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MTV Video Music Awards 2016: Beyonce now has most VMAs in history

The singer now has won the most Video Music Awards of any artist and Beyonce's performance at the most recent VMAs was highly praised. How has Beyonce set herself apart?

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Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Beyoncé accepts the award for Video of the Year for 'Lemonade' at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, in New York.

Singer Beyoncé has now won the most prizes at MTV's Video Music Awards in the history of the show and also won praise for her performance at this year's ceremony, as the singer continues a strong showing of her album "Lemonade" following the release earlier this year.

Beyoncé picked up prizes including video of the year, for her song "Formation," and best female video, a prize she received for her piece "Hold Up."

The singer's performance at the VMAs ceremony, which was held on Aug. 28, was widely viewed as one of the highlights of the evening. 

Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield writes that "Beyoncé demolished the 2016 Video Music Awards ... one of the most blood-chillingly great live performances in award-show history."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times staff wrote, "Beyonce wins the VMAs," with LA Times writer Gerrick Kennedy adding praise for singer Rihanna as well, writing of Beyoncé's performance, "[It was] a spectacular 15 minutes.... It was a flashy display of her prowess as an electrifying talent, and when paired with Rihanna's extended mini-sets that perfectly captured her knack for infectious pop hits, it was clear that Beyoncé and Rihanna were the night's headliners." 

Beyoncé's performance at the VMAs came from her album "Lemonade," which was released this past April, and the acclaim for that work further confirms Beyoncé's status as Queen Bey.

How does the singer set herself apart? ABC writer Allan Raible wrote that the singer is not afraid to take chances with her music, writing of her recent album, "Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' is one of her most ambitious works of art.... This is a tremendously adventurous set.... With each record, Beyoncé is getting further from typical pop and R&B realms, instead advancing into her own sense of musical fusion." 

And Essence Magazine entertainment editor Cori Murray and Billboard Magazine senior editor Gail Mitchell told CNN in 2013 that the way Beyoncé presents herself is appealing to the public.

"Beyonce inspires others to dream because she is always reminding us that she was just a young girl from Houston, Texas, who had a dream to be a performer, and look at her now," Ms. Murray said. 

And Ms. Mitchell said of the singer's career, "She had a dream, she envisioned it. Hard work, determination, and this is the result."

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