It was supposed to be a heartfelt tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

Instead, the MTV video music awards on Sunday night turned into a near-brawl when the outspoken rapper Kanye West invaded the stage during a country singer’s acceptance speech, and essentially told the winner that she did not deserve it.

The singer, Taylor Swift, 19, whose hit song You Belong with Me had just won the award for Best Female Video, stood motionless and open-mouthed as West jumped up from his front-row seat, grabbed the microphone from her, and said: “You Taylor, I’m really happy for you . . . but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”

The camera then cut to Beyoncé Knowles in the audience at Radio City Music Hall in New York, looking mortified. The former Destiny’s Child singer had been one of Swift’s rivals in the same category for the video of her recent song, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).

The rest of the audience, after a brief moment of stunned silence, began to boo the rapper.

To make matters worse for Swift, by the time West handed the microphone back to her, the show’s producers had panicked and cut off the sound, so the rest of her speech could not be heard. Then the screen cut awkwardly to a prerecorded comedy segment featuring Tracy Morgan, from the sitcom 30 Rock, and the rapper Eminem.

West was confronted by several furious audience members when he left the stage, and was reportedly asked to leave by an MTV executive, although there was some speculation among fans over whether the stage invasion had been a stunt.

Regardless, when Kanye’s name was mentioned again later in the show, boos and chants of “Taylor” could be heard throughout the venue.

It was not until Beyoncé later took the show’s biggest award for Video of the Year that Swift was given a second chance to enjoy her moment of glory.

Before calling Swift back up on stage — “I would like Taylor to come out and have her moment,” she said — Beyoncé told the audience how important it had been for her to win her first MTV award. The two singers then hugged and Swift completed her thank-yous. West, who had been seen drinking before the show, apologised on his website. “I’m sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom. I’m in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment!” he wrote.

MTV’s annual awards show had started with a sombre tribute to Michael Jackson by Madonna, who confessed that she had drifted away from her former friend after the repeated child abuse allegations made against him. Later, Janet Jackson, the sister of the late singer, mimicked some of her brother’s most famous dance moves as a video of his hit song Scream played on a screen behind her.

The show’s other top awards went to the American dance music star Lady Gaga, who won in the category of Best New Artist for Poker Face; to the rapper T.I. who won Best Male Video for Live Your Life featuring the singer Rihanna; and to Britney Spears, who won Best Pop Video for Womanizer.

Eminem also won Best Hip-hop Video for We Made You and Green Day took the Best Rock Video award for 21 Guns.

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