MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. Firstly, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, it was called as Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and in 1996, the award was once again renamed for Best Hard Rock Video. Finally, in 1997 the award acquired its present and more general name, Best Rock Video, as, after 1998, acts which would have previously been eligible for the Best Alternative Video award became eligible for this one. It was not given out in 2007, as the VMAs were revamped and most original categories were eliminated. In 2008, though, MTV brought back this category, along with several of the others that were retired in 2007.

Aerosmith is both the biggest winner and nominated act, with eight nominations and winning four of these. Linkin Park holds the honor with the second most nominations with seven, while Metallica trails behind with six. In 2014, New Zealand singer Lorde became the first female to win the award with her music video "Royals".

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie ins and merchandising could be used in toys are marketing campaigns for food and other products. Although the origins of music videos date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they came into prominence in the 1980s when MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these works were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip". Since the creation and increased popularity of YouTube, mainstream artists now promote new music videos by releasing trailers of short promos on the site for their upcoming song and music video. Consequentially, YouTube has been converted into a social media platform for celebrities and artists to market themselves to their fans and audiences.