MTV's VMA Awards - hugs and drugs

Taylor Swift and Kanye West made up, Taylor Swift and Nicky Minaj made up, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus got a little nasty, and Justin Bieber flew. That was Sunday night's MTV Video Awards, hosted by Cyrus in an endless parade of revealing outfits and nonstop drug references.

Minaj called Miley Cyrus out for saying in an interview that the rapper was being a poor sport about not receiving a nomination for video of the year.

After collecting best hip-hop video for "Anaconda" on Sunday, Minaj told the audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles: "And now back to this b-- that had a lot to say about me a lot in the press. Miley, what's good?"

Minaj's microphone was cut off, and Cyrus fired back with "we all know how they manipulate" words during interviews, referring to a pre-VMAs interview in the New York Times in which she criticized Minaj for her "pop star war" with Swift that began in July. On the show, however, the rapper ended her issues with Swift, joining forces onstage to sing "The Night Is Still Young." They closed with a hug.

Swift's "Bad Blood" went on to take video of the year, beating out Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," Beyonce's "7/11," Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" and Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." Swift thanked her female crew, saying, "There's been a lot of discussion about this video and what it means, but I'm just happy that, in 2015, we live in a world where boys can play princesses, and girls can play soldiers."

Earlier, Swift presented West with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for his illustrious video career, noting that his College Dropout was the first album she ever bought, as a 12-year-old. All was forgiven for his intrusion on her acceptance of the best female video award in 2009, and she let him finish his long, impassioned speech, which concluded with the announcement that he will run for president in 2020.

Cyrus hosted the VMAs two years after she stole the show with a risque, memorable twerking performance with Robin Thicke, and a year after winning the top prize for "Wrecking Ball." She took a selfie with people in the audience and asked them to yell "Marijuana!"

"Ellen, you ain't got nothing on this," she said.

Midway through the show, Bieber finished a dance-happy/aerial rendition of his new single, "What Do U Mean," breathless from his exertions and overcome by emotion.

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" earned the first Moonman in the live telecast for best male video. Swift, nominated for 10 awards, also won best pop video and best female video for "Blank Space." Fall Out Boy took best rock video for "Uma Thurman." Big Sean, Kanye West and John Legend's "One Man Can Change the World" was best video with a social message.

Swift had traded words with Minaj over Twitter when the VMA nominees were announced in July. Minaj, who had one of the most viewed videos of the year with "Anaconda," was not up for video of the year, and she tweeted that slim women easily earn top nominations and said black female entertainers don't get enough credit for their influence on pop culture. Swift thought the rapper was referring to her and they traded words online, but later apologized.

Pharrell and Demi Lovato hit the stage during the two-hour show, and presenters included Britney Spears, Rebel Wilson, Kylie Jenner, John Legend, Ice Cube and his son, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., one of the stars of Straight Outta Compton.