Alabama Native Walked the VMAs Red Carpet in MTV's '90s Era: 'It Was Super Exciting'

A Photographer’s Journey Through the 1990s MTV VMAs

Being short has its advantages, especially when it comes to capturing the perfect shot. In 1991, Stephanie Jennings, a young and talented music photographer based in Philadelphia, had the opportunity of a lifetime: shooting the red carpet and backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles. The Huntsville native, who had graduated from the University of Alabama, was able to get close to the action due to her height. “I was able to get in the front,” she recalls, “so people [other photographers] were still able to shoot.” She adds, “No pun intended, or pun intended, I was very focused on what I was doing.”

The 1991 VMAs, hosted by Arsenio Hall, featured live performances from some of the biggest names in music at the time, including Prince, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, EMF, Van Halen, and Don Henley. It was also the first public appearance of Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens, since his controversial arrest earlier that year. At the event, Pee-wee opened the show with a joke, asking the crowd, “Heard any good jokes lately?”

R.E.M. dominated the night, winning six “MTV Moonman” trophies, including Video Of The Year for their hit “Losing My Religion.” For Jennings, this was a dream come true. “I loved R.E.M. I had been a fan forever, so I felt like that was where they should be. Like, it didn’t surprise me.”

Jennings captured images of R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry holding their trophies. She even managed to take a photo with Stipe and one of herself holding a Moonman. She had previously met Stipe during an on-campus concert while studying at the University of Alabama. “After the show I had him sign my leg,” she says with a smile. “He wasn’t thrilled about that, but that was me back in the day.”

The list of presenters at the 1991 VMAs included Cindy Crawford, Dennis Hopper, George Michael, Cher, N.W.A, Billy Idol, James Brown, MC Hammer, Steven Tyler, Linda Hamilton, Pauly Shore, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey (as Wayne and Garth). MTV VJ Martha Quinn and Downtown Julie Brown provided updates, while Kurt Loder conducted backstage interviews.

Jennings also captured a striking image of Cindy Crawford on the red carpet. “Of course, [as a fashion model] she just knew how to work it,” she says. “This is, you know, in the beginning of all these [supermodels].”

Her experience as a concert photographer helped her anticipate the antics of the celebrities. This was before digital photography, and she worked with film cameras. “Whereas when I started, the camera did not do anything for you,” she explains. “You had to manually focus and everything else.” After developing the negatives and printing the photos, she sent them off for publication.

This was Jennings’ first time shooting among paparazzi. She noticed the cutthroat nature of the industry. “I saw how the paparazzi were sabotaging each other,” she says. “Them, like, unplug each other’s stuff and all of these things.” She also witnessed the loud behavior of paparazzi trying to get attention from artists. “I didn’t want to be those people,” she says. “I really enjoyed having the relationship that I did with the artists, especially the ones that I admire, and being courteous.”

Jennings began her photography career while studying at the University of Alabama, working for local event companies and photographing touring bands like 10,000 Maniacs. Her passion for the Grateful Dead led her to become a tour photographer for the band. In Philadelphia, she built her portfolio by shooting performances ranging from Penn & Teller to Stone Temple Pilots. Her work earned her the role of photo editor at a local music magazine, which eventually led to her coverage of the 1991 VMAs.

Jennings’ VMAs work helped her gain representation with a prominent New York agency, leading to placements in national outlets like SPIN, People, and Us Weekly. She continued to cover the VMAs in the following years.

Besides the main event, Jennings also photographed the after parties, which were held at Universal Studios. These events featured TVs playing videos from the VMAs winners. One memorable moment occurred when she was watching a Metallica video and struck up a conversation with bassist Jason Newsted. “I turned around, and it was Jason Newsted. And I was like, ugh, I just photographed them in the tent.” Despite the awkward moment, she recovered and got photos of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, which landed her in Metal Edge and other heavy metal magazines.

The 1992 VMAs, hosted by Dana Carvey, are considered one of the most legendary shows. It was the night Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses got into a preshow spat with Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Jennings captured images of Pearl Jam, Black Crowes, and Howard Stern in his Fart Man persona. Performers included Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Clapton, and Michael Jackson.

In 1993, the VMAs were hosted by Christian Slater, and Pearl Jam took home four awards for their video “Jeremy.” Jennings captured Eddie Vedder in a series of lighthearted shots, showing him drinking and flipping his long hair. “He was fun,” she says. “He was up there not taking it too seriously.” That night, she also photographed Lenny Kravitz, The Edge, and RuPaul, whose image appeared in a full-page ad in People magazine.

The 1993 VMAs were also the last appearance by Kurt Cobain, who died 215 days later. Jennings captured images of Cobain with his daughter, showing him in a sweet, dad-like moment. “He was having fun being a dad,” she says. “It was super interesting.”

By 1994, the VMAs moved to New York, hosted by Rosanne Barr. Performers included Boyz II Men, Smashing Pumpkins, Rolling Stones, and more. Jennings rented a $10,000 Canon camera lens for the event and brought a tripod and step ladder, unsure of where she would be shooting from.

The 1990s VMAs were a different era, dominated by rock rather than pop and rap. “It was perfect timing,” Jennings says. Over the years, she became involved in backstage excess but has since been sober for over a decade. She now helps women in Huntsville through her organization, Best Life Residencies.

Jennings’ photo archive includes literally a million images. She is currently working on a book detailing her journey, reflecting on what it was like and what it’s like now.