The original name of the MTV Video Music Awards trophy was Moonman.
The trophy depicts an astronaut standing on the Moon, reflecting MTV’s early space-themed station identification and the famous astronaut imagery used when the channel launched in 1981. The design was created by Manhattan Design, the firm responsible for MTV’s original visual identity, and the first awards were presented in 1984.
MTV officially began calling the trophy the “Moon Person” in 2016. The change followed broader discussion about gendered award names and was part of a more general update to the ceremony’s language. Older references therefore use “Moonman,” while current descriptions may use “Moon Person.” The physical trophy’s astronaut-and-flag concept remains central to the awards’ visual identity.