Sinéad O’Connor won the 1990 MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year with “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
O’Connor’s video, directed by John Maybury, is remembered especially for its close-up portrait of the singer. Her restrained performance and visible tears created an unusually intimate image for a major music-video production. The clip’s emotional directness became central to the song’s public identity.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” was written by Prince and originally recorded by his associated act the Family in 1985. O’Connor’s 1990 recording transformed it into an international hit and brought the song to a much wider audience.
The award is sometimes attributed to Prince because he wrote the composition, but the MTV honor recognized O’Connor’s released recording and its video. The 1990 ceremony therefore credited the performing artist rather than the songwriter.