Rihanna belts out hits collections to open the 2016 Video Music Awards in New York

Entertainment: 28-year-old Barbadian singer, Rihanna who was named this year's recipient of MTV's lifetime achievement honour, kicked off the 2016 Video Music Awards with a collection of her biggest hits as she opened the star-studded show at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday.

Rihanna  performed beautiful hits like Please Don't Stop The Music, Only Girl (In The World), We Found Love and Where Have You Been.

She is to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, following in the footsteps of previous winners such as Kanye West, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

Drake won the first award of the night, the best hip hop video, for Hotline Bling.