Awards season is technically over, but Moonlight is still out here grabbing statues. Last night Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome, who play lead characters Chiron and Kevin as teens in the second act of Moonlight, took home the famed “Best Kiss” award at last night’s MTV Movie and TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie awards).
They were up against Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Emma Watson and Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast), Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard (Empire), and Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick (Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates). Just like at the Oscars, justice triumphed.
Upon accepting the award, Jerome thanked his parents and went on to say, “But on a real note I think it is safe to say that it is OK for us young performers, especially us minority performers, to step out of the box. It’s OK for us to step out of the box and do whatever it take to tell the story and whatever it takes to make the change.”
Sanders added, “This award is bigger than Jharrel and I…This represents more than a kiss. This is for those who feel like the unders, the misfits — this represents us. We love y’all and thank y’all.”
While this isn’t the first same-sex kiss to win the award, it’s still very cool that Moonlight is still receiving recognition from the most elite of Hollywood to MTV, whose voting system is online and completely open to the public.
Here are some more pictures of Sanders and Jerome celebrating.