Singer Beyonce arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, US, August 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

VMA organizers had announced only three hours before Sunday's show began that Beyonce would perform. The singer arrived on the red carpet accompanied by the mothers of three African-American men who have died at the hands of US police in the past two years.

Her politically-charged "Formation" beat Adele's 2015 comeback single "Hello," Drake's "Hotline Bling," Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and Kanye West's sleeping nude celebrity look-alikes in "Famous" for video of the year.

She also won best female video and prizes for choreography, editing, and long form video in the awards that are voted on by fans.