The MTV Video Music Awards went down at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey September 12, and saw Taylor Swift rack up several awards, lively performances from Olivia Rodrigo, Diddy and Shakira, among many others, and a celebration of 50 years of hip-hop near the end that featured LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash and Nicki Minaj, among other rap icons. 

Swift picked up Video of the Year for “Anti-Hero”, Song of the Year for “Anti-Hero”, Best Direction for the same song, Artist of the Year, and a few other moon-person trophies. 

Swift got her first award of the night, for best video, from the NSYNC guys, and was a bit awestruck by the men she shared the stage with. “I had your dolls!” she exclaimed.  

It is quite a production at the Prudential Center, with the awards and speeches going down on the main moon-man stage, and two oval stages on either side of the moon-man one. Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic exec produce the event. 

Stagehands would scramble to set up the next act, often with dancers and performers taking their places and waiting patiently on a side stage, with all eyes on the main stage. In one instance, Karol G and two dozen dancers sat quietly on a tiered side stage as the Brazilian performer Anitta got an award on the main stage. 

Nicki Minaj hosted the monster 3 1/2 hour-plus event. Besides airing on MTV, the VMAs were on BET, CMT, MTV 2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, TV Land and other Paramount networks. 

Getting the moon-person statuette for Song of the Year, Swift spoke about her love of songwriting, and feeling as if she was all alone in her “insecurity and self-loathing” as she wrote, then seeing the songs and lyrics connect with the masses onstage. 

“Maybe we all have the same issues,” she said she came to realize. 

Wyclef Jean then stepped out to introduce Shakira, who got the Video Vanguard award. Shakira was electric, using all three stages as she performed a medley. She even took a guitar solo, then finished things off with a dance involving a couple sharp knives. 

Diddy then made his first VMAs appearance in almost two decades. Introduced by Mary J. Blige, he made it a family event, performing alongside son King and twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie. 

Diddy got the Global Icon Award. “I gotta thank God — that’s my secret weapon,” he said. 

Diddy shared about being a paperboy growing up, then thinking he’d play pro football until he broke his leg and getting more into music. “God made another choice for me,” he said. 

Just before he stepped offstage, Diddy shared that he’s got a new album coming out. “I’m a hustler,” he conceded. 

Just when I’d finally grasped the three-stage concept of the event, Peso Pluma set up on a fourth stage, a small, round one set up temporarily in the center of the floor. A full band, including strings and standup bass, backed him up. 

After Peso Pluma was the K-Pop act Stray Kids, which sent the young women seated near us bonkers. They came equipped with the lollipop-style handheld lights that are apparently the norm at K-Pop shows. 

The show finally had a bit of rock ‘n’ roll when Fall Out Boy played their update of Billy Joel’s history lesson “We Didn’t Start the Fire” — sample line “Unabomber, Bobbitt, John, bombing Boston Marathon” — from an outdoor stage. The Roman rockers Maneskin, winners of the Best Rock VMA, continued the rock vibe with an explosive performance, before country star Kelsea Ballerini played. 

Speaking of history lessons, it was finally time  for the 50 years of hip-hop finale, with DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and Minaj sharing the stage for a lively 10-minute performance that the crowd adored. It ended with all the performers onstage for “Walk This Way”, a salute to MTV’s earlier days.

LL Cool J is the star of the show when offbeat competition series Superfan debuts on CBS Wednesday, August 9. Five superfans of LL Cool J battle it out to see who his biggest fan is. 

Nate Burleson of CBS Mornings hosts with Keltie Knight. Knight, formerly of Entertainment Tonight, created Superfan with Jodi Roth. 

The show sees the superfans compete to recognize a snippet of the star’s song, lip sync, and answer trivia about their favorite musician, among other contests. At the end of the episode, the star picks the best superfan. 

The biggest fan is awarded “a once-in-a-lifetime prize,” CBS teases. 

The celeb also performs in the episode. 

The first episode is focused on LL Cool J. Other episodes look at the superfans of Kelsea Ballerini, Gloria Estefan, Little Big Town, Pitbull and Shania Twain.

A rap superstar, LL Cool J played Special Agent Sam Hanna on NCIS: Los Angeles. 

Knight told The AP Superfan is a healthy counter to all the talent-driven shows on TV. “There’s too many talent shows. It’s too competitive. Some of us are not good at anything except loving the artist we love,” she said. “This is not a talent show. This is a talent-less show.”

Superfan was initially set up for a June premiere, but that was pushed back. 

Raquel Productions produces the show. Roth, Knight and Jack Martin are executive producers, and Martin is the showrunner. 

“Nate and Keltie will take you on a fun ride each week with a global music superstar in an exhilarating contest to crown the ultimate superfan, which audiences can play along with at home,” Jack Sussman, executive VP of specials, music, live events and alternative programming for CBS, said when Superfan was announced. “Viewers will also be treated to an exclusive medley of hits performed by these mega musicians, which will feel all the more special when performed for their most passionate fans.”

Spike has renewed Lip Sync Battle for a second season.

The Viacom-owned cable network will bring the celebrity competition series back for a new round of 20 episodes in 2016. The series, where celebrities lip sync to famous songs, is based on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show skit.

“Lip Sync Battle is a television and viral rock star for Spike,” said Kevin Kay, president of Spike. “We are thrilled to be renewing Lip Sync Battle whose success is a direct result of the brilliance and creativity of our producers, the brave performers, and of course the coolest new duo on television, LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen.”

Read more at Broadcastingcable.com.

LL Cool J is set to host the Spike TV show Lip Sync Battle, to debut April 2, the network announced today. 

The 10-episode series will be executive produced by Eight Million Plus Productions, John Krasinski, Stephen Merchant, Casey Patterson, Jay Peterson of Matador, Rick Schwartz of Eight Million Plus, and LL Cool J will also serve as producer.