welcome Glasgow had laid on for the event and the “world-class” Hydro arena.

He said: “The Hydro really is spectacular, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. I was with the show’s executive producers and their team. They said they thought it was the best venue we’ve had for the awards yet.

“The venue is only a year old, it is state-of-the-art and has a lot of technical features. This one is a killer.

“You want to have a great city for these awards and Glasgow really is a great city. The people here have been really fantastic to work with, they’ve definitely given us the keys to the city and have bent over backwards to make sure we could get the access we needed. We’re thrilled to be here.”

The Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and EventScotland, the Scottish Government’s national events agency, spent around six years trying to bring the event to the city its bid to secure the Commonwealth Games in 2014 was successful.

Around 8,000 beds were said to have been filled thanks to a vast influx of overseas artists and their entourages, as well as music industry VIPs, journalists, celebrities and fans.

MTV had also staged a week of live music events and club nights in the run-up to the main awards ceremony.

The event was held previously in Edinburgh in 2003, when Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera, Pink and The Black Eyed Peas all appeared.

SCOTSMAN TABLET AND IPHONE APPS

• Download your free 30-day trial for our iPad, Android Android and Kindle apps

• Keep up to date with all aspects of Scottish life with The Scotsman iPhone app, completely free to download and use