On what exact date did the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards air?

The inaugural MTV Video Music Awards aired on September 14, 1984.

MTV broadcast the first ceremony live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosted the event, which celebrated music videos released between May 2, 1983, and May 2, 1984. The ceremony established the Moonman awards as a major new showcase for the rapidly expanding music-video medium.

The first Video of the Year prize went to The Cars for “You Might Think.” Other notable winners included Herbie Hancock, whose “Rockit” won five awards, and Michael Jackson, whose “Thriller” won three. The night also included a Video Vanguard presentation to David Bowie and an honor for the Beatles and director Richard Lester.

A frequent mistake is to place the ceremony in 1985 because later VMA editions were labeled by the year in which they occurred. The inaugural show was firmly a 1984 event, held on a Friday in mid-September.