Norwegian band a-ha’s “Take on Me” video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.
The clip combines live-action footage with pencil-sketch animation. Its story follows a woman who enters a comic-book world, where a motorcycle-racing hero tries to protect her from threatening figures. The animation was created through rotoscoping, a process in which artists trace over filmed movement to produce fluid drawn motion.
The video was directed by Steve Barron and animated primarily by Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger. Its distinctive visual style helped turn the song into a global hit after an earlier version had received little attention.
The six awards included Best New Artist, Best Concept Video, and Viewer’s Choice. The song’s title is usually styled “Take on Me,” while the group’s name is written “a-ha,” with a hyphen and lowercase letters.