# MTV Video Music Award – Breakthrough Video

The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even presented during the main show (unlike most technical awards which were presented during the pre-show).
The award for Breakthrough Video was given out every year from 1988 to 2005, after which it was retired. In 2009, however, MTV decided to bring back this category and continued to present it until 2010, after which it was retired again.
R.E.M. and Fatboy Slim are the two biggest winners of this award, as they each have won it twice. Art of Noise, meanwhile, is the only artist or group to have won this award under its two incarnations: Most Experimental Video in 1985 and Breakthrough Video in 1989.

## Recipients
### 1980s

Recipients :
| Year | Winner(s) | Video | Nominees | Ref. |
| 1988 | INXS | "Need You Tonight" / "Mediate" | George Harrison – "When We Was Fab" Squeeze – "Hourglass" Suzanne Vega – "Luka" XTC – "Dear God" | |
| 1989 | Art of Noise (featuring Tom Jones) | "Kiss" | Paula Abdul – "Straight Up" Elvis Costello – "Veronica" The Escape Club – "Wild, Wild West" Fine Young Cannibals – "She Drives Me Crazy" Michael Jackson – "Leave Me Alone" Jody Watley – "Real Love" | |

### 1990s

Recipients :
| Year | Winner(s) | Video | Nominees |
| 1990 | Tears for Fears | "Sowing the Seeds of Love" | Paula Abdul – "Opposites Attract" Sinéad O'Connor – "Nothing Compares 2 U" Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Higher Ground" |
| 1991 | R.E.M. | "Losing My Religion" | Deee-Lite – "Groove Is in the Heart" Enigma – "Sadeness (Part I)" Seal – "Crazy" |
| 1992 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | "Give It Away" | Tori Amos – "Silent All These Years" David Byrne – "She's Mad" Van Halen – "Right Now" |
| 1993 | Los Lobos | "Kiko and the Lavender Moon" | Aerosmith – "Livin' on the Edge" Terence Trent D'Arby – "She Kissed Me" Green Jellÿ – "Three Little Pigs" George Michael – "Killer" / "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Porno for Pyros – "Pets" |
| 1994 | R.E.M. | "Everybody Hurts" | Beastie Boys – "Sabotage" Björk – "Human Behaviour" Deep Forest – "Sweet Lullaby" Nine Inch Nails – "Closer" |
| 1995 | Weezer | "Buddy Holly" | Green Day – "Basket Case" Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – "Scream" TLC – "Waterfalls" |
| 1996 | The Smashing Pumpkins | "Tonight, Tonight" | Björk – "It's Oh So Quiet" Busta Rhymes – "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" Foo Fighters – "Big Me" Garbage – "Queer" Radiohead – "Just" |
| 1997 | Jamiroquai | "Virtual Insanity" | The Chemical Brothers – "Setting Sun" Daft Punk – "Da Funk" Missy Elliott – "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" Radiohead – "Paranoid Android" |
| 1998 | The Prodigy | "Smack My Bitch Up" | Busta Rhymes – "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" Garbage – "Push It" Sean Lennon – "Home" Madonna – "Ray of Light" Roni Size/Reprazent – "Brown Paper Bag" |
| 1999 | Fatboy Slim | "Praise You" | Busta Rhymes – "Gimme Some More" Eels – "Last Stop: This Town" Eminem (featuring Dr. Dre) – "Guilty Conscience" Korn – "Freak on a Leash" Unkle (featuring Thom Yorke) – "Rabbit in Your Headlights" |

### 2000s

Recipients :
| Year | Winner(s) | Video | Nominees | Ref. |
| 2000 | Björk | "All Is Full of Love" | Blur – "Coffee & TV" The Chemical Brothers – "Let Forever Be" Nine Inch Nails – "Into the Void" Supergrass – "Pumping on Your Stereo" | |
| 2001 | Fatboy Slim | "Weapon of Choice" | Common (featuring Macy Gray) – "Geto Heaven (Remix)" Gorillaz – "Clint Eastwood" NSYNC – "Pop" R.E.M. – "Imitation of Life" Robbie Williams – "Rock DJ" | |
| 2002 | The White Stripes | "Fell in Love with a Girl" | Cake – "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" Coldplay – "Trouble" The Crystal Method – "Name of the Game" DMX – "Who We Be" Maxwell – "This Woman's Work" | |
| 2003 | Coldplay | "The Scientist" | Floetry – "Floetic" Kenna – "Freetime" Queens of the Stone Age – "Go with the Flow" Sum 41 – "The Hell Song" | |
| 2004 | Franz Ferdinand | "Take Me Out" | Modest Mouse – "Float On" New Found Glory – "All Downhill from Here" Steriogram – "Walkie Talkie Man" Kanye West (featuring Syleena Johnson) – "All Falls Down" The White Stripes – "The Hardest Button to Button" | |
| 2005 | Gorillaz | "Feel Good Inc." | Missy Elliott (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop) – "Lose Control" Eminem – "Mosh" Sarah McLachlan – "World on Fire" U2 – "Vertigo" | |
| 2006 – 2008 | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | Matt & Kim | "Lessons Learned" | Anjulie – "Boom" Bat for Lashes – "Daniel" Chairlift – "Evident Utensil" Cold War Kids – "I've Seen Enough" Death Cab for Cutie – "Grapevine Fires" Gnarls Barkley – "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" Major Lazer – "Hold the Line" Passion Pit – "The Reeling" Yeah Yeah Yeahs – "Heads Will Roll" | |

### 2010s

Recipients :
| Year | Winner(s) | Video | Nominees | Ref. |
| 2010 | The Black Keys | "Tighten Up" | Dan Black – "Symphonies" Coldplay – "Strawberry Swing" Gorillaz (featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def) – "Stylo" | |