Ariana Grande’s touching Manchester tribute is a huge hit at MTV Video Music Awards

Ariana Grande has won the best pop prize at the MTV Video Music Awards with No Tears Left To Cry – her first single following her 22nd May concert at Manchester Arena which was targeted by a suicide bomber, in which 22 people died.

The 25-year old singer emotionally accepted the award at Monday’s ceremony in New York – thanking her family, fiancé and fans; many of whom are in Manchester.

The video for the song explores urban landscapes before settling on a scene of peace – Grande playing in a field with her dog, then closing with a worker bee flying away– a reference to the symbol of Manchester. 

No Tears Left To Cry has been regarded by many as a touching yet subtle tribute to Manchester and those affected by the Arena attack. On YouTube it has already attracted more than 490 million views, and became Grande’s most viewed video in its first week of release.

And this is far from the only tribute that Ariana Grande has shown to the city since the tragedy. Many fans think that there is a hidden tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack in her latest album Sweetener – on which No Tears Left To Cry is a track – released earlier this month. 

The last song on the album, Get Well Soon, finishes with 40 seconds of silence to bring the track’s running time to 5 minutes 22 seconds – which could translate to 5/22, the date of the attack expressed in American English. 

Grande also returned to the city just one week after the attack to star in an emotive charity concert – One Love Manchester – before which she had visited a number of victims in hospital. It was also her decision to offer free concert tickets to all who had been at her 22nd May gig. One Love Manchester raised an incredible £2.35m for the emergency fund. 

During the concert, Grande also performed with young local singing sensations The Parrs Wood High School Harmony Group. The group themselves were invited to star at the concert after their version of Grande’s song My Everything went viral. 

Grande even has a worker bee tattoo herself, and was named the first honorary citizen of Manchester.

Many here will agree that her most recent award is well-deserved indeed.