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Spike Jonze creating 'live music videos' for YouTube Music Awards this weekend

Spike Jonze creating 'live music videos' for YouTube Music Awards this weekend

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lady gaga (shutterstock)
lady gaga (shutterstock)

No music awards show would be complete without live performances, so YouTube's first ever Music Awards is trying to have something a little more interesting. According to NME, Spike Jonze — who's serving as the show's creative director — will be filming what he calls "live music videos" for Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, and possibly other performers throughout the night. "We're going to have sets all around the warehouse, and each artist will have a different set," Jonze tells NME. Some of the videos will have clear narratives, while one doesn't even feature its performer. "We're trying to take the music video format and produce it live," Jonze says.

"It'll be really interesting to try and pull it off."

While Jonze specifically notes that he's working with Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga, he tells NME that a number of different directors will be involved throughout the night. MIA, Eminem, Tyler, The Creator, and several others will be performing as well, though it's not known if their performances will be filmed in the same way.

It's hard to get a clear image of what Jonze's live videos will actually look like, but he tells NME that they're trying to embrace the lack of control afforded by the live broadcast — something that he suggests embodies the spirit of YouTube. "It’ll be really interesting to try and pull it off," Jonze says. The award show airs this Sunday at 6PM ET, and with Jonze's proven talents as a music video director, it'll almost certainly be worth tuning in.