Every music awards show red carpet is something of a free-for-all, just because singers and musical performers tend to have bigger, louder, and flashier personalities (and branding) than, say, your average Oscars attendee. The point is always to make as focus-pulling a statement about yourself as possible in the short time you walk that red carpet. Absolutely no event on the celebrity calendar ups the ante more on celebrity flash and attention-seeking than the MTV VMAs. This is the Olympics of loud fashion and these are this year’s champions along with the ones who… let’s just say they failed to place.1Lil Nas X in Atelier Versace

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Anyone who expected the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” singer to show up in anything less flamboyant than this just doesn’t know the guy. Do we detect a little Prince and some Little Richard in the mix? If he’s paying homage to some of the great Black dandies in music history, he’s doing a fabulous job of it.2Kim Petras in Richard Quinn

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Wearing a design from Richard Quinn inspired by the proto-Club Kid and drag icon Leigh Bowery, the “Future Starts Now” singer delivered a combination of fetish queen and royalty, paid homage to a queer legend, and looked like absolutely no one else there. 3Olivia Rodrigo in Atelier Versace

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The “good 4 u” singer chose to go with a sophisticated, grown up sort of romanticism in this relatively simple but very pretty gown from the House of Versace. What might have been a too-simple design is made interesting and eye-catching with textural details and a strong color story.4Saweetie in Valentino

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The “Fast (Motion)” rapper is serving you pure Blonde Bombshell realness. The hair! The hoops! The mani! The pedi! The absolutely killer dress and drop-dead sexy stiletto ballet sandals! It may be a classic look, but that doesn’t mean she’s not working the hell out of it.5Paris Hilton in The Blonds

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The Cooking With Paris star arrived sporting a can’t-ignore frock from her longtime pals The Blonds that she modeled in their Spring 2019 runway show. It’s a dress that sends out two very clear, very Paris messages: “I am a glittering diamond of a person” and “I’m not a hugger.”6Tinashe in Dolce & Gabbana

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Look, if she wanted to hold onto this whole outfit for six weeks and wear it to a Halloween party with a witch’s hat, we’d call it fun and fabulous. But outside of a costume party, there’s just way too much going on with this outfit (and the controversial brand) to call it good.7Normani in Patrycja Pagas

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Our heartiest congratulations to the “Wild Side” singer for finding and wearing the absolute trickiest skirt of the night – and possibly of all time. Actually, is that a skirt? Anyway, while we can’t say we love the lower half all that much, that gorgeous jacket more than makes up for it.8Kacey Musgraves in Valentino Couture

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One of the reasons the gays love Kacey Musgrave so much is because she’s got a highly evolved sense of camp. Case in point: this utterly dragtastic look which we just can’t look at without smiling—and then wrinkling our noses because we’re wondering why she’s sporting such a relatively flimsy shoe. An outfit this flashy needs a shoe that can keep pace.9Machine Gun Kelly in Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria and Megan Fox in Mugler

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How can we not love an attention-seeking celebrity couple who love to dress for maximum impact on a red carpet? The smart stars know that we’re all looking for a little spectacle right now. His suit is honestly kind of gorgeous and while she’s not the first woman to walk the VMAs red carpet in a dress that was mostly imaginary, it cannot be denied that she’s working this one for all it’s worth10Ed Sheeran in Versace

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The “Bad Habits” singer recently expressed a fondness for Versace’s particular brand of loudness after receiving the advice of none other than Elton John, who can be considered an expert on the matter of loud jackets. It seems he learned his lessons from the master well. He looks amazing here.11Camila Cabello in Alexis Mabille Couture

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The Cinderella star clearly did not choose to go the princess route for tonight. We’d like to “Yaas, Queen” her efforts here (because they are not subtle or shy), but that utterly massive saddlebag bow is just not working at all.12Shawn Mendes in Mans

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This is probably our favorite Shawn Mendes red carpet look ever. No tea no shade, but we’ve always found his go-to style rather safe and dull for a pop star as cute as he is. This rather roomy summer suit look has real style and flair to it and it (no pun intended) suits him perfectly.13Doja Cat in Vivienne Westwood

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Well, you can’t call it subtle, that’s for sure. The Vivienne Westwood dress is great, but the styling is all over the map. We figure it would be better with either the latex thigh-highs or the lace-up platform sandals, but not both at the same time. We’re old fashioned that way. Also: the Flintstones necklace is a no.14Madison Beer in Dolce & Gabbana

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The “Reckless” singer kept things simple, sexy and classic in a throwback look originally worn by Beyoncé in 2003. All the smart girls know that if you’re going to go with a red carpet homage, make sure it’s to an absolute queen.15Avril Lavigne in Area

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That may not be the most practical or sensible jacket design you’ll ever see, but this was a surprisingly fun and eye-catching look that felt a little bit like a freshened up version of something you might have seen Avril Lavigne wear to the VMAs fifteen years ago.16Chloe Bailey in Marni and Halle Bailey in Mônot

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On the one hand, we think it’s admirable how each sister came out so distinct from the other that it feels like a set of personal statements. On the other hand, they’re so far apart they almost look like they’re attending different events. Halle’s gown is sexy and (complicated bust aside) simple. Chloe’s is…well, it’s a statement, for sure. A loud, crinkly statement. Still, while we may not understand why she’s wearing a spoon, we support her right to wear it.17Billie Eilish

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Well, the important thing is that she’s happy and comfortable. Truly. We can’t really say we love this from a pure fashion perspective, but the thing about Billie Eilish is that she demands to be taken on her own terms and we can’t help but love that about her. Is Comfy Goth a thing? It is now.18Dixie D’Amelio and Charlie D’Amelio

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The Tik Tok queens stepped out in two very different looks, much like the Bailey sisters did. Dixie’s look is helped by some restrained styling, but the marriage of the “top” to the skirt is awkward. Charlie’s dress and shoes have a bit of a cute fashion doll thing going on.19Kourtney Kardashian in Olivier Theyskens and Travis Barker

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Making their red carpet debut as a couple, the reality star and the drummer surprised us by being more stylish than we expected. Her Theysken’s dress isn’t exactly breaking the Kardashian mold but it looks hot on her and coordinates well with his (literally) sharp suit.20Troye Sivan in Fendi

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The “Angel Baby” singer premiered a heretofore-unimagined twist in men’s suiting: the crop jacket. This is a historic moment and we thank Troye Sivan’s abs for their service. This might seem like a goofy critique, but we honestly think it would look better with long pants.