Foo Fighters' VMA Global Icon performance featured a nod to Charlie Watts

The Foo Fighters continued their successful year with their latest accolade, the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards' Global Icon Award, and the group made sure to show some love to the late Charlie Watts during their accompanying performance.

The ceremony, which was hosted by Doja Cat and took place at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center on Sunday (September 12), saw Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foos hit the stage for a medley performance of songs like "Learn to Fly," "Everlong" and the recently released "Shame on You," as their music videos played from behind them. However, the most notable part of their number was the text written on the band's drum set: "Charlie R.I.P."

As you know, Watts died on August 24 when his publicist, Bernard Doherty, announced that the Rolling Stones drummer had "passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family." He was 80.

After the number, the six-piece collective took to the podium to share their gratitude for the evening’s big honor. “It's quite an award to receive. We've been a band for 26 years, so it feels pretty good," the group said at the podium, before thanking a number of people from past and present at the network. As per a press release, the Global Icon Award "celebrates an artist/band whose unparalleled career and continued impact and influence has maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond. The VMAs will honor the global icon who has left an indelible mark on the musical landscape and continues to influence, inspire, and evolve."

The group joins an elite circle of recipients including Queen, Whitney Houston, Eminem, Green Day, U2 and more.

 
This article was first published on iheart.com and is republished here with permission