The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even presented during the main show (unlike most technical awards which were presented during the pre-show).
The award for Breakthrough Video was given out every year from 1988 to 2005, after which it was retired. In 2009, however, MTV decided to bring back this category and continued to present it until 2010, after which it was retired again.
R.E.M. and Fatboy Slim are the two biggest winners of this award, as they each have won it twice. Art of Noise, meanwhile, is the only artist or group to have won this award under its two incarnations: Most Experimental Video in 1985 and Breakthrough Video in 1989.
Recipients
1980s
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Winner(s)
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Video
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| INXS
| "Need You Tonight" / "Mediate"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Art of Noise
| "Kiss"
|
| align="center"|
|}
1990s
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Winner(s)
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Video
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Tears for Fears
| "Sowing the Seeds of Love"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| R.E.M.
| "Losing My Religion"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Red Hot Chili Peppers
| "Give It Away"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Los Lobos
| "Kiko and the Lavender Moon"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| R.E.M.
| "Everybody Hurts"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Weezer
| "Buddy Holly"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| The Smashing Pumpkins
| "Tonight, Tonight"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Jamiroquai
| "Virtual Insanity"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| The Prodigy
| "Smack My Bitch Up"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Fatboy Slim
| "Praise You"
|
| align="center"|
|}
2000s
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! scope="col" style="width:25px;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Winner(s)
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Video
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Björk
| "All Is Full of Love"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Fatboy Slim
| "Weapon of Choice"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| The White Stripes
| "Fell in Love with a Girl"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Coldplay
| "The Scientist"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Franz Ferdinand
| "Take Me Out"
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| Gorillaz
| "Feel Good Inc."
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| –
| colspan="4"
|-
! scope="row"|
| Matt & Kim
| "Lessons Learned"
|
| align="center"|
|}
2010s
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Winner(s)
! scope="col" style="width:250px;"| Video
! scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
! scope="row"|
| The Black Keys
| "Tighten Up"
|
| align="center"|
|}
Statistics
Artists with multiple wins
; 2 wins
- Fatboy Slim
- R.E.M.
Artists with multiple nominations
; 3 nominations
- Björk
- Busta Rhymes
- Coldplay
- Gorillaz
- R.E.M.
; 2 nominations
- Eminem
- Fatboy Slim
- Garbage
- Michael Jackson
- Missy Elliott
- Nine Inch Nails
- Paula Abdul
- Radiohead
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Chemical Brothers
- The White Stripes