Drake has been "in love" with Rihanna since he was 22.

As he clutched the trophy in his hand, he said of the brunette beauty: "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old. She's one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life, I've looked up to her, even though she's younger than me. She's a living, breathing legend in our industry, ladies and gentleman, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for 2016, Rihanna."

The 28-year-old singer - who also performed at the event - then took the accolade from the hunk as she leant in to give him a peck on the cheek, while he nuzzled into her neck.

However, the intimate moment under the lights didn't last very long as Rihanna pulled away to start her speech.

Rihanna - who was born in Barbados - said: "MTV, this is such an amazing night, it's such an amazing moment in my career. When I think about the Vanguard Award and receiving this tonight, all I could think of was my country.

"They're gonna be so proud, this is the first Vanguard to land anywhere close to my country.

"And so, you know my success, it started as my dream. But now my success is not my own. It's my family's, it's my fan's, it's my country's, it's the Caribbean as a whole, it's women, it's black women, so many people feel like their little piece is such a major part of this puzzle, and I have to thank you guys for supporting me over and over.

"Thank you to every director whose taken a chance on me, and a chance with my crazy ideas, there's just so much growth that has happened over the last eleven years, and I can't believe I'm receiving a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at 28 years old.

"It's crazy. And I have so many people to thank, I mean, from the very beginning. Evan and Carl, from SRP, you guys believed in me, you brought me straight to Jay Z's office, where I met Jay, Tata, L.A. Reid, Jay Brown, my whole publicity team, my grandpeeps, so many people, man, they write with me from day to day.

"And my best friends, they never left me. They actually followed my a** all the way to America, getting on my damn nerves. They here right now, just witnessing this.

"This is a big moment. Thank you to Drake, for that amazing speech. Thank you to MTV, I had so much fun! Good night!"

The pair - who have been at the centre of romance rumours for years but are yet to confirm their relationship status - then left the stage hand-in-hand before sharing another kiss.