The History of the MTV Video Vanguard Award

This Sunday, Aug. 28, MTV will air the 33rd annual Video Music Awards, where Rihanna will follow in the footsteps of Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears by accepting the Video Vanguard Award. It’s MTV’s highest honor, but what exactly does it mean?

It may sound crazy, but these awards were first given at the inaugural VMA ceremony. They’re bestowed upon musicians and directors who have made a profound effect on the MTV culture, honoring their body of work.

Some of the biggest artists of all time have won the coveted moon man. Michael Jackson received the honor in 1988, and the award was named after him in 2001. Other previous winners include the Beatles, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Guns N’ Roses, the Beastie Boys, and Justin Timberlake.

However, MTV is selective about handing out the award. In some years, they simply give out a Lifetime Achievement Award instead, which they did in 1994 and 2003, presented to the Rolling Stones and Duran Duran, respectively. And in some years, no awards were presented at all.

Watch the video above to learn more about the history of the award.

Check out Britney Spears singing carpool karaoke with James Corden.

The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.