The show hasn’t even begun, but resident showstopper Beyoncé has already made a splash. On Sunday night, the superstar singer hit the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet (or white carpet, as the case may be) with an unexpected date in tow: her 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
The duo turned heads (Beyoncé was bedecked in feathers, after all), but the singer chose to make an even bigger statement by bringing along a team of further plus-ones, all of whom made appearances in her Lemonade visual album. Actress Quvenzhané Wallis, model Winnie Harlow, and the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were among the women on the red carpet alongside Beyoncé.
MTV announced earlier Sunday that the Lemonade star would be performing at the show—a surprise addition to the stacked performance lineup. She’s nominated for 11 awards.
VMAs 2016: See Celebrities on the Red Carpet
Beyoncé attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Larry Busacca—Getty Images Nicki Minaj attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesKim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesBritney Spears attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesNick Jonas attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesAmber Rose attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesHeidi Klum attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesMichael Phelps and Nicole Johnson attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesFuture attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesRita Ora attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesJaden Smith attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesSwizz Beatz and Alicia Keys attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesSean Combs attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesAriana Grande attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesDJ Khaled attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Kevin Mazur—Getty ImagesNaomi Campbell attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesRupaul's Drag Race All Stars attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Angela Weiss—AFP/Getty Images2 Chainz attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesHalsey attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesFashion designer Jeremy Scott and model Stella Maxwell attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesLance Bass attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesBaddie Winkle attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesNicole 'Snooki' Polizzi attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesJay Pharoah attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesChance the Rapper attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesFabolous attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesTinashe attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty ImagesCassie attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesTy Dolla Sign attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesFlo Rida attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesDesiigner attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty ImagesFarrah Abraham attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesHailey Baldwin attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images