From the opening shot of the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, viewers were seeing red.

It was Rihanna, decked out in skintight red leather pants, dark red lipstick and a bold snakeskin head wrap to match. The Barbados-born singer sat atop a throne shaped like the mouth of a cobra as she kicked off the show with a performance of her new single "Cockiness" and "We Found Love."

Rihanna was joined in the show-stopping performance by rapper A$AP Rocky, who contributed his verse to "Cockiness." It was his first time performing at the VMAs, but the rapper looked cool and collected in an all-black ensemble with a touch of leather.

The second song Rihanna sang, "We Found Love," was a big winner on VMA night. The video took home the evening's top award, Video of the Year.

During her acceptance speech, Rihanna thanked her fans above all.

"MTV, thank you so much, but most importantly, my fans, thank you so much for voting," she said. "My Navy, Rihanna Navy ... it's Navy or die. I love you guys. Thank you. This is awesome."

But perhaps the most noteworthy part of Rihanna's evening came after she accepted the award, when ex-boyfriend Chris Brown met her at the bottom of the stage's steps to give her a congratulatory hug and kiss.

CLICK HERE for video of the pair's smooch.

Tags: Rihanna vma 2012 MTV VMA