The sun was out, fans were out, and the red carpet was out for the annual iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards — rebranded after 25 years as the MuchMusic Video Awards, or MMVAs. The street party held at Much headquarters on the famed Queen Street West in downtown Toronto on Sunday night has outdoor stages and closes off the adjacent streets to accommodate thousands of fans.
It’s an awards show like no other, most attendees agree. This year, fans screamed as much for model Hailey Baldwin and YouTuber Bethany Mota as they did musicians Shawn Mendes and Desiigner. Billboard was able to nab some artists on the red carpet and find out how they feel about the MMVAs, what they’re up to next, and some other bits and pieces.
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Shawn Hook, who is making inroads in the U.S. with “Sound of Your Heart” on Hollywood Records (a platinum single at home in Canada), performed on the show with singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld. “This is my first time performing. I’ve been here three other times where I’ve walked the red carpet. Last year, I was a presenter, so I’ve slowly been working my way up,” said Hook.
The singer-pianist joined Steinfeld on “Rock Bottom.” “Hailee is on Republic Records. She’s got 3 million followers on Instagram. She’s an amazing actress. She can sing. She’s got a good vibe and we collaborated together on a little medley,” said Hook of “Sound of Your Heart” and her song “Rock Bottom.” Hook, who was recently in the studio writing with Ryan Tedder and “Moves Like Jagger” co-writer Ammar Malik, is still working the Canadian smash. On July 1, he heads to London, where the single has just been released. ”It’s amazing how the life of a song can go on and on and on.”
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Desiigner was practically giddy with excitement to be at the iHeartRadio MMVAs and take in all the accolades. “Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. This is a blessing. I am happy to be here. I see it all happening before my eyes. I just want to make sure I deliver all my art to everybody,” said the “Panda” rapper, whose song has more than 300 million views on just three YouTube uploads.
He didn’t put a date on it, but said his full album will be coming soon, and it covers a range of topics: “I got cars, I got broads, I got money. I got bank robberies. I got wisdom. I got it all, baby.” Politics? “No. I stay away from the politics. Let it do what it do and let the best man win.”
Canadian Coleman Hell, whose pumping dance-hoedown dance “2 Heads” has more than 6 million views on YouTube, said he is old enough to have watched MuchMusic when all they played were music videos. “It’s an nostalgic thing for me, but also a milestone in my career,” he said of attending. Signed to Columbia, he’s just released a new track, “Flowerchild,” about his parents’ marriage.
The MMVAs are traditionally held on Father’s Day, which is sort of a drag for artists who are either dads themselves or want to honor their own. Hell’s dad is in Thunder Bay, Ontario, hours away. “A call is good enough. It’s not like your mom where you’re gonna send her flowers. Your dad doesn’t want anything. He just wants to know you’re still alive.”
Alessia Cara bought her dad to the awards. “He gets to experience it with us. It’s our first MMVAs so it’s cool. This is my version of taking him out somewhere, so we’re having a good time,” she told Billboard.
Dan Talevski, who has been posting covers to YouTube (just like Cara got her start), attended the awards for the second year. Before that, he “came as a fan in the street,” he laughed. “Now they let me walk the carpet with Shawn Mendes and Alessia Cara. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding right now?’ It’s crazy.”
He has a new single, “Rumble,” coming out this summer, part of an EP due in the fall on E1 Canada. “I wish I could get my music in the States. I’ve only been out for a year really. And my goal is to get my singles into the U.S .and to branch out there. I feel like I’ve made my mark here and now it’s time to grow.”
Ruth B, the Vine and “Lost Boy” singer-pianist who landed a deal with Columbia after posting the original song on social media (it now has 10 million plus views on YouTube), said it was “surreal” being at the awards and performing on the red carpet. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I’m Canadian, so definitely grew up watching the show.” The 20-year-old is currently writing her debut full-length.
Rapper SonReal, who has been nominated for a couple of Juno Awards, called the MMVAS “way more grande and not as structured. It’s just a really fun awards show. That’s why artists come from all over the world to be here.” The awards were also his farewell party of sorts before he hit the U.S. on a sold-out tour with Jon Bellion. He has an EP, The Name, coming out Aug. 12 on Capitol and an album at the top of next year, he said.
Canadian-Guatemalan Alx Veliz called it “an honor and a privilege to be here,” after watching the MMVAs every year on TV growing up. His first time attending, the Universal Music Canada act, who has a deal with Island in the States, said he watched the stage going up when he was downtown doing press. “Shout outs to all the workers out there who put in long hours to make this happen because it came out beautiful.” Veliz, who has a smash with “Dancing Kizomba,” is heading out on a 12-date U.S. tour with Nicky Jam and Zion Y Lennox. “It’s an honor to be able to be sharing the stage with such big Latin artists in the States right now. That’s what we’re looking forward to right now.”
Marianas Trench are MMVA veterans, always arriving on the carpet in something wacky. This year it’s argyle golf outfits. Next year, for their tenth anniversary — presuming they will be nominated, as usual — singer Josh Ramsay (who co-wrote “Call Me Maybe”) told Billboard “maybe we’ll get to finally zip-line from the CN Tower,” the Toronto landmark seen directly south of the Much building.
But when he looks ahead to the north, he noticed three signs thrust high above the ground amid the MMVA fans, held by Jesus extremists about hell and redemption. Ramsay is incredulous and slightly amused, but when Billboard spoke with Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara, she was not.
“It really pissed me off but then I’m like, ‘Just look away. Don’t give them what they want,’” she says with mock restraint. “To me, those people are like those people that drive me crazy on social media. It really takes a specific type of person — a person that I’m not — to go out and antagonize for what seems like no reason. Like what is the outcome that you hope to achieve? I’m the type of person who antagonizes and drives people crazy when I know I can make change. That is just annoying.”
