The American Video Awards (19831987) was an annual music video award show taped for distribution to television. The First Annual American Video Awards was hosted by radio personality Casey Kasem, and Kasem continued in his role as emcee of the show in succeeding years. The first (1983), second (1984) and third (April 1985) shows were syndicated to television channels across the country. The Fourth Annual American Video Awards (November 1985), however, was taped for broadcast on ABC to be aired during prime time, the first time that a video awards show was shown on prime time network television. The fifth (1987) show again aired in syndication. It was the last American Video Awards show. Two award ceremonies were held during 1985: the third annual ceremony was held in April 1985 and, because of contractual obligations to ABC, the fourth annual ceremony was held less than a year later, in November 1985.
Background The winners of The First Annual American Video Awards (1983) were selected by a small panel of about a dozen people: Casey Kasem, writers from Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter magazines, a film editor, and a television director. In late 1983 Kasem and two producers from his television show, America's Top 10, formed the American Video Association and by the time of The Second Annual American Video Awards (1984) it had an estimated membership of 500. Award winners in 1984 were nominated and voted on by the association membership.
Awards for music videos proliferated in the 1980s, and by 1984, video awards were being given by Billboard magazine, the American Film Institute, the Grammys, and for the first time in 1984, MTV, when the music video cable television channel aired its inaugural MTV Video Music Awards. In April 1984, Tom Popson, writer for the Chicago Tribune, said, “. . . as yet no single award has emerged in the still-new medium as indisputably the most prestigious and widely recognized.” To Popson, Kasem expressed his hopes that the American Video Awards, which he dubbed the "Avas," would become that award for music videos, analogous to the Oscars for film, the Emmys for television and the Grammys for music; that the newly formed American Video Association would eventually become an "academy" of music video; and that the award show would be broadcast live on network television. Toward those ends, to give the American Video Awards and the newly formed American Video Association credibility, an advisory board was formed which included presidents of Capitol, Columbia, MCA, Polygram and RCA record companies, and chairmen of the boards of Warner Bros., A&M and Scotti Bros. record companies.
Kasem seemed to make progress on two of his three goals from the 1984 Chicago Tribune article. By the time of The Third Annual American Video Awards, in April 1985, the American Video Association had become the National Academy of Video Arts and Sciences (NAVAS), which was listed as the sponsor of the show, with Jennifer Libbee serving as executive director, and Alan Winnikoff serving as spokesperson. Some news articles at the time claimed that the academy was founded in 1980. Although it didn't air live, a taped version of The Fourth Annual American Video Awards did make it to network television in November 1985. It was edited down to a one-hour broadcast on ABC. But public recognition of the American Video Awards as the most prestigious in the field remained elusive, despite Kasem's hopes and efforts. In September 1985, after the second MTV Video Music Awards aired, Steven Dupler, writing for Billboard magazine, said, "MTV has definitely established its awards as the ceremony for the industry, the American Video Awards and others notwithstanding."
Cash Box magazine reported that NAVAS membership was reorganized in the spring of 1985: "The new plan . . . allows for two distinct categories of membership: active (voting) and associate (non-voting). The active membership was further divided into craft and administrative divisions. Technical awards are voted only by active draft members." In November 1985, at the time of The Fourth Annual American Video Awards network television broadcast, the national director of NAVAS, Mick Kennedy, said voting members were required to have worked on at least two videos, or be an executive in a video-related field. He said the academy membership was "tightened" in order to assure skeptics that the video awards were based on merit rather than industry politics, and he tried to make the case that NAVAS had the same credibility in the video field as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), which sponsored the Grammys, had in the music field. Kennedy admitted that, at first, the American Video Awards was, . . . just an excuse for a television show. But, the award sponsors changed their attitude when, . . . we realized we were the only group that allowed all the different elements of the video industry to get together. He argued there was a professional difference between the American Video Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards: The MTV awards are designed to promote MTV. The American Video Awards are designed to promote the music-video industry. We're an industry award, MTV isn't.
The Fifth Annual American Video Awards was held in February 1987. Its distribution to television outlets reverted to syndication, and the show received some criticism in the press. It was dubbed the "Not-so-live video awards" in the Greenwood, South Carolina Index-Journal. The Philadelphia Daily News called it "hokey." Cash Box magazine said the presenters were a "curious assortment of celebrities," because so many of them had little to do with the music industry. Later that year, in December 1987, nationally syndicated newspaper columnist Ethlie Ann Vare sounded the death knell for the American Video Awards, writing that they were, "probably on the way out". Indeed, The Fifth Annual American Video Awards was the last.
Award shows The First Annual American Video Awards (1983) Narrative At The First Annual American Video Awards ceremony (1983), awards were given for six categories and an artist was selected for induction into the "Hall of Fame." For a video to be nominated, the song had to be in the top ten of the Billboard charts in 1982. Nominees and winners were selected by a small panel of people: Casey Kasem, music reporters, a film editor, and a television director. The show and the nominees were announced in a full-page advertisement in the March 26, 1983 issue of Billboard magazine. The show was produced by Jennifer Libbee in association with Scotti Bros./Syd Vinnedge Television Production and Casey Kasem Productions. Mick Fleetwood was the only winning performer present to accept his award. Despite the show being clearly titled as The First Annual American Video Awards in the Billboard announcement, at the later times of the show's appearances on television in syndication, several newspapers gave it other names, among them, "America's Top 10 Video Awards," and the "Super Bullet Video Awards," suggesting some trouble with the show's identity at the outset.
Program Ceremony date: April 6, 1983
Ceremony location: Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills, California
Host: Casey Kasem
Presenters: Grace Slick, Mick Fleetwood, Pia Zadora, Rosanne Cash, Toni Basil, Patrick Simmons, Michael Nesmith, Rindy Ross, Larry Graham, The Gap Band, Mickey Thomas, John Schneider
Nominees
Category Nominee(s) Video Recording Artist Result Ref Best Performance Peter Wolf "Centerfold" J. Geils Band Men at Work "Who Can It Be Now?" Men at Work Martha Davis "Only the Lonely" The Motels Joan Jett "I Love Rock 'N Roll" Joan Jett Olivia Newton-John "Physical" Olivia Newton-John Best Video of the Year Rod Stewart, Lexi Godfrey (producer) or Simon Fields (producer)"Young Turks"Rod Stewart J. Geils Band, Paul Justman (producer) "Centerfold" J. Geils Band Men at Work, Tony Stevens (producer) "Who Can It Be Now?" Men at Work The Motels, Jacqui Byford (producer) "Only the Lonely" The MotelsToto, Simon Fields (producer) Rosanna "Toto" Best Soul Video Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, John Weaver (producer)"Ebony and Ivory"Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder Tom Tom Club, Andy Morahan (producer)"Genius of Love" Tom Tom ClubEarth, Wind & Fire, Michael Schultz (producer)"Let's Groove"Earth, Wind & Fire Shalamar, Craig Martin (producer), Chris Gangadean (executive producer)"A Night to Remember" ShalamarThe Gap Band, George Garvin (producer)"You Dropped a Bomb on Me"The Gap Band Best Country Video Merle Haggard, Terry Lickona (producer)"Are the Good Times Really Over?"Merle HaggardRosanne Cash, Michael Nesmith (producer)"I Wonder"Rosanne CashThe Statler Brothers, Kitty Moon (producer) "Whatever" The Statler BrothersJuice Newton, Kevin McCormick (producer), Michael Nesmith (executive producer)"Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me"Juice NewtonT. G. Sheppard, Julian Cole (producer) "Finally"T. G. Sheppard Best Director Russell Mulcahy"Young Turks"Rod StewartPaul Justman"Centerfold"J. Geils BandPeter Conn "Abracadabra" Steve Miller BandBrian Grant"Physical"Olivia Newton-JohnRussell Mulcahy "Only the Lonely"The Motels Special Merit Video Fleetwood Mac, Mickey Shapiro (producer)"Gypsy"Fleetwood MacPeter Gabriel, Chrissy Smith (producer)"Shock the Monkey"Peter GabrielBilly Joel, Jackie Adams (producer) "Pressure"Billy JoelBilly Joel, Jackie Adams (producer)"Allentown"Billy JoelAdam Ant, Mike Mansfield (producer) "Goody Two Shoes"Adam Ant
Winners Hall of Fame: Paul McCartney. Best Performance: Peter Wolf, "Centerfold," tied with Martha Davis, "Only the Lonely". Best Video of the Year: "Young Turks," Rod Stewart, Simon Fields (producer), or Lexi Godfrey (producer). Best Soul Video: "Ebony and Ivory," Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, John Weaver (producer). Best Country Video: "Are the Good Times Really Over?" Merle Haggard, Terry Licona (producer). Best Director: Russel Mulcahy, "Young Turks" (Rod Stewart). Special Merit Video: "Gypsy," Mick Fleetwood, Mickey Shapiro (producer).
The Second Annual American Video Awards (1984) Narrative Winners in eleven categories plus the special recognition award, Hall of Fame, were reported for The Second Annual American Video Awards. The Best Performance category was now expanded to Best Performance, Male; Best Performance, Female; and Best Performance, Group. The Best Video of the Year category was eliminated, and the category, Best Pop Video, was added. Other categories added were on the technical side of video production: Best Editing, Best Lighting Design, Best Choreography, and Best Art Direction. The 1983 category, Special Merit Video was eliminated.
Videos produced and distributed to television outlets between December 1, 1982, and December 1, 1983, were eligible for nomination. Nominees and winners were selected by the 500 members of the new American Video Association. The Hall of Fame awardee was selected by the "distinguished" advisory board of the American Video Association, which included presidents of Capitol, Columbia, MCA, Polygram and RCA record companies, and chairmen of the boards of Warner Bros., A&M and Scotti Bros. record companies. Nominees were announced on March 5, 1984, at an event held at the Kathy Gallagher restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony was taped, edited to a two-hour program, and aired in syndication by television outlets at later dates. Michael Jackson, whose videos dominated the awards with 24 nominations, and won in four categories, did not attend the ceremony. Writer Tom Popson surmised that television viewers would be less inclined to watch the program because the outcome was known ahead of the telecast.
Program Ceremony date: April 5, 1984
Ceremony location: Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles, California
Host: Casey Kasem