Miley Cyrus 'Smokes Joint' On Stage

Miley Cyrus continues to be bad girl, smokes cigarette onstage at EMA Awards 

The 20-year-old singer sparks new controversy by lighting up as she accepts an award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Miley Cyrus has caused a storm by appearing to light up a joint on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

The singer lit a hand-rolled cigarette as she accepted her best video award for Wrecking Ball at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam - where smoking marijuana is tolerated.

The drug is not legal in the Netherlands, but smokers are not prosecuted for possession of small amounts and it is sold openly in cafes known as "coffee shops".

Cyrus opened the space-themed show singing the song We Can't Stop while wearing a silver spandex suit and demonstrating her signature "twerking" dance move in a routine with a dwarf.

The 20-year-old, who is managed by Larry Rudolph - who also represents Britney Spears - had already caused a stir by arriving at the event in a revealing mini-dress emblazoned with images of murdered rappers The Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur along with the words "please stop violence".

Rapper Eminem - real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers - emerged the biggest winner at the awards.

He collected the global icon prize for lifetime achievement along with best hip-hop act, just a week after being declared artist of the year at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards.

The 41-year-old had more cause to celebrate after scoring his seventh consecutive number one UK album with The Marshall Mathers LP 2 and took to the stage to perform Berzerk and Rap God - two tracks from his new works.

"This is crazy. I want to say thank you to everybody over the years," he said.

Katy Perry won the award for best female singer, pipping Lady Gaga and Cyrus and collecting her third EMA prize in the process.

Claiming her prize, the US singer gave a dramatic performance of her song Unconditionally, suspended like a sequin-covered glitter ball nine metres (30 feet) above the set.

One Direction had a good night, taking the prize for best pop, while Harry Styles, known as much for his singing in the band as for his celebrity girlfriends, was awarded best style.

Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto reacted to his band's win in the best alternative category by calling for a minute of silence for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.