In the hours leading up to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, there was a lot of hype building. Over the past few years, the awards show has played host to a number of strange occurrences. This year was sure to be no different.

As the curtain rose on the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Madonna walked onto the stage and gave a eulogy to the late Michael Jackson. In a truly heartfelt moment, she recalled their previous encounters and the parallels in the two pop stars’ lives. As she closed, the opening to “Thriller” began to play as dancers came out and gave a visual tribute to Jackson. Although no other stars were involved in the tribute, it was a great way to honor a man who gave so much to music, dance and music videos.

Russell Brand finally appeared behind Joe Perry and Katy Perry, who gave their rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Brand, who was hosting the show for the first time, got very witty and very English very fast. He rambled through jokes that most of the people in attendance didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter — he’s Russell Brand.

This awards show, more than any other, is dominated by performances. We saw Lady Gaga, Green Day, Muse and 3OH!3, to name a few. Pink sang her smash single, “Sober,” hanging 100 feet above the stage on a trapeze, and Beyoncé performed “Single Ladies,” recreating the glamour of her music video. Winners from the night included the aforementioned Green Day, along with T.I. (currently in prison), Britney Spears (currently on tour) and Eminem (in attendance). There was a general sense of letdown in the air regarding weird moments at the VMAs…until Taylor Swift’s name was called.

Swift was awarded “Best Female Video” and came on stage in a gorgeous white dress to accept her award. As she began to talk, Kanye West jumped on stage from the audience and stated, “Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time…” The look of sheer terror on Beyoncé’s face was amazing, and West was quickly removed from the building by security.

This controversial statement sent shockwaves throughout the pop world. Of note, Pink responded on Twitter with: “Kanye West is the biggest piece of shit on Earth. Quote me.” As other stars and fans responded, it was clear that this was the story that stole the show. According to people inside Radio City, the boos were deafening when West’s nomination for “Music Video of the Year” was read.

Luckily, the night was saved by the true hero. Beyoncé won the award for “Music Video of the Year” for her song “Single Ladies,” and as she came up to accept her award, she called Taylor Swift back on stage to properly thank her fans. In the classiest move I’ve seen in a long time, Beyoncé turned the night around with a true act of kindness.

After being removed from the venue, West posted an apology on his blog. The apology, which was insincere to say the least, was quickly removed just minutes after it was posted, before an edited version surfaced later that night. It is clear that publicists around the world are cringing at this situation.

The night ended with an incredible performance by two Hall-of-Fame-caliber pop stars, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Together, they performed “Empire State of Mind” from Jay’s newest album, The Blueprint 3. Just two days earlier, on September 11^th, they were joined by Rihanna, Mary J. Blige and Beyoncé at Madison Square Garden and did a great job paying tribute to the city.

The Video Music Awards ended on a bittersweet note, as audience members viewed a trailer for Michael Jackson’s movie, This Is It. The movie will showcase the final days of Jackson’s life, as he prepared to play a string of shows in London. Overall, the show was very successful, despite West’s attempt to bring chaos to New York. The MTV Video Music Awards are known for the antics that surround the stage, and this year was no different.