The 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards took place at the Le Zénith in Paris, France and were hosted by Jean-Paul Gaultier.
The French nuclear testing in the South Pacific got the most attention at the ceremony. Jon Bon Jovi during his speech for winning the award for Best Rock said: "The only enemy is ignorance. Peace, people. Let's get rid of all this nuclear testing." and Bono said: "What a city, what a night, what a crowd, what a bomb, what a mistake, what a wanker you have for a President" referring to nuclear testing and then-French President Jacques Chirac. Greenpeace, the environmental group that has staged creative and controversial protests around the testing site at Mururoa Atoll, took the Free Your Mind award for its campaign against the underground nuclear blasts. "Stop abusing the earth," urged Madonna in a videotaped segment before the designer agnès b. picked up the award for Greenpeace.
The awards are also notable for the portfolio given to approximately 200 attendees, Outbreak of Violets, which is an extremely rare work by comics writer Alan Moore. Written by Moore and drawn by 24 different European artists, the work is a sequence of 24 postcards and has never been reprinted. It is believed to be Moore’s rarest work and described by collectors as his Holy Grail.
Nominations Winners are in bold text.
Best Song Best DirectorThe Cranberries — "Zombie" Michael Jackson — "You Are Not Alone" Seal — "Kiss from a Rose" The Offspring — "Self Esteem" TLC — "Waterfalls"Michel Gondry (Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn — "Protection") Mark Romanek (Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson — "Scream") Jean-Baptiste Mondino (Madonna — "Human Nature") Spike Jonze (Weezer — "Buddy Holly") W.I.Z. (Therapy? — "Loose") Best Female Best MaleBjörk Janet Jackson Madonna PJ Harvey Sheryl CrowMichael Jackson Dr. Dre Lenny Kravitz Neil Young Scatman John Best Group Breakthrough ArtistU2 Blur Bon Jovi Green Day R.E.M.Dog Eat Dog Alanis Morissette H-Blockx Portishead Weezer Best Dance Best RockEast 17 Ini Kamoze La Bouche Moby Sin with SebastianBon Jovi Green Day Oasis The Offspring Therapy? Best Live Act Take That Bon Jovi R.E.M. The Prodigy The Rolling Stones Free Your Mind Greenpeace
Performances Simply Red — "Fairground" East 17 — "Thunder" H-Blockx — "Risin' High" David Bowie — "The Man Who Sold the World" Blur — "The Universal" Bon Jovi — "Hey God" The Cranberries — "Zombie" MC Solaar and Diana King — "Is This Love" Take That — "Back for Good"
Appearances The Edge and Björk — presented Best Song Carla Bruni and Robbie Williams — presented Best Rock Eva Herzigova and Jarvis Cocker — presented Best Male Patsy Kensit and Michael Hutchence — presented Breakthrough Artist Jean-Paul Gaultier and Karen Mulder — presented Best Director Jovanotti and Sven Väth — presented Best Dance George Michael — presented Free Your Mind Award agnès b. — accepted Free Your Mind on behalf of Greenpeace Zucchero and Nina Hagen — presented Best Group Kylie Minogue and Ray Cokes — presented Best Live Act Jean-Claude Van Damme — presented Best Female
See also 1995 MTV Video Music Awards
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