The MTV Video Music Awards are a yearly tradition which every music lover looks forward to, and these live award shows are often filled with a ton of brilliant performances, a whole lot of star power, and of course, nominees and winners who have all made an impression this year with their music.
Due to the current pandemic, the 2020 VMA’s were definitely very different than we are used to. The show was still broadcasted live, but instead of huge crowds, the artists decided to perform all over New York City at a number of different locations.
Speaking of artists – there was definitely no shortage of musical superstars on this year’s edition. With names such as Ariana Grande, The Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, Lada Gaga, The Weeknd, and the worldwide K-pop sensation BTS, viewers were in for quite a treat.
However, there were also some relatively unknown musicians who were honored at the Video Music Awards this year: the doctors and medical staff at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These brave men and women were given their own category at the VMA’s, “Everyday Heroes: Frontline Medical Workers”. You could say that there’s a musical superstar hidden in them, and all they want to do is lift some spirits and make people smile with their voice in these extremely strange times.
MTV decided to give five medical workers a spotlight on their most anticipated show of the year.
Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson are doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and these two have shared their musical talent with their patients for a while now.
Dr. Francois sings beautifully while his co-worker Dr. Robinson assists him on the piano. The pair posted their rendition of “Imagine” to Instagram, where it quickly went viral. They even got the opportunity to record an EP, with all proceeds going to the CDC COVID-19 Response Fund.
“We decided to post it as the quarantine had kinda hit its stride and people were inside and … scared and, if nothing else, stir crazy — looking for some hope and comfort,” Dr. Robinson said to ABC News.
The “Swab Squad” from the Jefferson University Hospital also made the VMA’s with their viral “Level Up” performance.
This isn’t the first time this group of medical staff received an award for their fun video, as they already received a 2020 Webby Special Achievement Award and can now add a VMA Award to their list. Ciara, the artist of “Level Up”, even shared the entire performance on her Instagram-page and couldn’t praise them enough.
“Seeing the Doctors and Nurses of @Tjuh_pool do the #LevelUp Dance brings me so much joy. Grateful for each and every one of you! You all are on a whole nother level for how you’re working so hard and sacrificing so much to take care of everyone! LevelUp Champs. #WereInThisTogether” she posted on her Instagram.
Dr. Nate Wood performed a chilling rendition of “Lean On Me”, and is another winner of the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.
His beautiful performance captured the hearts of the internet and clearly didn’t go unnoticed by MTV as well. The doctor, who has seen the worst of the pandemic, says that music has always been his creative outlet. When he’s not working, you’ll often find him singing at weddings, churches, and fundraisers.
Jason Campbell, also known as the “Tik Tok Doc”, has shared plenty of dance videos on the platform, and the internet absolutely loves them.
When you take a quick glance at this doctor’s profile, the energetic dance moves and positive vibes really make an impression. He often invites a co-worker to dance along with him!
“When you’re in medicine, you see a lot of serious, sad things all the time,” Campbell said. “And so we too need a way to remain human, stay sane and a chance to just smile or laugh, even if it’s just five minutes out of a 12-hour day,” Dr. Campbell said to Philstar Global.
Last but not least, there was also a VMA awarded to Dr. Lori Marie Key for her classic and touching “Amazing Grace” performance.
The beautiful rendition by this Michigan nurse previously made the news and has inspired the whole country. Her 46-second a capella video went viral, and for good reason.
Be sure to check out an overview of these incredible doctors and medical workers in the video below. They’re definitely an inspiration and a beacon of hope for many!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
