The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.
In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work for that year rather than a specific video. In 2008, though, the award returned to its original name and was once again awarded for a specific video.
The category would become defunct beginning with the 2017 ceremony after the gender specific categories would be merged into the Artist of the Year category.
Madonna, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are the biggest winners with three wins each, while the former also holds the record for most nominations with 12. Meanwhile, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and Lady Gaga are the only artists to win the award for two consecutive years.
Recipients
Inaugural winner Cyndi Lauper pictured in 2008.Madonna is the most nominated artist and won the award three times: 1987, 1995 and 1998.In 1999, Lauryn Hill became the first rapper to win the awardBeyoncé won the award for two consecutive years, has won the award three times and is the second most nominated with tenThe 2009, 2013 and 2015 winner Taylor Swift for her music videos "You Belong with Me", "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "Blank Space". She is tied with Madonna and Beyoncé for the most wins in this categoryThe 2010 and 2011 winner Lady Gaga for her music videos "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way." She is the third artist to win the award for two consecutive yearsKaty Perry has won the award in 2014 for "Dark Horse". She is the third most nominated artist in this category, tied with Janet Jackson