VIDEOS: Frank Ocean Steals The Show At The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards

by UInterviewSeptember 7, 2012, 12:00 amNews >

Young New Orleans singer-songwriter-turned-celebrated-performer Frank Ocean, 24, who has ghost written songs for such famous heavy hitters as John Legend, Justin Bieber and Beyonce Knowles, gave a soulful rendition of his "Thinkin' Bout You" at last night's MTV Video Music Awards, held at the Los Angeles Staples Center, and his performance was easily hailed as one of the best of the evening.

In other VMA highlights, Rihanna, 24, showed up with a brand new pixie-do that she debuted while performing her new single, "Cockiness (I Love It)" with rapper A$AP Rocky, 23. She later carried away the coveted Video of the Year award for "We Found Love" (featuring Calvin Harris), while her one-time beaus Chris Brown, 23, and Drake, 25, nabbed Best Male Video for "Turn Up the Music" and Best Hip-Hip Video for "HYFR" (featuring Lil Wayne), respectively.

Pink, 32, rode in on a pair of puckered lips, Katy Perry, 27, praised Rihanna's sexiness, Taylor Swift, 21 (who didn't leave with any awards), sang about getting over heartbreak with her new single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Kevin Hart riffed on Snooki and U.S. Olympic two-time gold medalist Gabby Douglas, 16, flipped around the stage to Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire."

But big winners of the 2012 VMAs, now in its 29th year, were the young members of British boy band One Direction, made up of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, who edged out Rihanna to take home awards in all three categories in which they were nominated: Best Pop Video and Most Share-Worthy Video for "What Makes You Beautiful," as well as Bes New Artist.

In a departure from last year, Perry, who was also nominated all over the place, only walked away with Best Art Direction for her new "Wide Awake." And the Most Talked About In His Surprising Absence award went to Kanye West, 35.

Check out the full list of winners:

Video of the Year – Rihanna, featuring Calvin Harris, “We Found Love”

New Artist – One Direction

Pop video – One Direction “What Makes You Beautiful”

Rock video – Coldplay “Paradise”

Hip-hop video – Drake, featuring Lil Wayne, “HYFR”

Female video – Nicki Minaj “Starships”

Male video – Chris Brown “Turn Up the Music”

Electronic Dance Music video – Calvin Harris “Feel So Close”

Share-worthy video – One Direction “What Makes You Beautiful”

Video with a message – Demi Lovato “Skyscraper”

Choreography – Chris Brown “Turn Up The Music”