Thriller video wins three MTV Video Music Awards

At the first MTV Video Music Awards, Michael Jackson’s Thriller short film wins three awards: Viewers Choice, Best Overall Performance and Best Choreography.

The awards underline how far the video had pushed pop promotion beyond a standard performance clip. By 1984, Thriller was operating as a cultural event in its own right: part music video, part short film, and part proof that Jackson could turn television exposure into album-era mythology.

Michael does not attend the ceremony, but the result adds another major visual-media milestone to the Thriller period.