The accompanying music video for " Got 'til It 's Gone " was directed by Mark Romanek and filmed at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles , and was premiered right before the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards . Jackson portrays a lounge singer in the video , which takes place during the time of apartheid in South Africa . It was called a masterpiece by critics , winning a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video . Jackson has performed " Got 'til It 's Gone " on all of her concert tours since its release . The song was also covered by singer Marsha Ambrosius , and was also a source for several book titles
1997 MTV Video Music Awards
1997 MTV Video Music Awards
Got 'til It's Gone