Which a-ha video earned six VMA wins in 1986?

a-ha’s “Take On Me” earned six VMA wins at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The animated video became the ceremony’s defining success, winning six awards from eight nominations.

Its victories included Best New Artist in a Video, Best Concept Video, Best Direction, Best Special Effects, Viewers’ Choice and Video of the Year. The Norwegian band won eight awards overall that night because “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” added two more wins, but the six-award total belonged specifically to “Take On Me.”

The video is especially remembered for combining live action with pencil-sketch animation through rotoscoping. That visual approach helped make the song internationally recognizable and gave the video a distinctive place in 1980s pop culture. A common mistake is attributing all eight of a-ha’s awards to one video; six came from “Take On Me,” while two came from the companion single.