Moonlight stars deliver heartfelt speech after winning ‘Best Kiss’ at MTV Movie and TV Awards
By Will Stroude
Moonlight
‘s Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome delivered a heartfelt speech at the MTV Movie and TV Awards on Sunday night (May 7) after their tender onscreen lip-locking won the award for ‘Best Kiss’.
The young actors, who play Miami schoolmates Chiron (Sanders) and Kevin (Jerome) in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning coming-of-age film, beat the likes of La La Land‘s Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling and Beauty and the Beast‘s Emma Watson and Dan Stevens to win the prize at last night’s star-studded ceremony in LA.
Taking to the stage after their victory, Sanders told the audience that the win for a scene in which the two young characters explore their sexuality for the first time represented something “bigger” than a kiss.
“This award is bigger than Jharrel and I. This represents more than a kiss,” the 21-year-old said. “This is for those who feel like the others, the misfits. This represents us.”
19-year-old Jerome added: “I think it is safe to say that it is okay for us young performers, especially us minority performers, to step out of the box. It’s okay for us to step out of the box and do whatever it take to tell the story and whatever it takes to make the change.
“This award is for that,” he added. “It’s for us artists who are out there, who need to do whatever it takes to get people to wake up.”
Moonlight’s ‘Best Kiss’ win isn’t the first time some same-sex lip-locking has won the award: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair took home the prize in 2000 for their smooch in Cruel Intentions, while Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott won in 2002 for their kiss in American Pie 2.
Check out the full list of winners from the MTV Movie and TV Awards below:
Movie of the year:
Beauty and the Beast
Get Out
Logan
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The Edge of Seventeen
Best actor in a movie:
Emma Watson – Beauty and the Beast
Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out
Hailee Steinfeld – The Edge of Seventeen
Hugh Jackman – Logan
James McAvoy – Split
Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures
Show of the year:
Stranger Things
Atlanta
Game of Thrones
Insecure
Pretty Little Liars
This Is Us
Best actor in a show:
Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things
Donald Glover – Atlanta
Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
Jeffrey Dean Morgan – The Walking Dead
Mandy Moore – This Is Us
Best kiss:
Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome – Moonlight
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling – “La La Land”
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens – “Beauty and the Beast”
Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard – “Empire”
Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick – “Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates”
Best villain:
Allison Williams – “Get Out”
Demogorgon – “Stranger Things”
Jared Leto – “Suicide Squad”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan – The Walking Dead
Wes Bentley – “American Horror Story”
Best host:
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show
Ellen DeGeneres – The Ellen DeGeneres Show
John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Best documentary:
13th
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made in America
This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
TIME: The Kalief Browder Story
Best reality competition:
RuPaul’s Drag Race
America’s Got Talent
MasterChef Junior
The Bachelor
The Voice
Best comedic performance:
Lil Rel Howery – Get Out
Adam Devine – Workaholics
Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson – Broad City
Seth MacFarlane – Family Guy
Seth Rogen – Sausage Party
Will Arnett – The LEGO Batman Movie
Best hero:
Felicity Jones – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Grant Gustin – The Flash
Mike Colter – Luke Cage
Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things
Stephen Amell – Arrow
Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures
Tearjerker:This Is Us – Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Randall (Lonnie Chavis) at karate
Game of Thrones – Hodor’s (Kristian Nairn) Death
Grey’s Anatomy – Meredith tells her children about Derek’s death (Ellen Pompeo)
Me Before You – Will (Sam Claflin) tells Louisa (Emilia Clarke) he can’t stay with her
Moonlight – Paula (Naomie Harris) tells Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) that she loves him
Next generation:
Daniel Kaluuya
Chrissy Metz
Issa Rae
Riz Ahmed
Yara Shahidi
Best duo:
Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen – Logan
Adam Levine and Blake Shelton – The Voice
Daniel Kaluuya and Lil Rel Howery – Get Out
Brian Tyree Henry and Lakeith Stanfield – Atlanta
Josh Gad and Luke Evans – Beauty and the Beast
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg – Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party
Best American story:
Blackish
Fresh Off the Boat
Jane the Virgin
Moonlight
Transparent
Best fight against the system:
Hidden Figures
Get Out
Loving
Luke Cage
Mr. Robot
Trending:“Run The World (Girls)” Channing Tatum and Beyonce – Lip Sync Battle
“Sean Spicer Press Conference” feat. Melissa McCarthy – Saturday Night Live
“Lady Gaga Carpool Karaoke” – The Late Late Show with James Corden
“Cash Me Outside How Bout Dat” – Dr. Phil
“Wheel of Musical Impressions with Demi Lovato” – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Winona Ryder’s Winning SAG Awards Reaction – 23rd Annual SAG Awards
Best musical moment:“You’re the One That I Want” – Ensemble –Grease: Live
“Beauty and the Beast” – Ariana Grande and John Legend – Beauty and the Beast
“Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake – Trolls
“How Far I’ll Go” – Auli’i Cravalho – Moana
“City of Stars” – Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – La La Land
“You Can’t Stop” The Beat – Ensemble – Hairspray Live!
“Be That As It May” – Herizen Guardiola – The Get Down
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/film/mtv-movie-tv-awards-2017-full-winners-list-2068026#jog58BT8JDMljTZk.99
More stories:
Men of Moonlight star in new Calvin Klein underwear campaign
Moonlight review: ‘A heart-wrenching exploration of sexuality and masculinity’