Miley wins at VMAs, sends homeless man to collect trophy

Miley Cyrus took home the biggest competitive prize at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles last night (August 24).

The controversial popstar won the Video of the Year prize for her notorious, Terry Richardson-directed Wrecking Ball promo clip, beating Iggy Azalea, Beyoncé, Sia and Pharrell Williams to the coveted trophy.

Cyrus sent a 22-year-old homeless man named Jesse to accept her “Moonman” statuette on her behalf, and he used his time on live US TV to educate viewers about the lives of homeless young people living in America.

“I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving and lost and scared for their lives. I know, because I am one of those people,” he said. “I’ve survived in shelters all over. Though I may have been invisible to you in the streets, I have a lot of the same dreams that brought many of you here tonight.”

Elsewhere, Ariana Grande followed up a performance of her new single Break Free with a win in the Best Pop Video category for Problem, a UK Number One smash earlier this summer. Katy Perry took home the Best Female Video trophy for Dark Horse, while British singer Ed Sheeran won his first Moonman when Sing was named Best Male Video.

The event ended with Beyoncé being handed the MTV Video Vanguard Award by her husband Jay Z and their daughter Blue Ivy Carter. In previous years this prestigious, lifetime achivevement-type award has been given to pop icons including Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Madonna.

For the full list of winners at the VMAs last night, click here.