MTV’s iconic Moonman is getting a major and important change

By Karen belz

July 31, 2017

By Karen belz

July 31, 2017

MTV has been making major progress these days. Not only have they gotten rid of gendered categories for their awards shows, like “Best Male Video,” but they just announced that the iconic MTV “Moonman” was now a “Moon Person.” It’s about time.

The news came out in a The New York Times interview with MTV President Chris McCarthy.

"Why should it be a man?" McCarthy asked. "It could be a man, it could be a woman, it could be transgender, it could be nonconformist."

This is especially big, since MTV has been handing out the Moonman award since 1984, when the first Video Music Awards aired.

It’s another big move for McCarthy, who took over the iconic network in 2016. He has also been revamping the MTV programming schedule to keep things interesting. In fact, since he signed on, he’s killed roughly 100 projects that were in development in order to create stronger programs and shows that spoke to today’s audience.

McCarthy, for example, is developing a show called We Are They, which is set to focus on a group of coming-of-age moments from individuals who consider themselves to be gender-nonconforming. We’re truly interested to see the final product.

The MTV Movie Awards, which aired in May, already saw a few non-gendered changes that were met with overwhelming approval and support. This year, Emma Watson and Millie Bobby Brown won the awards for best actor in a movie and television show, respectively.