'' Slant Magazine '' called the " Got Til ' Its Gone " video a " masterpiece " and elaborated that it had " as much substance as it does style . Set in South Africa during the time of apartheid , the video is a celebration of the music and rhythms that helped sustain black culture under the weight of segregation . As for style , Janet , who dons little-to-no make-up and a bead of sweat on her brow , has never looked so sexy " . MusicOMH observed that the video " stands out " in comparison to Jackson 's other clips and " has a powerful impact , a nice shot of Joni Mitchell at the opening and a very dark canvas for Jackson and Q-Tip to work on " . '' Blues & Soul '' magazine described the clip as " a genuine tour de force . Subtly ( and not so subtly ) conveying images from a party in the South African townships , together with flash-photography shots of Janet and herself and one Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest . The whole thing emphasizes the elusive , not to say , precious value of happiness as something to savor . As with the rest of the set , it is perhaps Janet 's most mature vehicle yet " . '' Complex '' commented on the video , saying " This is about as cool as videos get . So many incredible style references in this one it ’s like a moving Tumblr " . In the book '' Unruly Media : Youtube , Music Video , and the New Digital Cinema '' , author Carol Vernallis analyzed that despite the video 's " bevy of loaded images tied to race and myth " , its mood and tone are " overwhelmingly warm " , drawing attention to Jackson 's and Mitchell 's vocal similarities . At the 40th Annual Grammy Awards , the music video for " Got 'til It 's Gone " won a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video . It also received the most nominations at the seventh annual MVPA Awards , winning " Pop Video of the Year " and " Best Art Direction " . '' Billboard '' magazine noted that " the biggest surprise was that Janet Jackson 's " Got 'Til It 's Gone " clip was completely shut out " of winning Video of the Year , despite receiving the most nominations . However . the publication noted that the video had " stiff competition " in all of its nominated categories . It was also the winner of VH1 's " Most Stylish Video " award in 1997 , and was additionally ranked number ten on a list of the " 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time " by '' Slant Magazine '' . '' Complex '' also placed the video at number 15 on their list of the 25 Most Stylish Hip-Hop Videos
40th Annual Grammy Awards
40th Annual Grammy Awards
Got 'til It's Gone